St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-06-04
CHOOSING THE FOVT
POINTS HOUSEWIFE WILL a
WELL so coNs.DER. { 10
2 ,q4s
small Matters Tell of Much Of III dSaA,
tase to the Prudent Cook-r 1t s
ment Of Old Turkey a Mattsas
of Some Moment

IN choosing poultry the age Of the
olrd Is tie principal thing to consider.
me best chickens are plump on the
breast and back, with smooth. yellow
legs, skin that tears easily. and the
lower part of the breastboue soft and
piable. If the bird selected has a
tuft OF clean feathers at the knees and
neck the buyer will be certain of it's
excellence. for only the higher priced
chickens are sold in this way. Cold
storage chickens, which are practically
POISONOUS to delicate stomachs, look
bruised or very yellow, and the meat
is dry and generally tasteIess.
young turkey may be known by
us short spurs and black and smooth
iegs, and the age Of young duck told
py tearing the skin OF the foot be-
tween the toes. Ii it comes easily
apart the duck Is young; if the skin
stretches like rubber the bird is old
Inc good-eating goose is the one whose
"lndplpe makes a cracking sound un-
der pressure between the fingers, and
whose underlying skin breaks through
deicately when the thumb is pressed
against II. All poultry should hang for
10 hours In cool place after the kill
ing. II it is cooked before this, or the
blood is not properly drained off, the
nesn Will be tough and unWholesOme.
The dry-picked fowl tastes 80 per
cent. better than the one which has
peen scalded tor the removal OF the
feathers. The plucking is easily done
while the bird is still warm, and II this
lntestines are removed before it is
hung up for the day and night it will
be all the sweeter. This rule applies
to all birds. domestic CT wild, though
where wild turkey or duck needs to
be kept for two or three weeks before
eating it need not be drawn. Epicures
like their wild birds hung up by the
bill; when this gives way and the
bird drops to the ground it is thought
ready for eating.
Old fowls or geese are made more
tender II rubbed outside and inside
with salt and lett this way over night.
"a AhoA 6ooo "AIA oo0d WALL
make the flesh still more delicate. An
old turkey may also be rubbed with
salt over night. and be treated, as we'll,
to several teaspoons of vinegar. When
ready to cook it wash all the vinegar
away and rub the bird finally with a
freshly cut lemon. Guinea fowls and
rabbit are not fit to eat unless they
have been kept hanging up in a cool
place quite ten days after being killed.
The freshness OF fish may easily be
told, even in the coolest weather.
Look always for color in the gills, for
fresh whole eyes, and for bright scales.
Never take fish which looks dull and
dead, for this means it has been a
long time out OF water. The safest
choice is made from those lying on the
tables and not from the ice box Trust
the nose little. too. If the fish smells
rank, is family suggestive OF carrion,
fee its presence. 1t may be quite
stale, frozen and refrozen to conceal its
true condition. Five minutes in hot
kitchen would make such fish un-
bearable. Before cooking any fish
wash it thoroughly in cold. sailed wa
ter. 1t must then be carefully dried
On a clean towel. or it will be soppy
when cooked.