Evening star., 1925-07-24

ing the efficiency of your refrigerator
as a preserver of food is to open the
doors too often and keep them open
too long. Tests have shown that in
opening the door the temperature in
side rises at least two degrees. A rise
of two degrees five times before dinner
and five times after dinner would COM
pei the ice to restore a total of 20
degrees. That is quick way to melt
your ice and at the same time lower
its efficiency.
Some housewives open the refrig-
orator door every time they want a
single article of food instead of
taking out several articles at one
time which may be needed about
the door while wondering what TO
take out first or planning the meal.
This is very wasteful. The refrig-
orator doors should be opened as
little as possible and kept open as
short a time as possible.
If you let your refrigerator get
warm. it will take much more ice to
chill 1t again than it would to keep
it cold. Never put not or even warm
food in the refrigerator. Let 1t cool
first.
Every refrigerator should be thor
oughly cleaned once week and
lightly gone over twice a week, and
should anything spill, 1t should be
cleaned at once. Remove everything
for the big cleaning, pour warm suds
with ammonia in it down the drain
pipe, then run down a limber-handled
brush to clean the sides of the pipe.
See that the drain below runs freely,
then pour down several saucepans OF
hot water to flush the pipe and drain.
Next wash with a coarse sponge the
entire inside, clean and sun the
shelves or racks, rinse down once
more, then wipe thoroughly and re-
turn the shelves.
If possible, rinse new ice with cold
water before putting it in the box.
Dry the refrigerator thoroughly.
When purchasing a new refrigerator,
be sure to get one that can be easily
and thoroughly cleaned.
Other Ways.
When delivered. lettuce and other
salad greens should be plunged in cold
water and allowed to remain for about
half an hour until somewhat revived:
then, without draining, they should
be wrapped in a large square Of wet
cheesecloth, followed by some heavy
wrapping paper TO prevent evapora-
ton. This will be found TO be a FAR
better way than to let them stand
Green vegetables and roots should be
placed on the cool floor of the cellar
until needed. Fruits also keep better
when spread out on fat dishes and
kept IN the cellar or some cool place
with q good circulation OF air than
when placed in the refrigerator.
Beet greens are the tops OF the
young plants which are thinned out
when about eight inches high. They
should be prepared in the same way
as spinach Should any be left from
dinner, mix them with a French dress
ing, pack in egg cups or any small
molds, and serve as a lunch salad the
next day, garnishing with parsley, or,
IL on hand, some nasturtium leaves
and blossoms. Cherries, raspberrleS
and peaches should not be prepared
until Just before the hour for serving,
but blackberries, huckleberrtes, cur
rants and pineapples may be sugared
and set aside for several hours in .ad-.
vance of a meal.
This is a good way to keep meat
fresh in hot weather: Pour some
vinegar into a fairly deep dish which
Is large enough to hold the meat.
Stand a saucer upside down on the
dish and then rest the meat on this.
Cover the whole with a piece of clean
muslin, tucking the material well un-
der the QlSn on all SlueS- bNci III
close weather, meat, both raw and
cooked, will keep fresh for some time
and no insects will approach 1t.
To Keep Milk Sweet.-lt has been
proven that milk keeps sweet for
long time If it is exposed to a red
light. During the brighter months
of the year 1t Is an excellent plan
to tie red paper round the bottles
in which milk is kept. If pitchers
or bottles are used, cap of red paper
can be put over the top to screen the
contents from the strong white light.
Even in close, thundery weather 1t
will be found that milk will not turn
sour quickly if treated in this way.
Keep the Pantry Cool.
How to keep the pantry cool in hot
weather, especially when 1t is in an
apartment is problem which is con-
fronting many housewives just now.
To begin with, if there is a window,
a red or green shade should be used,
down. If you do not possess a re-
frigerator and ice cannot be obtained
as soon as you would like it, place
a bowl of salt water or water in
which sal ammoniac has been dis
solved In the proportion of two ounces
to one pint of water on the top shelf
of the pantry or larder. Fasten three
or four strips of cloth to a hook in
the ceiling of the pantry and let
the ends rest in the bowl of water
The constant evaporation of the
water from the cloth will cool the