Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-07-18
FARM AND PRESIDE.

FARM AND FIRESIDE.
CURING MEAT have been requested
writes a correspondent of the Boston
journal to publish a recipe which l
gave few years ago for curing beef and
hams for family use. To each one hum
dred pounds of beef make pickle from
eight pounds Of saltpetre, and an ounce Of
saleratus; to which add four gallons of
water, or enough to cover the beef when
packed snugy in the barrel. Boil the
pickle and skim it, then allow it to cool
until about blood warm, or even cooler be-
fore pouring over the beet. This should
keep sweet all summer without gettingtoo
salty or too tough to be good; but if there
are any indications of its growing stale at
any time, take the beef out and wash it,
scald the brine and skim it, and add one
or two poundseof salt, then pack it again.
4 Some may wish for a little'more saltpetre.
but if putting it down for my own use
solely, L should prefer to leave the saltpe-
f! tire out and add little more saleratus.
In making the pickle for hams I should
prefer to use pint of molassess instead
of the sugar. Let any one try beef or ham
cured in this way, and he will be sorry to
I have to return to the old fashioned way of
| curing by salt alone, which makes the best
beef in few months seem like well sal
| ted leather apron, and makes the ham,
when boiled, look as if it was s'sugar coat
ed" instead of ''sugar cured"
How TO CHOOSE PLOW.-Pl0ws fire.
quently annoy those who use them in a
| most mysterious manner. They refuse to
run evenly in the ground and refuse to
keep to the land as they ought to do. On
examining them nothing seems to be
wrong. Every properly shaped plow
ought to have slight concavity along the
base of the land side, of one-eighth or
three-sixteenths of an inch so that the
implement will ''suck'' into the soil and
run steadily. This concavity may be
shown by holding steel square to the
bottom of the plow. If this part is con-
| vex, as it not lnfrequentlY is, no matter
how high a reputation the maker of the
pillow has, it will not stay in the ground,
and will annoy the piowman till the evil
is remedied. The Landslide of the base
should also be slightly concave, to the
same extent of ene-eighth of an inch or
more, and never ought to be convex OR
bullying under any circumstances. If
these apparently trifing items are proper
ly attended to at the time of selecting
plow, much trouble may be avoided which
often seriously perplexes a plowman, and
causes him to lose much time which may
thus be saved.
TEA ICE-CREAM.-Scald four table
spoensful of Hyson tea in pint of sweet
cream-It is best to scald it eitherin Gus
tard kettle or in tin pail placed within a
kettle of boiling water. When partly cool
strain it into pint of cold cream, bring
| to scald and stir in four heated eggs and
three quarters of pound of sugar. Let
cool and freeze.
have found that III making water-ices,
if the sugar be not well stirred in before
freezing, it will sink to the bottom and
give the mixture a sharp, unpleasant taste.
It is best to make syrup of the sugar and
water by boiling, and when cold, to add
the pure juice of the fruit
To SERVE COLD ROAST BEEF.--I send
you nice recipe for using up cold roast
beef, which have never seen published:
Chop the beef, fat and lean together, and
have ready an equal quantity of stewed
ripe tomatoes, then roll four or five crack
ers and stew them in an earthen pudding
dish; now put in alternate layers Of toma-
toes and beef until all is in; season with
salt, pepper and bits of butter if the beef is
not very fat; add cold beef gravy, which
will usually be mois ture enough, then put
a layer of cracker crumbs over the top and
bake in moderate oven until nicely
Drowned on top.
APPLES, BOSTON STYLE.-Peel, core
and slice about five nice cooking apples;
sprinkle the slices with a spoonful Of flour,
one of grated bread, and little sugar;
have some lard quite hot in small stew
pan, put the slices of apples in it, and fry
to light yellow. When all are done, take
piece of butter the size of walnut,
good spoonful of grated bread, spoonful
of sugar, and teacupful of milk; put into
the pan, and when they boil up throw in
the apple slices. Hold the whole over the
fire for two minutes, when it will be ready
to serve.
GINGER BEER.-A cooling summer
drink is made by adding to six quarts of
water one pound of sugar; one ounce of
cream-of-tartar and one bottle of Jamaica
ginger extract. Put over the fire and stir
until the sugar is dissolved, but do not
heat. Take from the fire, and teaspoon
full of good brewers yeast; stir together,
bottle, and wire the corks. 1t will be fit
to drink in two or three days.
A PLAIN SALAD DREssING.-Beat two
eggs in small bowl till very light. Mix
and add half teaspoonful of dry mustard
with teaspoonful of vinegar. Have rea-
dy pan with half teaspoonfu1 dry mustard
with dessert spoonful butter, and stir
constantly till it thickens like custard.
It must be cooked slowly or it will not be
smooth. When quite cold add, drop by
drop, tablespoonful of salad oil.
L. B. Ms RECIPE FOR LEMON PIE
Cream together one cup of butter and two
of sugar, then add six well beaten eggs,
two tablespoonful of flour made into a