Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-04-23
FRUIT AND EGG PERSONALITIES.
Simple Scotch and English Methods for
Retaining Freshness of Food.


Consul Maxwell Blake. writing from
Dunfermline, says of the simple methods
used in Great Britain 10 keep fruit and
eggs fresh:
a correspondent in Stirlingshire
writes me that he has recently conducted
some successful experiments in refer
ence to the packing of fruit for transit
without the aid 0f refrigeration. his
method being simply to pluck the fruit
at height of sun, to avoid all adherin2
dampness, and Immediately pack in pre-
pared cases containing graduated sugar
Care must be taken that the sugar util-
lied for the purpose is also quite devoid
OF moisture, and the eases should be 50
constructed as to be as nearly as posi-
bic lmperyious to atmospheric yapurs
Both the sugar and the cases, rs may
be inferred, should he designed for and
admit of constant reuse. My informant
promises that successful results will fol-
low the adoption of this method. although
his experiments have been on such a
small scale that he is unable to supply
me with the fuller details of relative cost
and exact structure of case.
The great fluctuation in the price Of
fresh eggs in Great Britain, ranging from
IL cents a dozen in summer to from 90
TO 10 cents Il dozen in winter-and pro-
duced with difficulty even then-gives
popularity to the economical practice of
artihcially preserving them during the
cheap season, the most successful method
employed by the householder being as
follows:
Mix together in an earthenware Jar
nine parts of boiled water which has
been thoroughly cooled, and one part Of
glass water. Glass water is obtained by
fusing two parts of quartz sand with one
of sodium carbonate, adding one-tenth
part of small coal. Place Tne cool cleaned
eggs into jar and cover well with the
liquid. continually adding sufficient liquid
to keep the eggs entirely covered as 9th
ers are added Water glass can be pur-
chased in this country from chemists
and generally bears on the labels the eN-
act proportion to be used. varying from
, to 10 per cent. Eggs preserved in this
way are less brittle i'll the shell than
those preserved in lime water. and will
sometimes boil without cracking if a
small pin point aperture is made in
them
The proportions used for the lime
preServative in Scotland are twenty gal
Ions of water, four of lime and one of
salt. Allow to stand for a few hours,
then pour it over the eggs in the same
way as the water glass. \ little lime
should be added from time to time dur
ing the period of preservation; otherwise
the solution will lose its strength. The
eggs preserved III IulS way become rough
and brittle and must be handled care
fully when taken out for use
'The popular method of preserving
eggs by cold storage in the United States
is not at all general in this country, and
it is rather surprising that more has not
been done along these lines
When eggs are only required to be
preserved for two or three months they
keep very well packed in dry salt or
bran. The meat of the eggs may shrink
and rattle within the she'll when shaken.
but its edibility is not impaired. Coating
the eggs with vaseline or butter will also
keep it for a short time, or any applica-
ton which effectively seals the pores of
the shell and excludes air will prolong
the freshness of eggs. If it is even
momentarily submerged in boiling water
the albumen thereby becomes sufficiently
coagulated to prevent the entrance of air.
In some Of the rural parts of this coun-
try eggs for home consumption are
smutted over with mixture of sulphur
and lampblack, cheap and effective
preseryati tive.