Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-06-22
Rules to be Observed III Marketing.

THERE are a few hints respecting the
selection Of articles in market, particular
ly meats, fish and poultry, which may be
of service to some of our readers.
In purchasing beef take notice of the
color. If we'll fed, the lean will be bright
red, fiecked with spots Of clear, white
fat, and the suet firm and white. If the
fat is yellow, don't buy the meat; you
may be sure it is stale, and no plausible
assurances from the butcher to the contra
ry should be accepted.
Ok beef is the best. Heifer beef is light
er colored, the fat white and bones small
er; but the meat is not as sweet or as juicy
and not so economical.
Veal should be fat, fine grained, firm and
white. If too large twill be tough, I'M
palatable and unhealthy
In selecting mutton seek small bones,
short legs, plump, fine grained meat, and
be sure that the lean is dark colOred, not
light colored and bright red like beef.
The fat should be white and clear. When
in what is generally understood as prime
conditi on, it is too fat for common NOR
tails " daily food" and not at all economi-
cal and, to perfectly satisfy an epicure, it
must be kept till too tender for an uncul-
tivated taste.
Lamb should be small, light red and
fat. If not too warm weather, it ought to
be kept few days before cooking. It is
stringy and indigestible if cooked too
soon after killing. Neither lamb nor
veal should be taken from spit or oven
till the gravy that drops from it while
cooking is white.
In good venison the fat will be clear,
bright and thick. If the cleft of the
haunch be smooth and close, it is young;
if close and rough, it is old, By running
sharp, narrow knife into the shoulder Or
haunch, one can easily learn of its state
by the smell.
Great care must be taken in selecting
pork. If ill-fed or diseased, no meat is
more injurious to the health. The lean
must be finely grained, and both fat and
lean very white. The rind should be
smooth and cool to the touch. If clammy,
be sure the pork is stale, and reject it. If
the fat is full Of small kernels, it is indie
alive of disease. ....
The skin of fowls and turkeys ought to
be white and of fine grain. See that the
breast is broad and full fieshed. Exam
Inc if the legs are smooth, toes supple,
and easily broken when bent back. Ii
these signs are not found, the poultry is
too old Or stale. The same rules apply
equally to geese or ducks. When the
feet are red and hard, the skin coarse and
full of hairs, all poultry may be pro
nOunced too old for comfort.
When found necessary to keep meat OF
! poultry longer than was expected, sprinkle
| pepper, either black or red, over it. 1t
can be washed off easily when ready for
cooking. Powdered charcoal is recon-
mended to prevent meat from tainting,
and some assert that "whe1 fowls have
! been kept so long as 10 turn greenish they
can be made as sweet and fresh as ever by
sprinkling with powered charcoal anhour
before cooking" 1t may be that the
| charcoal can make meat sweet or fowl
sweet again, but, after faint has gone 50
far as to discolor it, we do not believe it
can ever be brought back to a healthy
state, and certainly should not advise the
experiment. A greenish tinge is a sure
indication OF decay, but that charcoal,
either in lump or powdered, will arrest
as we'll as prevent this change, is doubt
less true. In hot weather it is always adj
visable to keep a jar Of charcoal in the
store closet, ready for use if needed
| Hrs. II. ". Beecher, IN Christian Union.