Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-05-29
A FEW HINTS ABOUT SOUPS.

hieuouSu mauy PAeASA SetohSs i'Sh
and highly-havored soups, yet these
may be varied by others of palmer de-
scription-broths, rather than soups,
containing only the pure juices of the
meat, seasoned with vegetables, and,
thickened with bread, rice, or vermicelli,
will be found both palatable and whole
some. Housekeepers will do well to
attend very closely to this branch of
the culinary art, as the stock, or broth,
may be frequently produced without
the purchase of meat solely for the pur-
pose. Thus the water in which neck
or a leg of mutten has been boiled, or
the liquor from calf's head, will, with
the addition of little seasoning, form
a good stock for vegetable or thick
soup; particularly if the bones be
added when the meat is brought from
table, they will produce stiff jelly,
and make quite sufficient soup for
small family.
Arrow-root, or the mere farina or -four
of the pototo, is far better for the thick
ening of soups than wheaton -four
The trimmings of large joints of
butchers meat, the shanks of legs and
shoulders of mutton, the remains Of all
sorts of poultry and game, the bones of
roast meat, or, if boiled, then broken
and broiled, should all be stewed down
to q ielly--nor should the bones or re-
mains OF fish lie neglected for the same
purpose--and when strained and we'll
seasoned, kept as stock for the founda-
ton of soups, which may thus he pre-
pared on sudden occasions in q much
shorter time than if made from raw
meat.
Soft water should always be used in
making soups, unless it be of green
peas, in which case hard water better
preserses the color; it is q good gene
raj rule TO apportion quart of water
to o pound of meat, that is to say, flesh
without bone; but rich soups may have
a smaller quantity of water.
Meat for soup should never be drown
ed at first in water, but put into the
kettle with very small quantity and a
piece of butter, merely to keep the meat
from burning until the juice is extracted;
by which means of stewing, the gravy
d, will be drawn from it before the remain
der Of the water is added A single
pound will thus afford better and richer
soup than treble the quantity saturated
with cold water; but it will take six or
eight hours to extract the essence from
few pounds of raw beef.
Soup, if meant to be good, should be
made of meat that has not been pre-
viously cooked; for although family
soup OF fair quality may be made in the
manner above stated, yet, if cold meat
be used it will ever be found to have a
vapid taste which seasoning cannot dis
guise, nor impose upon the palate of
any person who is accustomed to broths
made from raw meat; but we admit
that, if only partially employed, the
remains of roast beef, or the bones
broiled, and shank of ham, will COM
monty improve the flavor of soups made
in the usual manner. The sediments of
gravies that have stood TO be cold
. should likewise be avoided, as they oc-
casion the soup to become cloudy. Raw
vegetables, with the exception of
onions, should not be put on to stew at
tbs same time as the meat, as their fla
vor will be exhausted by too long boil
ing, and the different sorts should be
put in at different times. Onions,
either whole or sliced and fried, at
once; pot-herbs, carrots, and celery,
three hours afterward; and turnips, as
paragus-tops, and those of any delicate
kind, only shortly before soup is ready.
II is generally thought desirable
to prepare soup the day before, it is
wanted, as the fat can be more easily
taken off when cold than hot, and every
particle of it should be skinned from
the surface, or it will render the broth
unpalatable. When put away to cool,
it should be poured into freshly scald-
ed, and thoroughly dried, earthen pan
which is preferable to any metal
and, when to be kept for some days,
occasionally simmered for few min
utes over the fire, to prevent its becom-
ing " motheryp or mouldy.
Freshly killed meat is the best for
soup; and the leaner the better
When there is any fear of gravy-meat
being spoiled before it is wanted, sea-
son we'll, and fry it lightly, which will
preserve it two days longer; but the
gravy is best when the juices are fresh. !
When soups or GRAVES are to be kept,
they must be boiled up and put into
fresh-scalded dry pans. Do not use the
sediments of grayies that have stood to
be cold, nor any drippings but those of
beef. Whatever has vegetables boiled
in it is apt to turn sour sooner than the
juices of meat.
If soups or grayies are too weak, do
not. cover them in boiling, that the
watery PARTICLES may evaporate; but if
strong, cover the stewpan close. If
they want flavor. the gravy from spiced
beef, or most of the prepared sauces,
will give it to meat-soups; and herring
brine, or nnchovy, with walnut ketchup
and soy, viii add it to those of fish; but
these must be used cautiously.
WhAn fat remains on any SOM taa