Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-07-29
.feric,,lfural Department
I. D. R. COLLINS, Editor
+ COOKING BEANS...-CHEAP
BOARDING.

a
A railroad builder in this state. who
employs many laboring men, recently
informed us that he had long given spe-
cial attention to discover, the most eco
nomical materials for food. and had
found that beans, we'll cooked, went far
Their, and saved expense better than any,
thing else. But as with other food,
great deal depends on good cooking, for
if the work is badly performed, large
quantities will be rejected and wasted, ]
and less will be consumed Of this. and
more of other food. Our informant, who
is an eastern man, had seen many dish
es of beans cooked in the state of New
York, not one of which had the peculiar
excellence to which he had been accus-
toned. At our request, he gave the de-
tails Of the operation by which perfec-
ton in this dish might be attained, in
substance as follows: First boil the
beans in water long enough to break the
skins; then pour off the water, place
piece of pork in the center, and cover
the vessel. It is then to be buried all
over in a pit of hot Goals and ashes, pre-
sviously prepared by digging in the
ground, and continuing to burn wood
fire in this hole long enough to fill it
with embers. The vessel of beans, bur-
led with these Goals and ashes, will then
cook slowly for some ten or twelve hours
which will be indicated by the slight
bubbling noise. The process is then
completed. They will keep cold week.
HE had known them cooked in one in
stance twenty three hours, and the re-
.sult was highly satisfactory. An old
fashioned brick oven will give out a
mild and long continued heat, and will
answer the same purpose nearly as well
as the pit; but the heat of kitchen
stove is too changeable and uncertain. :
On mentioning this perfect" mode of
cooking to notable housewife, she fur
nished IAN improvement in the process
which she had adopted. The beans were
| first parboiled, as before mentioned; then
:. the water waspoured off and fresh ad-
ded. AS soon as boiling again com.
menced, 1.-The second water was poured off,
and a third addition made A piece Of
pork was then put in, and the boiling
continued an hour or two till all are
thoroughly done. Then take out the
pork and cover9it with the beans in &
dripping pan, addinga pint of the wa
ter in which they were last boiled. Bake
about half an hour The successiv,
boilings take away the strong flavor o
the beans, and the cooking reaches thu
highest notch of perfection, rendering
the whole delicate. rich and palatable
/, Can any of our Iskillful housekeepin,
readers tell us which of these two mode
is the best ?
, We may add some additional remark
made by the railroad builder before men
toned, which may possibly be of use t
q farmers and others who have many la
o boring men to board. Beans are tn
o cheapest food, and the more the men ca
be induced to eat by preparing them i
the very best manner, the more none
he saves. Next to beans, is wheat brea
o or wheat -four cooked in any way Ind
= an and buckwheat nearly the same, bu
G. it is nearly impossible to find coo
= that will manage buckwheat so as t
avoid bad cakes and a great waste. FL
this reason he does not use it. Nearl
. as economical as beans and wheat, is
% free use of sugar. The more. sugar /
can get down his boarders' threats
J. different ways the better. He asserte
# That pound of sugar was worth 'fol
i pounds of beef, and his meat bills we
10 greatly reduced by its use What So
;, the keepers of boarding houses to tn
g opinion ?-CMtivator.
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