# Economical and complete housekeeper

THE ECONOMICAL
AND
COMPLETE HOUSEKEEPER.
"SHE LOOKETH WELL TO THE WAYS OF HER HOUSEHOLD, AND EATETH NOT THE BREAD OF IDLENESS."
GLASGOW:
PRINTED FOR THE BOOKSELLERS.
136.
| No. | 1/4d. | 1/2d. | 3/4d. | 1d. | 2d. | 3d. | 4d. | 5d. | 6d. | 7d. | 8d. | 9d. | 10d. | 11d. | 1s |
| | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. | S. D. |
| 1 | 0 0.25 | 0 0.5 | 0 0.75 | 0 1 | 0 2 | 0 3 | 0 4 | 0 5 | 0 6 | 0 7 | 0 8 | 0 9 | 0 10 | 0 11 | 1 0 |
| 2 | 0 0.5 | 0 1 | 0 1.5 | 0 2 | 0 4 | 0 6 | 0 8 | 0 10 | 1 0 | 1 2 | 1 4 | 1 6 | 1 8 | 1 10 | 2 0 |
| 3 | 0 0.75 | 0 1.5 | 0 2.25 | 0 3 | 0 6 | 0 9 | 1 0 | 1 3 | 1 6 | 1 9 | 2 0 | 2 3 | 2 6 | 2 9 | 3 0 |
| 4 | 0 1 | 0 2 | 0 3 | 0 4 | 0 8 | 1 0 | 1 4 | 1 8 | 2 0 | 2 4 | 2 8 | 3 0 | 3 4 | 3 8 | 4 0 |
| 5 | 0 1.25 | 0 2.25 | 0 3.75 | 0 5 | 0 10 | 1 3 | 1 8 | 2 1 | 2 6 | 2 11 | 3 4 | 3 9 | 4 2 | 4 7 | 5 0 |
| 6 | 0 1.5 | 0 3 | 0 4.5 | 0 6 | 1 0 | 1 6 | 2 0 | 2 6 | 3 0 | 3 6 | 4 0 | 4 6 | 5 0 | 5 6 | 6 0 |
| 7 | 0 1.75 | 0 3.5 | 0 5.25 | 0 7 | 1 2 | 1 9 | 2 4 | 2 11 | 3 6 | 4 1 | 4 8 | 5 3 | 5 10 | 6 5 | 7 0 |
| 8 | 0 2 | 0 4 | 0 6 | 0 8 | 1 4 | 2 0 | 2 8 | 3 4 | 4 0 | 4 8 | 5 4 | 6 0 | 6 8 | 7 4 | 8 0 |
| 9 | 0 2.25 | 0 4.5 | 0 6.75 | 0 9 | 1 6 | 2 3 | 3 0 | 3 9 | 4 6 | 5 3 | 6 0 | 6 9 | 7 9 | 8 3 | 9 0 |
| 10 | 0 2.5 | 0 5 | 0 7.5 | 0 10 | 1 8 | 2 6 | 3 4 | 4 2 | 5 0 | 5 10 | 6 8 | 7 6 | 8 4 | 9 2 | 10 0 |
| 11 | 0 2.75 | 0 5.5 | 0 8.25 | 0 11 | 1 10 | 2 9 | 3 8 | 4 7 | 5 6 | 6 5 | 7 4 | 8 3 | 9 2 | 10 1 | 11 0 |
| 12 | 0 3 | 0 6 | 0 9 | 1 0 | 2 0 | 3 0 | 4 0 | 5 0 | 6 0 | 7 0 | 8 0 | 9 0 | 10 0 | 11 0 | 12 0 |
| 13 | 0 3.25 | 0 6.5 | 0 9.75 | 1 1 | 2 2 | 3 3 | 4 4 | 5 5 | 6 6 | 7 7 | 8 8 | 9 9 | 10 10 | 11 11 | 13 0 |
| 14 | 0 3.5 | 0 7 | 0 10.5 | 1 2 | 2 4 | 3 6 | 4 8 | 5 10 | 7 0 | 8 2 | 9 4 | 10 6 | 11 8 | 12 10 | 14 0 |
| 15 | 0 3.75 | 0 7.5 | 0 11.25 | 1 3 | 2 6 | 3 9 | 5 0 | 6 3 | 7 6 | 8 9 | 10 0 | 11 3 | 12 6 | 13 9 | 15 0 |
| 16 | 0 4 | 0 8 | 1 0 | 1 4 | 2 8 | 4 0 | 5 4 | 6 8 | 8 0 | 9 4 | 10 8 | 12 0 | 13 4 | 14 8 | 16 0 |
| 17 | 0 4.25 | 0 8.5 | 1 0.75 | 1 5 | 2 10 | 4 3 | 5 8 | 7 1 | 8 6 | 9 11 | 11 4 | 12 9 | 14 2 | 15 7 | 17 0 |
| 18 | 0 4.25 | 0 9 | 1 1.5 | 1 6 | 3 0 | 4 6 | 6 0 | 7 6 | 9 0 | 10 6 | 12 0 | 13 6 | 15 0 | 16 6 | 18 0 |
| 19 | 0 4.75 | 0 9.5 | 1 2.25 | 1 7 | 3 2 | 4 9 | 6 4 | 7 11 | 9 6 | 11 1 | 12 8 | 14 3 | 15 10 | 17 5 | 19 0 |
| 20 | 0 5 | 0 10 | 1 3 | 1 8 | 3 4 | 5 0 | 6 8 | 8 4 | 10 0 | 11 8 | 13 4 | 15 0 | 16 8 | 18 4 | 20 0 |
Example - To find the value of 10lb at 11 & 1d:- 10 under the head of 1d is . . . . 007.5 10 under the head of 11d is . . . . 092 ---- ₤099.5
THE ECONOMICAL AND COMPLETE HOUSEKEEPER.
Without taking up either time or room in saying word about the merits of this little work, the Editor leaves the contents to show its value.
To the wife of the man in humble life is especially confided the superintendence of the domestic affairs, and on her tasteful, as well as prudent, way of managing them depends the comfort of every member of the family. By a faithful and satisfactory discharge of her duties, she will not only maintain the husband’s respect and attachment, but secure many advantages to her children. The "young gudewife" may find our information and advice very suitable for assisting her to that experience and economy so necessary in her several duties.
The general marketing for the house is among the foremost of these duties; such as the choice and purchase of meat, fish, vegetables, groceries, and various stores for domestic uses; the curing of meat, the preserving of fruit, and so on.
CHOICE OF MEAT.
Beef is never out of season, but yet is best in November, December, and January. The fat should be white and pure; the lean smooth and glossy, and a bright red colour. When the fat is of a deep yellow colour, the beef is not so likely to be good. ​In old meat, a streak of horn runs between the fat and lean of the sirloin and ribs ; the harder this is the older, and the flesh is not well flavoured. the beef be to young, the fat will be like mutton fat, and the lean of a pale colour.
Veal should be judged by the kidney, which ought to be well covered with white thick fat. The finest calves have the smallest kidneys. When the fat around the kidney is soft and greenish it is getting tainted. The other parts should be dry and white, without any disagreeable smell; not clammy nor spotted.
Mutton is best about five years old, and not going under three. Choose it by the lean being firm grained and of good colour, and by the fat white and firm. Ewe is paler, but not so well flavoured as wether mutton. Ram mutton is strong flavored, high-coloured, and the fat spongy. Black-faced is sweetest and always preferred.
Lamb.—It is best when the quarters are short and thick, and the neck fat. The eyes should be full and bright. If there be a faint smell about the kidney, it is growing stale. The season for grass lamb is from April to August.
Of Pork, when fine, the rind is thin; if you and well-fed, the lean breaks on being pinched, all the fat is white. The lean is also smooth and dry. Of old pork the rind is thick and tough. Small greasy lumps and kernels mixed with the fat is sign of measly pork.
Of good Bacon the rind is likewise thin, the fat firm and white, the lean of a bright red and adhering close to the bone. It is rusty, if there be an appearance of yellow in the fat.
The best way of choosing Hams is by sticking a narrow blunt knife close by the bone. The ham ​prime if it come out with a pleasant smell, but, if otherwise, it should he rejected. Short houghed and thick hams are the best.
The quality of butcher's meat depends on the season of the year, and more or less on the kind and quantity of feeding. During the winter months the flesh of most full grown beasts is in best season, after having had abundance of fresh summer food. Pork is bad, except during winter.
The flavour of all meats improves by being hung up, which also makes them easier of digestion. Meat eats better by hanging a day or two before it is salted.
Charcoal laid upon meat prevents putrefaction, and restores what is already tainted.
Dried meat, hams, and so on, require to be kept in a cold, but not damp place.
CURING MEAT.
Meat intended for salting in winter should hang a few days to make it tender. It is first wiped dry, the kernels and pipes then taken out, and the holes afterwards filled with salt. Meat salted in summer does not keep.
At first, the salt must be rubbed in thoroughly and evenly, two days after the meat must be turned and rubbed again, and, the oftener it is turned and rubbed, the better will the meat keep.
Bay salt is better than any other salt. By some, sugar is used to rub meat previous to salting. Saltpetre dries up the meat too fast; so that it is seldomn used but for giving a red colour. For this purpose I take half an ounce of saltpetre, and the same quantity of sugar, to every pound of salt. The meat must be kept covered with the brine.
RECIPE FOR A PICKLE.
Take 2 gallons of good water, in which dissolve 2 lb. of sugar, (molasses will answer,) 1 oz. of salt-petre, and 3 lbs of bay or comman salt. Put the whole into a clean pot, let it boil, and be carefull to take off all the scum as it rises. When no more scum comes up, put the liquor aside to get quite cold. Having put the meat into the vessel where it is to be preserved, pour the liquor over the meat till wholly covered. In this state it must be kept. If you intend to preserve the meat for some length of time, it will be necessary to boil the pickle over again once in two months, throwing in during the boiling 2 oz. of sugar and ½ lb of salt, and removing all the scum as before. Thus the same pickle will last good for twelve months.
This pickle is excellent for curing corned or hung beef, hams, tongues. When the meat is taken out of the pickle, it should be cleaned and wiped, covered with paper, and hung up in a very dry place.
If you want to make the meat salter, use greater quantities of the stuffs than as directed above. Before putting the meat into the pickle, in hot weather rub it well over with salt, and let it lie about three hours until all the blood run out. If the meat be in the least tainted before it is put into the pickle in hot weather, it will be spoiled in two days time.
Corned beef requires to lie in pickle only about a fortnight. Sugar is seldom used in making corned beef.
HAMS.
To each ham allow ½ lb. of bay and ½ lb. of common salt, 2 oz. of saltpetre, 8 oz. of sugar, 4oz. of allspice. Rub in the half of the salt and ​saltpetre, in two days after the rest of the salt, saltpetre and the spices. Rub for half an hour, and the longer the better. Lay the hams in the vessel, keep them carefully covered, turn and baste them with the brine every day for some time.
A beef ham must be tied up with packthread; the knuckles of a mutton one filled with salt. The former takes six weeks to cure; the latter three.
Hams are spiced by using aromatic and sweet herbs.
TONGUES.
Cut off the roots, soak them with a weak pickle for a day or two, and afterwards salt them with common salt. Scrape and dry the tongues, rub them with salt and saltpetre, and the next day rub again with sugar and salt. Keep them within the pickle for a fortnight.
CHOICE OF POULTRY.
Black-legged fowls are the most juicy and best for roasting. Pullets are in prime before they begin to lay; hen fowls are best when full of eggs. Their freshness is denoted when plucked, by the rump being close and dark. Old hens have rough combs, skin, and legs. The spurs of a young cock are short, and comb bright red. Capons should be chosen by the fat at the shoulders, large rump, and pale comb.
Ducks should be chosen by the same rules. Young ducks are improved in flavour by being scalded.
CHOICE OF FISH.
Cod are best in January and February, and poorest in June and July. When fresh the gills ​are red, and eyes full and bright. Small rock cod are to be had at any season. The roe of large cod salted for a night makes a pleasant and very cheap dish. Half boil, then slice, and fry. Eaten with beat butter, which is made of flour, milk, and butter, which must be constantly stirred till boiling takes place.
Haddocks are finest from October to April. The shortest fish are the best.
Herrings come into season in June at which time they are very dear. They get cheap in August. The truest signs of good herrings ; eyes very bright, thick stiff green back, and plenty of shining scales.
Whittings come in before herrings, and are cheapest from January to April. They should be stiff, with bright eyes.
Flounders, when good, have the same marks. The scarlet-spotted are coarse, and inferior to the grey-back.
Salmon comes in the spring, and is cheapest, as well as finest, in June and July. The gills should be of a fresh red, and quite free from smell, and the flesh firm.
CURING FISH.
Rizard Haddocks.— After opening the fish, remove the entrails, rub the inside with salt, and hang up to dry in an airy place.
Rizard Herrings are made in the same way,
Finnon Haddocks are now imitated by splitting the fish, salting for a few hours, wetting them with pyroligneous acid, and hanging them up to dry.
Herrings may be done in the same way, but giving them more salt.
Kipper Salmon.—All the blood is taken from the fish immediately, which is done by cutting the gills. ​it is slit up the back and the bone taken out, as well as the entrails, and the head cut off. The skin of the belly is left uncut. Lay the fish with the skin undermost on a board, and rub it and cover it over with a mixture of equal quantities of salt and allspice. Put a weight upon it, repeat the rubbing with the same mixture, after two days, and hang it up by the tail to dry by the sun or fire.
In this way, by buying a bit of salmon or grilse cheap, you may have a cheap kipper, while kipper in the shops is always very dear.
VEGETABLES.
We subjoin a table of the seasons of vegetables:
| Kale, or Greens, | November to June. |
| Cabbage, | June to January. |
| Cabbage or Kale Plants, | All the year. |
| Carrots, | May to April. |
| Turnips, | May to April. |
| Pease, green, | June to August. |
| Pease, dried, | All the year. |
| Beans, | July to November. |
| Leeks, | March to June. |
| Onions, | July, and all the year. |
| Lettuces, | June to October. |
| Parsley, | All the year. |
| Parsnips, | November to May. |
| Cresses, | March to August. |
Vegetables are cheapest two months after coming in. Juicy vegetables are best preserved in a cool, dark place. Strong-scented vegetables ought to be kept apart. Potatoes, turnips, carrots, and similar roots, should never be cleaned, from the earth adhering to them, till they are dressed. Keep them from the air, and frost, by burying them in heaps in sand or earth, or by covering them with straw or mats.
​Onions are best preserved strung, or if small in nets in a dry place. The thick-necked spongy ones must be used first, or the germ taken out and the onions then hung up to dry.
A great saving is effected by purchasing root and onions by the stone. People pay extravagantly dear for these things in small quantities.
COOKERY.
Cleanliness, and fresh wholesome meat and vegetables, are the most important points. Every time you use a saucepan, see that it has been well scoured and cleaned.
In boiling, though a simple process, much fuel is sometimes wasted. Slow boiling is the great secret. Fast boiling makes the meat hard, and not so sweet. The boiling should be reckoned from the time the pot first comes a-boil. The usual time is eighteen to twenty minutes for every pound of fresh meat. Salted meat requires more water and boiling. If fish or meat be very salt, soak them before putting into the pot.
The meat should be put into cold water, and 3 slowly heated.
Skimming the pot is another important point, for on this depend the good appearance and sweetness of boiled meats. A little cold water and salt will aid in throwing up the scum.
Fresh fish should be put into boiling water. Fish of two pounds require from eight to ten minutes.
Dried fish, after being soaked in cold water for hours, should be put on a slow fire in cold water, and removed after little boiling.
For roasting, the fire should be brisk, glowing, ​and clean at bottom. Roast slowly. A pound of meat requires a quarter of an hour for roasting. After the roast is removed from the fire, sprinkle some salt upon it, and pour boiling water over it to make the gravy.
Veal, pork, and lamb, should be well done. Pork requires to be thoroughly done.
Fowls are roasted as other meat, and the gravy similarly prepared. Stuffing for the breast is made of bread crumbs, shred suet, parsley, pepper and salt, mixed together with water or egg.
Broiling also requires a brisk, clear fire, free from smoke. If the article to be broiled be thick, the fire must be gentle to heat it thoroughly. The gridiron should be hot through before any thing is put upon it. Rub it with suet to prevent the meat being marked, or sticking to the bars. Chalk the bars for fish.
To broil a rump-steak properly, requires more attention than it generally gets. The best steaks are from the inside of the sirloin; the next best, from the middle rump, about half an inch thick. This steak should not be beaten, else it will be dry and hard, and it must be turned often with tongs.
Frying is boiling in fat, which must be quite fresh. Lard, suet, and dripping are better adapted as batter for fish, eggs, potatoes, or anything watery, than butter.
Fish are more difficult to fry than meat: for them the pan should be hot, and the fat boiling.
Cutlets with crumbs must be carefully fried to prevent their burning.
Stewing is the common form of dressing made dishes, and is the best mode of cookery for dry and harsh meats, and for dry salted fish. The process ought to go on with extreme slowness, and the ​vessel containing the meat to be kept perfectly close. The lid of the stew-pan should seldom be removed, and shake it frequently, to prevent the meat adhering to the bottom and sides. Dr. Cullen recommends stewing as retaining all the native juiciness of the meat, and obtaining from it the greatest amount of nourishment.
Made dishes, by stewing, are liked by the economist, because a much less quantity of meat than would suffice for a boil or roast, will make a good and well-flavoured dish; while, by re-dressing, every thing cold is turned to account. The commonest fault of made dishes is, that they are overdone. The general rules for made dishes are, that they be not over hastily done, that the sauce be smooth and properly thickened, so as to adhere to the meat, and that the pieces of meat be not clumsily large. A little butter or dripping should be melted in the stew-pan before the meat is put in. After the meat has been removed to be dished, prepare some flour and water, seasoned with pepper and salt; then, mixing and boiling this with the gravy in the stew-pan, pour it over the meat in the asset or dish.
Allow twenty minutes to every pound of meat.
BROTH.
Put two or three pounds of neck of mutton or hough of beef, into a pot holding four or five Scotch pints of cold water. Two tea-cups-full of barley may be put in at first if the broth be wanted thick, but if otherwise, when the pot begins to boil. Cut two small middling-sized carrots and turnips, to be put in shortly after the boiling commences, and by and by a few onions or leeks. If the greens, which are added along with the onions, be rank or strong ​flavoured, boiling water should be poured over them before being put in. Green pease and beans require little boiling, but dried pease must be added with the barley. Throw in a little parsley before the pot is removed which greatly improves the flavour. Scum well exactly before boiling begins, and as much as necessary afterwards.
When vegetables are plenty and young, half the quantity of meat will suffice, and less boiling is required.
SCOTCH HOTCH POTCH.
The excellence of this favourite dish depends mainly on the meat, whether beef or mutton, being abundant and fresh, and on the vegetables being all young and full of sweet juice. No barley, but plenty of young pease, equal to the whole lot of beans, turnips, carrots, cauliflower, and parsley.
The white of cabbage cut small may be used instead of cauliflower.
Loin, or back ribs of mutton, make the sweetest hotch potch. The meat is to be cut into small pieces when dished.
This is an expensive dish.
SHEEP'S HEAD BROTH.
Choose a large fat head. When well singed, soak it and the singed trotters all night in lukewarmed water. Before being put into the water, the head must be split, the brains and eyes taken out, and rubbed over the head and feet. Next day the gristly parts of the nostrils should be cleaned out, and all the parts brushed and washed in several waters.
Put the head, with a large cupful of barley, and about twice that quantity of dried pease, into a ​gallon of water. If green pease be used, they are put in shortly before the broth is removed from the fire. Take off the scum as it rises. When the head has boiled rather more than an hour, add carrots and turnips cut small, and afterwards some onions and parsley. The more slowly the head is boiled, the better will both the meat and soup he. A small piece of beef or mutton added, greatly improves this broth. From three to four hours' boiling is required.
POTATO SOUP.
A small piece of salted mutton, or a marrow hone, or a lump of dripping, makes a very good soup. Peel the potatoes, take out all the black eyes, and wash them well in two or three waters. The meat must be well boiled before the potatoes are added.
PEASE SOUP.
This is a very cheap and capital dish. Half an ox head with a bowl of split pease, and a few onions or a piece of celery, will make three large potsful of good soup. Throw in a few whole peppers. All the salt that soup requires should be thrown in while the pot is boiling.
The half ox head should be cut into three pieces. Steep them for a day or two in several waters and wash well.
Boil for three hours, scum carefully, and strain, if possible.
The bone of a ham, or any coarse piece of meat, does for pease soup.
TO FRY STEAKS, OR SCOTCH COLLOP.
Fry in dripping or butter for twelve or fifteen minutes pieces of rump steak three quarters of an ​inch thick. Fry them of a fine brown. Then add the onions, and brown them too. The pan may be covered after the steaks are browned, which will render them more juicy. The onions should he parboiled and shred before being put into the pan. After the meat has been removed into a hot dish placed by the fire, pour into the stewpan a little water and salt to form the gravy. Allow it to boil, remove the onions to the dish holding the steak, and pour the gravy over both.
VEAL CUTLET.
Is prepared in a similar manner. No onions. A little flour is added to the gravy. The cutlet is sprinkled with flour before being put into the stewpan. A small bit of fried bacon is a great improvement.
IRISH STEW.
Take some thin pieces of beef or mutton chops; season them with salt and allspice. Peel, and parboil, a quantity of potatoes and six onions. Lay some shred suet at the bottom of the stew-pan. Slice in an alternate layer of potatoes, meat, and onions; and let the top be covered with potatoes. It must stove very slowly, and the pan must be closely and constantly covered.
STOVE POTATOES.
Put an English pint of water, and from two to three dozen peeled potatoes, into a stew-pan. Add a large spoonful of dripping or butter, with a few onions. Sprinkle on pepper and salt. This is a cheap, pleasant dish, and eats well with cold meat.
THE SCOTCH HAGGIS.
All national dishes are good; and the reason of ​this is obvious; for had they not been acceptable to the palate, they could neither have gained nor maintained their supremacy.
Clean a sheep's pluck thoroughly, and make cuts in the heart and liver, to let the blood flow out. Parboil the whole, letting the wind-pipe lie over the side of the pot so as to disgorge the phlegm and blood from the lungs. The water may be changed after a few minutes’ boiling for fresh water. A half-hour's boiling will be sufficient; but throw back half the liver to boil so as to grate easily. Then take the heart, the other half of the liver, and part of the lights, trimming away all skins and black looking parts, and mince them together. Mince also a pound of good beef suet and four or more onions, and grate the former half of the liver. Have a dozen of small onions peeled and scalded in two waters, to mix with this mince. Toast some oatmeal before the fire for hours, till it is of a light brown colour, and perfectly dry. Four teacupsful of meal will be sufficient. Spread the whole mince on a board, strew the meal lightly over it, and a high seasoning of pepper and salt well mixed. Provide a haggis bag perfectly clean, and not thin in any part, else your labour may be lost by its bursting. Be careful not to fill the bag too full, but allow the meat room to swell; press out the air, and sew up the bag; prick it with a large needle when it first swells in the pot, to prevent bursting. Let it boil slowly for three hours.
This is a genuine Scotch Haggis.
MINCED COLLOPS, AN ECONOMICAL DISH.
Mince a fleshy piece of beef, free of skins and gristles, very fine, and season it with salt and pepper. Mix up the collops with a little water, and, ​having browned some dripping in a sauce-pan, put them to it, and beat them well with a spoon, to prevent them going into lumps, till they are nearly ready
POTTED HEAD.
Clean an ox head thoroughly, as before directed; oil till tender, and cut into small square pieces. Strain the gravy, after seasoning it highly with mixed pepper and salt. Return the meat cut small, and the gravy, into a clean sauce-pan. Boil for some time, and pour it into shapes or basins, When cold, turn it out.
SCOTCH WHITE PUDDINGS.
Mince good beef suet, but not too finely, and mix with an equal quantity of well toasted oatmeal, Season with plenty of pepper and salt. Finely shred onions may be added, if thought an improvement.
Provide skins thoroughly cleaned and dried, and cut them of equal lengths. Stuff them with the ingredients, and sew the ends. Boil the puddings for an hour, pricking them as they swell in the pot, to let out the air. They will keep for months in bran or oatmeal. When to be used, warm them through in hot water, toast them, and serve hot.
SWEET WHITE PUDDINGS.
Take one pound of beef suet finely minced, one of bread crumbs, and half a pound of currants, or apples cut extremely small. Season the mixture with sugar and nutmeg. Prepare as above. They don't keep long.
TO STEW AND FRY TRIPE.
Clean well in cold water, and scald till it gets ​perfectly white, and the rough inside skin peels off Lay it for a day in salt and water; repeat this again in fresh salt and water. Boil in fresh salt and water till quite tender. A little milk improves it.
When wanted for table, stew in milk and water with a few onions. The gravy may be thickened with flour and butter, and seasoned according to taste.
Fried Tripe may be done in the usual way of fry, and served with melted butter
VEAL PIE.
The loin, back ribs, and the breast, are the parts usually taken for a pye. Cut into small pieces, dust with flour, and season with salt and pepper. When the meat is put into the dish add a little water. For the pye paste, take some flour, a little butter and dripping, and knead them well, adding a very little water to make the dough roll out. Roll out twice or thrice before covering.
Surround the edge of the dish with a strip of dough, and lay on the cover. Fire thoroughly, and give time according to the size of the pye.
A MEAT PUDDING.
Take quarter of a pound of finely minced fresh suet, and one pound, of flour. Knead them well together, with a little water, adding salt, and roll out the paste. Lay from one to two pounds of beef cut into small pieces upon the paste, season with pepper and salt, and cover up with the paste. A quarter hundred of oysters, or crumbs of bread and well shred parsley, put along with the meat is a ​great improvement. Put the pudding into a basin or bowl, tie over with a cloth, and boil for two or three hours.
FRUIT PUDDINGS
are made in a manner similar to the above, only varying the ingredients according to circumstances.
COLD ARROW ROOT SHAPE.
A teacupful of arrow root to a mutchkin of milk, Mix the arrow root with a little cold water, and pour the milk, being first boiled, and sweetened with a bit of sugar, over the mixture, stirring all the time. Put the whole into the pan, boil from two to three minutes, and pour into a shape or bowl. When cold, turn out.
POTTED HERRINGS
Clean well, cut off the head and fins. Mix salt and pepper, and put a good deal into the inside of each fish. Lay them together with the back uppermost in a deep asset. Over half-a-dozen herrings, sprinkle a table spoonful of vinegar. Place them before a slow fire for an hour. They are eaten cold.
This is a cheap, convenient, and agreeable dish, especially in warm weather, and far superior to the common salt herring, or dried fish.
BAKING.
PLAIN GINGERBREAD.
Mix with one pound of flour, one of treacle, quarter pound of butter, one ounce and a half of ground ginger and caraway seeds, two ounces of ​sugar, and a teaspoonful of carbonate of potash. Let it stand for two hours before the fire previous to being baked.
SHORTBREAD.
Take two pounds of flour, one pound of butter, fresh or salt, quarter pound of pounded loaf sugar. Mix the sugar with one pound and a half of the flour; then melt the butter, and pour it when cooling upon this mixture, stirring it quickly. With the remainder of the flour, make it into a circle half an inch thick; cut into eight, and notch each bit round the edge with the point of the finger. Put the pieces upon white paper dusted with flour, then into tins, and bake in a moderate oven.
CURRANT LOAF.
Send to the baker to be put into a quartern loaf, three quarters of a pound of currants cleaned, quarter pound of butter, quarter of sugar, half an ounce of cinnamon.
This bread maybe much improved by the addition of raisins, almonds, and more butter.
PLAIN NEW YEAR'S DAY BUN.
Clean and stone one pound of raisins; clean three of currants; add half a pound of orange peel, the same quantity of almonds blanched and split, one ounce of Jamaica pepper, one of ginger, a grated nutmeg, and half an ounce of cinnamon. Send the above to the baker to be made into a half peck bun.
By getting your bun made in this way, a saving is effected.
OATMEAL CAKES.
is a very good variety of home made bread. The best points to be attended to, are, baking with boiling water, rolling out dry, quick, and thin, and re-toasting the bread when about to be put upon table.
PRESERVES.
The secret of keeping preserves is to exclude the air from them. Set them in a dry spot, and do not place the pots on each other. They must be properly boiled, for heat causes them to ferment, and damp to grow mouldy. If not likely to keep, the only way is to boil them again.
The more sugar to fruit the less boiling is required. The fruit should be gathered on a dry day, and used immediately. When the fruit has got wet it must be boiled longer.
GOOSEBERRY JAM.
To every pint of the fruit carefully picked put a pound and a half of sugar. Shake the brass pan frequently to prevent burning. Skim whenever it comes a-boil. After ten minutes’ boiling, try whether it jellies by dropping a little on the plate. When ready, put in pots, and cover with paper the day following.
CURRANT JELLY.
Squeeze the fruit carefully through a cloth. Throw away the refuse. To every mutchkin of strained juice add one pound of white sugar finely bruised. Put both into the preserving pan; skim when coming a-boil; then boil for two minutes. Put in pots or small jars.
Preserves of other fruits are made in a similar manner.
​Every housekeeper should he acquainted with some neat and economical manner of laying out the table for those festive occasions that occur now and then in the family, such as a holiday breakfast, a christening dinner, or a marriage supper. A tastefully spread table communicates a feeling that is more easily felt than described. It becomes a great recommendation to the mistress of the house.
HOLIDAY BREAKFAST.
Tea.
Eggs.
Toast.Rolls.
Butter.
Ham.Honey.Fowl.
Butter.
Rolls.Bread.
Fish.
Coffee
The number of dishes can be diminished or in creased at convenience.
CHRISTENING DINNER.
Veal Cutlet.
Vegetables.Potatoes.
Arrow Root Shape.
Fowl.Cream. Boiled Salt Beef.
Preserve.
Beat Potatoes.Vegetables.
Beef Pie.
MARRIAGE SUPPER.
Veal Pie.
Tarts.Cream.
Potatoes.
Fruit.Shortbread,
Small Round of Salt Beef.
Should parties prefer, tea may be taken previously; and, after an hour or two of easy and rational conversation, supper may be brought in.
Extravagance and dissipation are highly blameworthy, and quite contrary to good manners.
GROCERIES, &c.
In no department of family economy can a more effectual and judicious saving be made, than in the articles included under this division of our subject.
Tea and Sugar are coming into daily and universal use, and yet in the manner of purchasing them by certain classes they bear an enormous price.
Tea should be chosen by the small size and curl of the leaf, and by the strength as well as freshness of the flavour. Large flat leaves, and pieces of stick, show that it is coarse, and of inferior quality. If it be not much adulterated, yet there is too much reason to believe that tea is sold at a certain price, while mixed with tea that bears an inferior one. Though it may be had of all prices, still it is a certain fact, that cheap coarse tea is ultimately the ​dearest. Were it possible tor people of the humble class to purchase their tea in wholesale, instead of small quantities, or even half-pounds or pounds (which is a remarkably dear way,) a comparatively large saving would be accomplished,—nearly one half of the price. Is there any easy means of purchasing wholesale? it may be asked. Let the one we propose be tried, Supposing a number of people have collected among themselves a sum sufficient to buy a whole or half chest of tea, let them place the money in the hands of some person who has their confidence, such as the pastor, an elder or a deacon of the church to which they belong and let the individual thus entrusted (having given, a receipt for the amount) see that there be distributed to each individual the quantity he has subscribed for. If a family spend two pounds annually on tea, then, having effected a saving of one, such a plan, there is so much money to lay out either on more tea, or some other necessary article Since operatives subscribe with so much facility and readiness to the objects of trades unions, and confidently trust large sums of their money to one or two individuals, in these matters, why can they subscribe and entrust in a case where their own and family's comfort, as well as advantage are so much concerned?
FINIS.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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