The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-09-15
Mrs. BeetOn's Hints on Kitchen Economy

JreSS ana malO.
Be clean in your person, paying par
ticular attention to the hands, which
should always be clean.
Do not go about slipshod. Provide
yourself with good, well-fitting boots.
You will find them less fatiguing in
warm kitchen than loose, untidy slip
pers.
Provide yourself with at least dozen
good sized, serviceable cOokiug-aprOns,
made with bibs. These will save your
gowns, and keep you neat and clean.
Have them made large enough round
so as to nearly meet behind.
Never waste or throw away anything
that can be turned to account. In warm
weather, any gravies or soup that are
left from the preceding day should be
just boiled up and poured into clean
pans. This is particularly necessary
where vegetables have been added to
the preparation, as it then so soon turns
sour. In cooler weather, every other
day will be often enough to warm up
these things.
If you have a spare kitchen cupboard,
keep your baked pastry in it; it pre-
serves it crisp, and prevents it from be-
coming wet and heavy, which it is liza
BILE to do in the larder.
In cooking, clear as you go; that is to
say, do not allow host of basins,
plates, spoons, and other utensils to ac-
cumulate on the dressers and table whilst
you are engaged in preparing the din
ner. By little management and fore
thought, much confusion may be saved
in this way. 1t is as easy to put
thing in its place when it is done with,
as it is to keep continually moving it to
find room for fresh requisites. For in
stance, after making a pudding, the
flour-tub, pasteboard, and rolling-pin
should be put away, and any basins,
spoons, etc., taken to the scullery and
neatly packed up near the sink, to be
washed when the proper time arrives.
Neatness, order and method should be
observed.
Never let your stock of spices, salt,
seasonings, herbs, ETC., dwindle down so
low that, some day in the midst of pre-
pairing large dinner, you find yourself
minus a very important ingredient,
thereby causing much confusion and
annoyance.
If you live in the country, have your
vegetables gathered from the garden at
an early hour, so that there is ample
time to make your search for caterpil-
ldISf COC. 1uOs0 ulSdS SIcSdOl0 huulIlOuS
need never make their appearance on
table in caulif1Owers or cabbages, if the
vegetable in its raw state is allowed to
soak in salt and water for an hour or so.
OF course, if the vegetables are not
brought in till the last moment, this
precaution cannot be taken.
Be very particular in cleansing all
vegetables free from grit. Nothing is
so unpleasant, and nothing so easily
avoided, if but common care be eXer-
cised.
When you have done peeling onions,
wash the knife at once, and put it away
to be cleaned, and do not use it for any
thing else until it has been cleaned.
Nothing is nastier or more Indicative of
a slovenly and untidy cook than to use
an oniony knife in the preparation of
any dish where the flavor of the onion
is a disagreeable surprise.
After you have washed your sauce
pans, tish-kette, etc., stand them before
the fire for few minutes, to get thor
oughly dry inside, before putting them
away. They should then be kept in a
dry place, in order that they may escape
the deteriorating influence of rust, and
thereby be quickly destroyed. Never
leave saucepans dirty from one days use
to be cleaned the next; it is slovenly
and untidy.
Empty soups or gravies into basin
as soon as they are done; never allow
them to remain all night in the stock
pot.
In copper utensils, if the tin has worn
of, have it Immediately replaced.
Pudding-cloths and jelly-bags should
have your immediate attention after be-
! ing used; the former should be well
washed, scalded, and hung up to dry
Let them be perfectly aired before being
folded up and put in the drawer, or they
will have a disagTeeable smell wheI
next wanted.
After washing up your dishes, wash
your dish-tubs with a little soap anC
water and soda, and scrub them often
Wiring the dishcloth, after washing thi!
also, and wipe the tubs out. StanC
them up to dry after this operation
The sink-brush and sink must not bt
neglected. Do not throw anything bu
water down the sink, as the pipe is liza,
BILE to get choked, thereby causing eX
pense and annoyance.
Do not be afraid of hot water in wash
ing up dishes and dirty cooking utensils
AS these are essentially greasy, luke
] wal III "obCA Se1hhOb HOSolOlJ udNC bli'
effect of cleansing them effectually. d.
not be chary also of changing aud re
newing the water occasionally. Yol
will thus save yourself much time anC
labor in the long run.
Clean your tins with soap and whiten
ing, rubbed on with a flannel, wip
then with clean, dry, soft cloth, anC
polish with dry leather and powdered
whitening. Mind that neither the clotl
nor leather is greasy.
Do not scrub the inside of your frying
pan, as, after this operation, any prepa
tion fried is liable to catch or burn il
the pan. If the pan has become blacl
inside, rub it with a hard crust of breat
and wash in hot water, mixed with
little soda.
Punctuality is an indispensable quail
ity in cook; therefore, the kitchen
should be provided with clock.
If you have large dinner to prepare
much may be got ready the day before
and many dishes are great deal bette
for being thus made early. To soup
and gravies, this remark is particular
applicable.
To all these directions the cook shoul
pay great attention; nor should they
by any means, be neglected by the mis-
treSs of the household, who ought to re
member that cleanliness in the kitche
gives health and happiness to home
whilst economy will immeasurably as
sist in preserving them.
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