 CHAPTER XVIII A Pound of sugar to a pound of fruit is sufficient to preserve most kinds of fruit. Some kinds of fruit require more, and some will do with less than an equal weight of sugar. White sugar makes the most delicate sweet meats. Nice brown sugar answers well for most kinds of fruit. The West India sugarhouse syrup is better than sugar to preserve fruit on account of its never fermenting. When brown sugar is used, clarify it as in direction for clarifying syrup, number 303. Then put in the fruit. Nice white sugar does not need clarifying. All kinds of fireproof ware will do to preserve in, excepting ironware. The fruit should not be crowded while preserving and should boil gently. The fruit should be turned out of the preserving kettles as soon as done and set away in a cool place, otherwise they will not be nice. Keep the sweet meats in stone or china jars that have never been used for other purposes. Glass jars are the best for delicate sweet meats such as strawberries or cherries. Preserves should be covered tight and kept in a cool place. A paper wet and brandy and laid over the sweet meats has a tendency to keep them from fermenting. They should be looked too frequently to see that they do not ferment. Whenever they do, the syrup should be turned from them, scalded, and turned back on them while hot. 305. To preserve quince. Quinces if very ripe are best preserved in the following manner. Pair and cut them in slices an inch thick. Take out the course carefully so as to have the slices in the form of a ring. Now a pound of nice white sugar for each pound of the fruit. Dissolve it in cold water, having a quart of the latter to a pound of sugar. Then put in the sliced quince and let them soak in it 10 or 12 hours. Put them in a preserving kettle and put it on a moderate fire. Cover them over and let the quince boil gently. There should be more than enough syrup to cover the quince. When a broom splinter will go through them easily, take them from the fire and turn them out. In the course of a week, turn the syrup from them and boil it down so that there will be just enough to cover the fruit. Quinces preserved in this manner retain their natural flavor better than what preserved in any other manner. But they must be very ripe to preserve in this way, otherwise they will not be tender. When not very ripe, pair and cut them in either rings or quarters. Take out the cores and boil the quince in fair water till they begin to grow tender. Take them up and strain the water in which they are boiled. Put in either brown or white sugar and add a little cold water. When lukewarm, put in the whites of eggs and clarify it. Let it cool, then put in the quince and boil them slowly for half an hour. Keep them covered over while boiling. If you wish to have them of a light color, turn them out into pots as soon as preserved and set them away in a cool place. Look at them in the course of a week to see if they have fermented. If so, turn the syrup from them, boil it and turn it back on them while hot. The pairings and cores of the quince can be used from armor-laid with a few whole ones. Some people preserve the quince with the cores in, but the syrup will not look clear. The following is a cheat method of preserving quince and answers very well for common use. Pair, have and take out the cores of the quince and boil the pairings in new cider till soft. Strain the cider and for five pounds of quince put in a pound of brown sugar, a quart of molasses, the beaten white of an egg, clarify it, then put in the quince. There should be rather more than enough cider to cover the quince as it wastes a good deal while the quince are boiling. The pill of an orange cut in small pieces and boiled with them give the quince a fine flavor. Three oh six, quince marmalade, wash and quarter the quince without pairing them, put them on the fire with just enough water to stew them in. When soft, rub them through a sieve and put to each pound of the string quince a pound of brown sugar. Put it on a few coals and let it stew slowly, stirring it constantly. When it has stewed an hour, take a little of it out, let it get cold. If it then cut smooth, it is sufficiently stewed. Three oh seven, pears. Make a syrup allowing three quarters of a pound of sugar to each pound of the pears. If brown sugar is used for the syrup, clarify it, then put in the pears and boil them till soft. A few slips of ginger or powdered ginger tied up in bags and boiled with the pears gives them a fine flavor. Choke and virgulose are the best pears for preserving. Three oh eight, pear marmalade. Boil the pears with the skins on. When soft, rub them through a sieve and put to each pound of pulp three quarters of a pound of brown sugar. Stew it over a slow fire till it becomes a thick jelly. It should be stirred constantly. Three oh nine, peaches. Take juicy peaches, pair them, allow for each pound of them a pound of nice white sugar. Put just enough cold water to the sugar to saturate it. When dissolved, stir it up well and put in the peaches without crowding them and boil them slowly about twenty minutes. A few peach meats, blanched and preserved with the peaches, are nice and are quite ornamental to the peaches. These as well as all other kinds of sweet meats should be turned out of the preserving kettle as soon as taken from the fire and set away in a cool place. If allowed to remain near the fire, the syrup will not look clear. Cover them up tight. Let them remain three or four days. Then turn the syrup from them, scald it and turn it back while hot onto the peaches. Three ten, peach jam. Inferior peaches and those that are not fully ripe are best preserved in the following manner. Pair and have them and take out the stones. Lay the peaches in a deep dish and to each layer of peaches put a layer of brown sugar. Three quarters of a pound of sugar to a pound of peaches is sufficient. Let the peaches remain until the next day. Then put them on a moderate fire without any water and let them stew slowly about twenty minutes. Peaches preserved in this way are very nice for puffs. Three eleven, two preserved peaches in brandy. Get peaches that are mellow but not dead ripe. Draw a pin round the stem of the peaches so as to pierce the skin. Cover them with French brandy and let them remain a week. Then make a syrup allowing three quarters of a pound of a brown sugar to a pound of the peaches. Clarify the syrup then boil the peaches in it. When tender take them out of the syrup. Let it remain till cool. Then mix it with the brandy and turn the whole on to the peaches. Three twelve, two preserved raspberries. Strain equal quantities of ripe currants and raspberries to make a syrup to preserve the raspberries in. Dissolve white sugar in the syrup by a gentle heat using a pound of sugar to each pound of syrup and raspberry. When the sugar has dissolved set the syrup where it will boil about ten minutes then put in the raspberries and let them boil five minutes. In the course of four or five days turn the syrup from the raspberries. Boil it away so that there will be just enough of it to cover the berries. Turn it on them while hot. Keep them in wide mouth bottles cork and sealed up tight. Preserved raspberries are very nice to flavor ice creams and block mange. Three thirteen, cherries. Get cherries that are not quite dead ripe. Allow for each pound of cherries a pound of white sugar. Make a rich syrup of the sugar. When it boils put in the cherries with the stems on. Let them boil till transparent. Keep them in glass jars or wide mouth bottles cork and seal them tight. If you wish to preserve them without the stones take those that are very ripe. Take out the stones carefully, save the juice. Make a syrup of the juice, white sugar and very little water. Then put in the cherries and boil them to a thick consistency. Three fourteen, currents. Take the currents when ripe and in their prime. Let them remain on the stalks picking off the bad ones. Make a syrup of sugar and very little water allowing a pound of sugar to each pound of currents. Clarify it then put in the currents and let them boil a few minutes. In the course of a few days turn the syrup from them, scald it and turn it back while hot onto the current. Preserved currents mixed with water is an excellent drink in fevers. Dried currents are also good for the same purpose if made into a tea. Three fifteen, to preserve prunes. Pour boiling water on the prunes and sit them where they will keep hot with a lemon cut in small pieces. When swelled out to nearly the original size put to each pound of the prunes half a pound of brown sugar a stick of cinnamon or a teaspoon full of powdered cloves and if there is not sufficient water remaining to cover the prunes add more and stew them in the syrup a quarter of an hour. Add, when taken from the fire, a wine glass of wine to every three pounds of the prunes. Three sixteen, cranberries. For each pack of cranberries allow two pounds and a half of brown sugar and a half pint of molasses. Make a syrup of the molasses, sugar and a little water. When it boils put in the cranberries and let them boil till transparent. To make cranberry marmalade boil the cranberries in just enough water to prevent their burning. Strain them when soft and add to each pound a pound and a half of brown sugar. Stew it over a slow fire stirring it constantly till it becomes a very thick jelly. Three seventeen, crab apples. Make a syrup allowing the same weight of sugar as apples. Let it get cool then put in the apples a few at once so that they will not crowd and break to pieces. Boil them till they begin to break then take them out of the preserving kettle carefully. Boil the syrup in the course of three or four days and turn it while hot onto the apples. This continue to do at intervals of two or three days till the apples appear to be thoroughly preserved. If you wish to make a marmalade of the apples boil them in just enough water to keep them from burning. Strain them when soft and put them to an equal weight of brown sugar. Stew them over a slow fire stirring them constantly. When of a thick consistency take a little of it out and set it where it will get cold. If it then cuts smooth and clear take the hole from the fire and turn it into deep dishes. Three eighteen, barberries. Take them when fully ripe let them remain on the stems. Make a rich syrup allowing the same weight of sugar as barberries. When clarified set it where it will get lukewarm then put in the barberries. Boil them till the syrup appears to have entered them. Barberries preserved with molasses and a little orange peel and sugar are very good for common use. Allow for each pound of barberries a quarter of a pound of sugar half a pound of molasses and the rind of half an orange. Make them into a syrup with a little water. Boil it a quarter of an hour before putting in the barberries. Preserved barberries mixed with cold water make a very refreshing drink in fevers. Three nineteen, tomatoes. Take them when quite small and green. Put them in cold clarified syrup with an orange cut in slices to every two pounds of the tomatoes. Simmon them gently on a slow fire two or three hours. There should be equal weights of sugar and tomatoes and more than sufficient water to cover the tomatoes used for the syrup. Another method of preserving them which is very nice is to allow a couple of fresh lemons to three pounds of the tomatoes. Pair thin the rind of the lemons so as to get none of the white part. Squeeze out the juice. Mix them with cold water sufficient to cover the tomatoes. And put in a few peach leaves and powdered ginger tied up in bags. Boil the whole together gently for three quarters of an hour. Then take up the tomatoes, strain the liqueur and put it to a pound and a half of white sugar for each pound of tomatoes. Put in the tomatoes and boil them gently till the syrup appears to have entered them. In the course of a week turn the syrup from them. Heat it scald and hot and turn it on to the tomatoes. Tomatoes preserved in this manner appear like West Indian sweet meats. Three twenty to preserve apples. Apples for preserving should be tart and mellow. Pair them and take out the cores with a small knife. Allow for each pound three quarters of a pound of sugar, a teaspoon full of powdered ginger tied in a bag, and sufficient water to cover the apples. Make the syrup and take it from the fire and put in the apples when it is just lukewarm. Boil them till transparent. Take them up when part cooled and put in a little essence of lemon. Turn the syrup from them in the course of a week. Boil it and turn it back on the apples while hot. Cymbalines or moxitron. Cut into small pieces and scrape the rind of cymbalines. Put them into strong salt and water. Let them remain in it three days then in fair water a day changing the water several times. Soak them in alum water an hour. Tie up oyster shells in a cloth and boil them with the cymbalines. When the cymbalines are tender take them up and put them back into the alum water. Make the syrup for them allowing pound and a half of sugar to one of the cymbalines. When clarified let it get cold then rinse the cymbalines and boil them three quarters of an hour. When partly cooled put in a little essence of lemon to flavor them. These are good eaten like any other sweet meats are used instead of citron for cake. 322 watermelon rind. Take the rind of a nice ripe watermelon. Cut it into small strips and boil them till they begin to grow tender in water with celeritis and peach leaves in it. Take a proportion of a teaspoon full of celeritis and a dozen peach leaves to a couple of quarts of water. Take the rinds out of the water and soak them in alum water an hour. Make a syrup allowing the same weight of sugar as rinds. When clarified and cooled rinse the rinds and put them in the syrup together with powdered ginger tied up in a small bag. Boil them till they are quite soft. When partly cooled add a little essence of lemon. Turn the syrup from them in the course of two or three days. Take out the bags of ginger and boil the syrup till there is just sufficient of it to cover the rinds and turn it on them while hot. 323 muskmelons. Get muskmelons that are perfectly green and of a quick growth and as late in the season as possible. If preserved while the weather is very hot they are apt to ferment. Scrape off the skin of the rind being careful not to scrape any of the green part. Cut them through the middle and take out the seeds then cut them in rings an inch in thickness. Soak them in salt and water a day then in fair water three or four hours changing the water several times. Soak them in alum water an hour, rinse and put them in fair water with a handful of peach leaves to four or five pounds of the melon and a tablespoon full of ginger tied up in small pieces of cloth. The peach leaves turn the melon a fine green color. Boil the melons till they begin to grow tender then put them in alum water together with the ginger. Make a syrup of white sugar and put in the melons and ginger which should be previously rinsed. Boil them in the syrup as long as you can without the breaking of pieces. In the course of a week turn the syrup from them, scald it and turn it onto the melons. Add sufficient essence of lemon to flavor it just before turning it onto the melons. Keep them covered tight in a cool place with a paper wet and brandy on them. 324 pineapples. Take those that are ripe and perfectly fresh. Pair off the rind and cut the apples in slices an inch thick. Powder the same weight of white sugar as you have pineapples. Lay the pineapples in a deep dish and sprinkle part of the powdered sugar between each layer of apples. Reserve about half of the sugar. Let the apples remain till the succeeding day then turn the syrup from them and mix it with the reserved sugar and half a pint of water for three or four pounds of pineapple. Boil the syrup, take it from the fire and when cool put in the apples. Simmer them gently till tender. Let them remain in a deep dish for several days. They should be covered up tight and kept in a cool place. Whenever there is an appearance of fermentation, turn the syrup from them, scald it and turn it back hot onto the pineapples. Keep them in glass or china jars covered tight and in a cool place. 325 pumpkin chips. Take what quantity you choose of a good sweet pumpkin. The butter pumpkin makes the nicest sweet meats. Have the pumpkin take out the seeds and cut it into chips the size of a dollar. For each pound of the pumpkin to be preserved allow a pound of fine white sugar and a gill of lemon juice. Put the chips in a deep dish and sprinkle on each layer a layer of the sugar. Turn the lemon juice over the whole. Let it remain a day then boil the whole together with half a pint of water to three pounds of the pumpkin. A tablespoon full of powdered ginger tied up in bags and the pill of lemons cut into small pieces. When the pumpkin becomes tender turn the whole into a preserved pot. In the course of a week turn the syrup from the pumpkin. Boil it to a rich syrup and turn it back hot. 326 gauges. Allow equal weights of sugar and gauges. Make a syrup of white sugar and just enough water to cover the plums. Boil the plums slowly in the syrup ten minutes. Turn them into a dish and let them remain four or five days then boil them again until the syrup appears to have entered the plums. Put them in a china jar and in the course of a week turn the syrup from them. Scald it and turn it over them hot. 327 strawberries. Get chili or field strawberries and hold them. Take equal quantities of berries and powdered white sugar. Put a layer of each in a preserving pan having a layer of strawberries at the bottom. Let them remain an hour then put in a gill of cold water to prevent their burning to the bottom of the pan. Set them on a very moderate fire. When the juice runs freely increase the fire until they boil briskly. Let them boil half an hour then turn them into a dish when lukewarm. Put them in wide mouth bottles or small glass jars cork and seal them tight and keep them in dry sand. 328 raspberry and blackberry jam. For each pound of berries allow a pound of sugar. Put a layer of each alternately in a preserving dish. Let them remain half an hour then boil them slowly stirring them frequently to keep them from burning. When they have boiled half an hour take a little up in a cup and set it in a dish of cold water. If it appears of the consistency of thick jelly take the hole from the fire. If not boil it till it becomes so. End of Chapter 18. Recording by Kenzie King. Chapter 19 of The American Housewife This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. The American Housewife by Anonymous Chapter 19. Jellies Section 329. Strawberry, raspberry and blackberry jelly. Jellies of these fruits are all made in the following manner. Take the berries when ripe and in their prime mash them and let them drain through a flannel bag without squeezing it. To each pint of juice put a pound of white sugar and the beaten white of an egg to three pounds of the sugar. Set it on the fire. When it boils up well take it from the fire and skim it clear. Set it back on the fire. If any more scum rises take it from the fire and skim it off. Boil it till it becomes a jelly which is a certain by taking a little of it up into a tumbler of cold water. If it falls to the bottom of a solid mass it is sufficiently boiled. Section 330. Cranberry, grape and current jelly. They are all made in the same manner. Take the fruit in its prime wash and drain it till nearly dry then put it in an earthen jar or pot and set the pot in a kettle of hot water. Set the kettle where the water will boil taking care that none of it gets into the jar. When the fruit breaks turn it into a flannel bag and let it drain slowly through them into a deep dish without squeezing. When the juice has all passed through the bag put to each pint of it a pound and a half of white sugar. Put to each quart of the syrup the beaten white of an egg. Set the syrup where it will boil gently as fast as any scum rises take the syrup from the fire and skim it clear. When the jelly has boiled 15 or 20 minutes try a little of it in a tumbler of cold water. If it sinks to the bottom of the tumbler in a solid lump it is sufficiently boiled. Jellies are improved by being put in the sun for several days care must be taken that the dew does not fall on them. Section 331. Quince jelly. Halve the quince and take out the course. Boil the quince is still very soft in clear water mash them and let them drain through a flannel bag without squeezing them. Put to the quince liquor when drained through the bag white sugar in the proportion of a pound to a pint of the liquor. Add the whites of eggs and clarify it. When clear boil it on a moderate fire till it becomes a thick jelly. Fill glasses with the jelly and cover them tight. The quince pulp that remains in the jelly bag can be made into marmalade. Section 332. Apple jelly. Halve tart apples and take out the course. Boil them till very soft in a large proportion of water then let it pass through a jelly bag without squeezing them. Weigh the liquor and to each pint of it put a pound of white sugar. Then boil it slowly till it becomes a thick jelly which is ascertained in the same manner as current jelly. If you wish to have it of a red tinge put in when taken from the fire a little cranberry or beet juice. If you wish to have it a straw color put in a little tincture of saffron. If green use the expressed juice of spinach leaves. Let it pass through the jelly bag again when cooled turn it into glasses. Section 333. Lemon jelly. Put on a slow fire and ounce of white icing glass pulled into small pieces and rinsed a pint of water with a rind of six lemons. Stir it constantly till dissolved then add a pint of lemon juice and sweeten it to the taste with nice white sugar. Boil the whole four or five minutes then color it with tincture of saffron and let it pass through a flannel bag without squeezing it. Fill your jelly glasses with it when partly cooled. Section 334. Cuffs feed jelly. Take four feet that have been perfectly cleaned and boil them in four quarts of water till very soft and the water is reduced to one quart. Take it from the fire and let it remain till perfectly cold then take off all the fat and scrape off the dregs that add her to the jelly. Put the jelly in a preserving kettle set it on a low fire. When it melts take it from the fire and mix with it half a pint of white wine the juice and grated rind of a couple of fresh lemons and a stick of cinnamon or maize. Wash and wipe dry six eggs take the whites of them and beat them to a froth. Stir them into the jelly when it is cool, bruise the shells and mix them with the jelly then set it on a few colds. Sweeten it when hot to the taste white sugar is the best but brown answers very well. Let the whole boil slowly 15 minutes without stirring it. Suspend a flannel bag on a nail and let the jelly drain through it into a deep dish or pitcher. If it is not clear the first time let it pass through the bag till it becomes so. The bag should not be squeezed otherwise the jelly would not look clear. When transparent turn it into glasses and set the glasses if the weather is hot into cold water and keep them in a cool place. This kind of jelly will keep but a few days in warm weather. A knuckle of veal and sheep's feet make a nice jelly prepared in the same manner as calf's feet. Section 335. Hearts horn jelly. Boil four ounces of hearts horn shavings in a couple of quarts of water till it becomes a thick jelly then strain and put to it the juice and rind of a couple of lemons, a wine glass of white wine and a stick of cinnamon. Wash four fresh eggs, wipe them dry, separate the whites from the yolks, beat the whites to a froth, bruise the shells and mix them with the hearts horn. Set the whole on a moderate fire sweeten it to the taste when hot. Boil it till it becomes quite thick then let it drain through a jelly bag till clear. End of Chapter 19 Chapter 20 of The American Housewife This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Patty Cunningham. The American Housewife by Anonymous Chapter 20. Common Drinks 336. Coffee Old Java and Mocha coffee are the best kinds. Coffee should be put in an iron pot and dried over a moderate fire for several hours before it is roasted. It should be put at such a distance from the fire as to be in no danger of burning. When it has dried three or four hours set the pot on a hot bed of coals and stir it constantly until sufficiently roasted which is ascertained by biting one of the lightest colored kernels. If it is brittle the whole is done. Turn it out of the pot immediately into a box cover it tight to keep in the steam. A coffee roaster is better than a pot to roast coffee in as it preserves the fine aromatic flavor of the coffee which in a great measure escapes with the steam of the coffee when roasted in an open pot. To make good common coffee allow a tablespoon full of it when ground to each pint of water. Turn on the water boiling hot and boil the coffee in a tin pot from 20 to 25 minutes. If boiled longer it will not taste fresh and lively. Let it stand after being taken from the fire four or five minutes to settle. Then turn it off carefully from the grounds into a coffee pot or urn. When the coffee is put on the fire to boil a piece of fish skin or icing glass the size of a nine pence should be put in or else the white and shell of half an egg to a couple of quarts of coffee. Many persons dislike to clear coffee with fish skin thinking that it imparts an unpleasant taste to coffee but it will not if properly prepared. The skin should be taken from mild codfish that has not been soaked as the skin loses its clearing properties by soaking. Rinse it in cold water and dry it perfectly. When dried cut it into pieces of the size of a nine pence. If torn off as it is wanted for use too much is apt to be put in at once and give the coffee a bad taste. A piece the size of a twelve and a half cent piece is sufficient to settle a couple of quarts of water. French coffee is made in a German filter. The water is turned on boiling hot and one third more coffee is necessary than when boiled in the common way. Where cream cannot be procured for coffee the coffee will be much richer to boil it with a less proportion of water than the above rule and weaken it with boiling hot milk when served out in cups. 337. Tea. Scald the teapot and if the tea is a strong kind a teaspoon full for a pint of water is sufficient. If it is a weak kind more will be required. Pour on just enough boiling water to cover the tea and let it steep. Green tea should not steep for more than five or six minutes before drinking. If steeped longer it will not be lively. Black tea requires steeping ten or twelve minutes to extract the strength. 338. Chocolate. Scrape the chocolate off fine mix it smooth with water. If liked very rich make the chocolate entirely of milk. If not use half water. Boil water and milk together then stir in the chocolate previously mixed with water. Stir till it boils then sweeten it to your taste and take it up. If liked rich grate in a little nutmeg. A tablespoon full of chocolate to a pint of water or milk is about the right proportion. 339. Hop beer. Put to six ounces of hops five quarts of water and boil them three hours. Then strain off the liquor and put to the hops four quarts more of water. A tea cup full of ginger and boil the hops three hours longer. Strain and mix it with the rest of the liquor and stir in a couple of quarts of molasses. Take about half a pound of bread and brown it very slowly. When very brown and dry put it in the liquor to enrich the beer. Rust bread is the best for this purpose but a loaf of bread cut in slices and toasted till brittle will do very well. When rust bread is used pound it fine and brown it in a pot as you would coffee stirring it constantly. When the hop liquor cools so as to be just lukewarm add a pint of new yeast that has no salt in it. Keep the beer covered in a temperate situation till it has ceased fermenting which is ascertained by the subsiding of the froth. Turn it off carefully into a beer keg or bottles. The beer should not be corked very tight or it will burst the bottles. It should be kept in a cool place. 340. Beer of essential oils. Mix a couple of quarts of boiling water with a pint and a half of molasses. Stir in five quarts of cold water then add ten drops of the oil of sassafras, ten of spruce, fifteen of wintergreen and a teaspoonful of essence of ginger. When just lukewarm put in half a pint of fresh lively yeast. When fermented bottle and corket and keep it in a cool place. It will be fit to drink in the course of two or three days. 341. Spring beer. Take a small bunch of all or part of the following. Sweet fern, sarsaparilla, wintergreen, sassafras, princes pine and spice wood. Boil them with two or three ounces of hops to three or four gallons of water and two or three raw potatoes paired and cut in slices. The strength of the roots and hops is obtained more thoroughly by boiling them in two waters. Or when the liquor is strongly saturated with the hops it will rather bind up the roots rather than extract their juices. The roots should be boiled five or six hours. The liquor should then be strained and a quart of molasses put to three gallons of the beer. If you wish to have the beer very rich brown half a pound of bread and put it into the liquor. If the liquor is too thick dilute it with cold water. When it is just lukewarm put in a pint of fresh lively yeast that has no salt in it. The salt has a tendency to keep it from fermenting. Keep it in a temperate situation covered over but not so tight as to exclude the air entirely or it will not work. When fermented keep it in a tight keg or bottle and cork it up. 342. Ginger beer. Boil gently in a gallon of water three tablespoons full of cream of tartar three of ginger and a lemon cut in slices. When it has boiled half an hour take it from the fire strain and sweeten it to your taste. White sugar is best but brown sugar or molasses answers very well. Put to it when lukewarm half a pint of fresh yeast turn it off carefully when fermented bottle it and keep it in a cool place. It will be fit to drink in the course of seven or eight days. 343. Instantaneous beer. Put to a pint and a half of water four teaspoons full of ginger a tablespoon full of lemon juice. Sweeten it to the taste with syrup or white sugar and turn it into a junk bottle. Have ready a cork to fit the bottle a string of wire to tie it down and a mallet to drive in the cork. Then put into the bottle a heaping teaspoon full of the supercarbonate of soda cork it immediately tie it down. Then shake the whole up well cut the string and the cork will fly out turn it out and drink immediately. 344. Mixed wine. Take equal parts of ripe currents grapes raspberries and English cherries. Brew them then mix cold water with them in the proportion of four pounds of fruit to a gallon of water. Let the whole remain half a day. Stir the whole up well then strain it. To each gallon of it put three pounds of sugar. Keep it in a temperate situation where it will ferment slowly three or four days. Stir it up frequently. When fermented add a ninth part of brandy to it and stop it up tight. When it becomes clear bottle it. In the course of a year it will be fit to drink. 345. Current wine. Strain the currents which should be perfectly ripe. To each quart of juice put a couple of quarts of water and three pounds of sugar. Stir the whole well together and let it stand 24 hours without stirring. Then skim and set it in a cool place where it will ferment slowly. Let it remain three or four days. If at the end of that time it has ceased fermenting add one quart of French brandy to every 15 gallons of the liquor and close up the barrel tight. When it becomes clear it is fit to bottle. This will be good in the course of six months but as much improved by being kept several years. 346. Grape wine. Brew the grapes which should be perfectly ripe. To each gallon of grapes put a gallon of water and let the whole remain a week without being stirred. At the end of that time draw off the liquor carefully and put to each gallon three pounds of lump sugar. Let it ferment in a temperate situation. When fermented stop it up tight. In the course of six months it will be fit to bottle. 347. To mull wine. To a pint of water put a teaspoon full of powdered cloves and cinnamon. Set it where it will boil. Then separate the whites and yolks of three eggs and beat the yolks with a large spoonful of powdered white sugar. As soon as the water boils turn it on to the yolks and sugar. Add a pint of wine and turn the beaten whites of the eggs over the whole. 348. Quince cordial. Take ripe nice quince's wipe off the fur and grate them. Express the juices of the quince pulp through a strong cloth and to each quart of it put two-thirds of a quarter French brandy, a pound and a half of white sugar, a hundred bitter almonds or peach meats, a dozen cloves. Put it in a stone pot cover it tight and keep it a week in a warm place. Then skim and bottle it and let it remain a year before using it. 349. Peach cordial. Take ripe juicy peaches wash and wipe them to get off the down. Gash them to the stone. Put to each peck of peaches a gallon of French brandy and cover them up tight. Let the whole remain a couple of months then drain the brandy free from the peaches. Add sufficient cold water to render it to the strength of a good white wine and to every three gallons of it put four pounds of sugar. Stir it up well, let it remain a couple of days stirring it up well each day, then turn it into a wine cask and close it tight. 350. Smallage cordial. Take young sprouts of smallage wash and drain them till perfectly dry. Cut them in small pieces, put them in a bottle with seeded raisins having an alternate layer of each. When the bottle is two-thirds full of the smallage turn in French brandy till the bottle is full. Let it remain three or four days to have the smallage absorb the brandy. Then put in as much more brandy as the bottle will hold. It will be fit for use in the course of eight or ten days. This is an excellent family medicine. 351. Current shrub. To a pint of strained current juice put a pound of sugar. Boil the sugar and juice gently together eight or ten minutes then set it where it will cool. Add when lukewarm a wine glass of French brandy to every pint of syrup. Bottle and corket tight keep it in a cool place. 352. Raspberry shrub. To three quarts of fresh ripe raspberries put one of good vinegar. Let it remain a day then strain it and put to each pint a pound of white sugar. Boil the whole together for half an hour skim it clear. When cool add a wine glass of French brandy to each pint of the shrub. A couple of tablespoons of this mixed with a tumbler two-thirds full of water is a wholesome and refreshing drink in fevers. 353. Lemon shrub. Procure nice fresh lemons. Pair the rind off thin then squeeze out the juice of the lemons and strain it. To a pint of the juice put a pound of white sugar broken into small pieces. Measure out for each pint of the syrup three tablespoons full of French brandy and soak the rind of the lemons in it. Let the whole remain a day stirring up the lemon juice and sugar frequently. The next day turn off the syrup and mix it with the brandy and lemon rinds. Put the whole in clean bottles cork and seal them tight and keep them in dry sand in a cool place. 354. Sherbet. Boil in three pints of water six or eight green stalks of rhubarb a quarter of a pound of figs or raisins. When the whole has boiled between 25 and 30 minutes strain it and mix it with a teaspoon full of rose water and lemon or orange syrup to the taste. Let it get cold before drinking it. 355. Nouveau. To three pints of French brandy put four ounces of bitter almonds or peach meats and a couple of ounces of sweet almonds. They should be bruised before they are mixed with the brandy. Add a half ounce each of powdered cinnamon and mace, a quarter of an ounce of cloves. Let the whole remain a fortnight shaking it up well each day then drain off the brandy into another bottle and put to the almonds a quart of water. Let it stand three days then turn back the brandy and put in a pound and a half of white sugar. Let the whole remain a week stirring it up frequently then strain the liquor off free from the dregs into bottles for use. 356. Mead. Put to a pound of honey three pints of warm water. Stir it up well and let it remain till the honey is held in complete solution. Then turn it into a cask leaving the bung out. Let it ferment in a temperate situation. Bottle it as soon as fermented. Cork it up very tight. End of Chapter 20. Recording by Patty Cunningham. Chapter 21 of the American Housewives. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Lenny. The American Housewife by Anonymous. Chapter 21. Essence of Lemon. Turn gradually onto a dram of the best oil of lemons a couple of ounces of strong rectified spirit. The best method of obtaining the essence of the lemon peel is to rub all the yellow part of the peel off with lumps of white sugar and scrape off the surface of the sugar into a preserving pot as fast as it becomes saturated with the oil of the lemon. The sugar should be pressed down tight and covered very close. A little of this sugar gives a fine flavor to puddings, cakes and pies. This mode of preserving the essence of the lemon is superior to the one in which spirit is used as the fine aromatic flavor of the peel is procured without any alloy. Essence of Ginger. Take three ounces of fresh ginger. Grate and put it into a quart of French brandy together with the rind of a fresh lemon. None of the white part of the peel should be put in. Shake the whole up well every day for 8 or 10 days. At the end of that time it will be fit for use. A little of this, mixed with water or put on a lump of sugar answers all the purposes of ginger tea and is much more palatable. It is also nice to flavor many kinds of sweet meats. Spice brandy. Put into a jar French brandy and rose or peach leaves in the proportion of a quart of the former to half a pint of the latter. Let them steep together till the strength is obtained from the leaves. Then turn off the brandy, squeeze the leaves dry, throw them away and put fresh leaves to the brandy. Continue to go through the above process until the brandy is strongly impregnated with the leaves. Then turn the brandy off clear and bottle it. Keep it corked tight. Lemon or orange peel and peach meats steeped in a bottle of brandy give it a fine flavor. It takes the rind of 3 or 4 lemons or a quarter of a pound of peach meats to flavor a pint of brandy. When all the brandy is used put in more with a few fresh rinds. Spice brandy is very nice to season cakes, puddings and mince pies. Rose water. Gather fragrant, full blown roses on a dry day. Pick off the leaves and to each pack of them put a quart of water. Put the whole in a cold still and set the still on a moderate fire. The slower they are distilled the better will be the rose water. Bottle the water as soon as distilled. To extract the essential oil of flowers procure a quantity of fresh, fragrant leaves both the stalk and the flower leaves will enter. Coat very thin layers of cotton and dip them into fine Florence oil. Put alternate layers of the cotton and leaves in a glass jar or large tumbler. Sprinkle a very small quantity of fine salt on each layer of the flowers. Cover the jar up tight and place it in a south window exposed to the heat of the sun. In the course of a fortnight a fragrant oil may be squeezed out of the cotton. Rose leaves, mignonette and sweet scented clover make fine perfumes, managed in this way. Perfume bags. Rose and sweet scented clover leaves dry in the shade then mixed with powdered cloves, cinnamon, mace and pressed in small bags are very nice to keep in chests of linen or drawers of clothes to perfume them. Cologne water. Turn a quart of alcohol gradually on to the following oils. A couple of drams of the oil of rosemary two of the oil of lemon or orange flower water one drum of lavender ten drops of oil of cinnamon ten of cloves and a teaspoonful of rose water. Keep the whole stop tight in a bottle. Shake it up well. It will do to use as soon as made but it is much improved by age. Lavender water. Turn a pint of alcohol slowly on to an ounce and a half of the oil of lavender two drams of ambergris. Keep the lavender water in a tight quart bottle. It should be shook up well when first put in. Aromatic vinegar. Mix with a tablespoonful of vinegar enough powdered chalk to destroy the acidity. Let it settle. Then turn off the vinegar from the chalk carefully and dry it perfectly. Whenever you wish to purify an infected room put in a few drops of sulfuric acid. The fumes arising from it will purify a room where there has been any infectious disorder. Care is necessary in using it not to inhale the fumes or to get any of the acid on your garments as it will corrode whatever it touches. Barley water. Boil a couple of ounces of barley into quarts of water till soft. Pearl barley is the best but the common barley answers very well. When soft strain and mix it with a little current jelly to give it a pleasant acid taste. If the jelly is not liked turn it when boiled soft on to a couple of ounces of figs or raisins and boil it again till reduced to one quart then strain it for use. Rice grill. Put a large spoonful of unground rice into six gels of boiling water with a stick of cinnamon or maize. Strain it when boiled soft and add half a pint of new milk. Put in a tea spoonful of salt and boil it a few minutes longer. If you wish to make the grill of rice flour, mix a tablespoonful of it smoothly with three of cold water and stir it into a quart of boiling water. Let it boil five or six minutes stirring it constantly. Season it with salt, a little butter and add, if you like, nutmeg and white sugar to your taste. Water grill. Mix a couple of tablespoonsful of Indian meal with one of wheat flour and sufficient cold water to make a thick batter. If the grill is like thick stir it into a pint of boiling water. If like thin, more water will be necessary. Season the grill with salt and let it boil six or eight minutes stirring it frequently. Then take it from the fire, put in a piece of butter of the size of a walnut and pepper to the taste. Turn it on toasted bread cut in small pieces. Cattle. Make rice or water grill as above. Then strain it and add half a wine glass of ale, wine or brandy. Sweeten it with low sugar and grate in a little nutmeg. Arrow root custards. Boil a pint of milk and stir into it while boiling a tablespoonful of arrow root mixed smooth with a little cold milk. Stir it in well and let the whole boil three or four minutes. Take it from the fire to cool and so stir in a couple of beaten eggs. Sweeten it to the taste and grate in a small piece of nutmeg. Set the whole where it will boil. Simultaneously as soon as it boils up take it from the fire and turn it into custard cups. The arrow root prepared in the same manner as for the custards or meeting the sugar, spice and eggs is excellent food for invalids and can be eaten when the custards are too rich for the stomach. Wine way. Stir into a pint of boiling milk a couple of glasses of wine. Boil a minute. Then take it from the fire and let it remain till the curd has settled. Then turn off the way and sweeten it with white sugar. Stomachic tincture. Brews a couple of ounces of Peruvian bark. One of bitter dried orange peel. Steep them in a pint of proof spirit of fortnight shaking up the bottle that contains it once or twice every day. Let it remain untouched for a couple of days. Then decant the bitter into another bottle. A tea spoonful of this in a wine glass of water is a fine tonic. Thorough word bitters. Make a strong tea of the thorough word. Strain it and when cool put to a couple of quarts of it half a pint of French brandy. The peel of two or three fresh oranges cut into small bits and half a dozen bunches of fennel or a smellage seed. The seed and orange peel should be crowded into a bottle. Then the tea and brandy turned in. The bottle should be corked tight. The bitters will keep good almost any length of time and is an excellent remedy for billiest complaints and can often be taken when the poor tea will not sit on the stomach. A wine glass of these bitters to a tumbler of water is about the right proportion. It should have a little sugar added to it before drinking it. Cough tea. Make a strong tea of everlasting. Strain and put to a quart of it two ounces of figs or raisins. Two of licorice cut in bits. Boil them in the tea for 20 minutes. Then take the tea from the fire and add to it the juice of a lemon. This is an excellent remedy for a tight cough. It should be drank freely being perfectly innocent. It is the most effectual when hot. Beef tea. Broil a pound of fresh lean beef 10 minutes. Then cut it into small bits. Turn a pint of boiling water on it and let it steep in a warm place half an hour. Then strain it and season the tea with salt and pepper to the taste. This is a quick way of making the tea but it is not so good when the stomach will bear but a little liquid on it as the following method. Cut the beef into small bits which should be perfectly free from fat. Fill a junk bottle with them. Cork it up tight and immerse it in a kettle of lukewarm water and boil it 4 or 5 hours. This way is superior to the first. On account of obtaining the juices of the meat, analoid with water, a tablespoonful of it being as nourishing as a teacup full of the other. Moss jelly. Steep karagwa or Irish moss in cold water a few minutes to extract the bitter taste. Then drain off the water and to half an ounce of moss put a quart of fresh water and a stick of cinnamon. Boil it till it becomes a thick jelly then strain it and season it to the taste with white wine and white sugar. This is very nourishing and recommended highly for consumptive complaints. Sago jelly. Rinse 4 ounces of sago thoroughly then soak it in cold water half an hour turn off the water and put to it a pint and a half of fresh cold water let it soak in it half an hour then set it where it will boil slowly stirring it constantly boil with it a stick of cinnamon when of a thick consistency add a glass of wine and white sugar to the taste let it boil 5 minutes then turn it into cups tapioca jelly take 4 tablespoons full of tapioca rinse it thoroughly then soak it 5 hours in cold water enough to cover it set a pint of cold water on the fire when it boils mash the tapioca that is in the water and mix it with the boiling water let the whole simmer gently with a stick of cinnamon or maize when thick and clear mix a couple of tablespoons full of white sugar with half a tablespoon full of lemon juice and half a glass of white wine stir it into the jelly if not sweet enough add more sugar and turn the jelly into cups and that is the end of Chapter 21 Chapter 22 of The American Housewife this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Mary Ann The American Housewife by Anonymous 379 to renew old bread and cake fill a bread steamer about half full of water on the fire where it will steam the bread from half to three quarters of an hour then wrap the bread in a towel and let it remain till dry in this way, bread that is old and dry may be made moist and good where steamer cannot be procured soak the bread in cold water till it has absorbed sufficient water to be moist inside then put it in a bake pan without any cover and heat it very hot if broken pieces of bread are put in the oven five or six hours after baking they will be ready and rust they will keep a good long time sour heavy bread treated in this manner will make very decent cakes and puddings provided there is enough sultry used in making them to correct the acidity of the bread rich cake that has wine or brandy in it will remain good in cold weather several months if it is kept in a cool dry place the day in which it is to be eaten put it in a cake pan and set it in a bake pan set on the bake pan cover and let the cake bake until it is heated very hot let it get cold before cutting it 380 to preserve cheese from insects cover the cheese while whole with a paste made of wheat flour then wrap a cloth round it and cover it with the paste keep the cheese in a cool dry place cheese that has skippers in it if kept till cold weather will be freed from them 381 to pot cheese cheese that has begun to mold can be kept from becoming any more so by being treated in the following manner cut off the moldy part and if the cheese is dry grate it if not pound it fine in a mortar together with the crust to each pound of it when fine put a tablespoon full of brandy mix in well with the cheese then press it down tight in a clean stone pot and lay a paper wet in brandy on top of it cover the pot up tight and keep it in a cool dry place this is also a good way to treat dry pieces of cheese potted cheese is best when a year old it will keep several years without any danger of breeding insects 382 to pot butter for winter use mix a large spoonful of salt a tablespoon full of powdered white sugar and one of saltpeter work this quantity into 6 pounds of fresh made butter put the butter into a stone pot that is thoroughly cleansed when you have finished putting down your butter cover it with a layer of salt and let it remain covered until cold weather 383 to make salt butter fresh when butter has too much salt in it put to each pound of it a quart of fresh milk and churn it in an hour then treat it like fresh butter working in the usual quantity of salt a little white sugar worked in improves it this is said to be equal to fresh butter salt may be taken out of a small quantity of fresh butter by working it over in clear fresh water changing the water a number of times 384 to extract rancidity from butter take a small quantity that is wanted for immediate use for a pound of the butter dissolve a couple of teaspoonfuls in a quart of boiling water put in the butter mix it well with the soleratist water and let it remain till cold then take it off carefully and work a teaspoonful of salt into it butter treated in this manner answers very well to use in cooking 385 to preserve cream for sea voyages take rich fresh cream and mix it with half of its weight of white powdered sugar when mixed in put it in bottles and cork them tight when used for tea or coffee it will make them sufficiently sweet without any additional sugar 386 substitute for cream in coffee beat the white of an egg to a froth put to it a small lump of butter and turn the coffee to it gradually so that it may not curdle it is difficult to distinguish the taste from fresh cream 387 to keep eggs several months it is a good plan to buy eggs for family use when cheap and preserve them in the following manner mix half a pint of unslaked lime with the same quantity of salt a couple gallons of water the water should be turned on boiling hot when cold put in the eggs which should be perfectly fresh and care should be taken not to crack any of them if cracked they will spoil directly the eggs should be entirely covered with the lime water and kept in a stone pot and the pot set in a cool place if the above directions are strictly attended to the eggs will keep good five months the lime water should not be so strong as to eat the shell and all the eggs should be perfectly fresh when put in as one bad one will spoil the whole 388 to melt fat for shortening the fat of all kinds of meat accepting that of ham and mutton makes good shortening roast meat drippings and the liqueur in which meat is boiled should stand until cold to have the fat congeal so that it can be taken off easily when taken up scrape off the sediment which adheres to the underside of the fat cut the fat into small pieces together with any scrapes of fat from boiled meat that you may happen to have melt the fat slowly then strain it and let it remain till cold when formed into a hard cake, take it up if any sediment adheres to the underside scrape it off melt the fat again when partly cooled, sprinkle in salt in the proportion of a teaspoonful to a pound of the shortening the drakes of the fat are good for soap grease this shortening answers all the various purposes of lard very well accepting in the hottest weather the fat of cooked meat should not be suffered to remain more than a week in winter and three days in summer without being melted ham fat, if boiled in fresh water and then clarified, answers very well to fry in mutton fat, if melted into hard cakes will fetch a good price at the tallow chandlers the leaves and thin pieces of pork should be used for lard cut them in small bits and melt them slowly then strain them through a colander with a thick cloth laid in it as soon as the fat cools and thickens sprinkle in salt in the proportion to 20 weight of the lard stir it in well then set the pot that contains it in a cool place some people have an idea that pork scraps must be on the fire until they become brown in order to have the lard kept sweet the year round but it is not necessary if salt is mixed with it 389 to keep vegetables through the winter succulent vegetables are preserved best in a cool shady place that is damp turnips, Irish potatoes and similar vegetables should be protected from the air and frost by being buried up in sand and in very severe cold weather covered over with a linen cloth it is said that the dust of charcoal sprinkled over potatoes will keep them from sprouting I have also heard it said that Carolina potatoes may be kept a number of months if treated in the following manner take those that are large and perfectly free from decay pack them in boxes of dry sand and set the boxes in a place that goes to the influence of smoke and inaccessible to frost 390 to preserve herbs all kind of herbs should be gathered on a dry day just before or while in blossom tie them in bundles and suspend them in a dry airy place with the blossoms downwards when perfectly dry wrap the medicinal ones in paper and keep them from the air pick off the leaves of those which are used in cooking pound and sift them and keep the powder in bottles corked up tight 391 to preserve various kinds of fruit through the winter apples can be kept till June by taking only those that are hard and sound, wiping them dry then packing them in tight barrels with a layer of brand to each layer of apples envelope the barrel in a linen cloth to protect it from frost and keep it in a cool place but not so cold as to freeze the apples it is said that mortar laid over the top of a barrel of apples is a good thing to preserve them as it draws the air from them which is the principal cause of their decaying care should be taken not to have it come in contact with the apples to preserve oranges and lemon several months take those that are perfectly fresh and wrap each one in soft paper put them in glass jars or very tight box with white sand that has been previously dried in an oven a few hours after it has been baked in the sand should be strued thick over each of the oranges as they are laid in the jar and the whole covered by thick layer of it close the jar up tight and keep it in a cool dry place but not so cool as to freeze the fruit to preserve grapes gather them on a dry day when they are not quite dead ripe and pick those that are not fair off from the stems lay the bunches of grapes in a glass jar and sprinkle around each of them a thick layer of dry bran so that they will not touch each other have a thick layer of bran on the top and cork and seal the jar very tight so that the air may be entirely excluded whenever they are to be eaten restore them to their freshness by cutting off a small piece from the end of the stalks and immerse the stalks of each bunch in sweet wine for a few minutes the stalks will imbibe the wine and make the grapes fresh and juicy various kinds of fruit can be kept through the winter by being treated in the following manner fill junk bottles with them and set them in an oven 6 or 7 hours after having baked in it let them remain till they begin to shrink then take the fruit from one bottle to fill the others quite full cork and seal up the bottles whenever you wish to make pies of them put the quantity you wish to use into a tin pan turn on boiling water sufficiently turn on boiling water sufficiently to cover them and stew them in it till soft then sweeten and make them into pies write blackberries and hortleberries to be kept long should be dried perfectly in the sun then tied up in bags that are thick enough to exclude the air when used for pies treat them in the same manner as the green fruit write currants dried on the stalks then picked off and put in bags will keep nice for pies during the winter also make a fine tea for persons that have a fever particularly the hectic fever it is also an excellent thing to counteract the effects of opium 392 to keep pickles and sweetmeats pickles should be kept in unglazed earthen jars or wooden kegs sweetmeats keep best in glass jars unglazed dome pots answer very well for common fruit a paper wet in brandy or proof spirit and laid on the preserved fruit tends to keep it from fermenting both pickles and sweetmeats should be watched to see that they do not ferment particularly when the weather is warm whenever they ferment turn off the vinegar or syrup scald and turn it back while hot when pickles grow soft it is owing to the vinegar being too weak to strengthen it, heat it scalding hot turn it back on the pickles and when lukewarm put in a little alum and a brown paper wet in molasses it will grow sharp in the course of three weeks it is past recovery and should be thrown away and fresh vinegar turned on scalding hot to the pickles 393 cautions relative to the use of brass and copper cooking utensils cleanliness has been aptly styled as the cardinal virtue of cooks food is more healthy as well as palatable cooked in a cleanly manner many lives have been lost in consequence of carelessness in using brass glazed earthen cooking utensils the first two should be thoroughly cleansed with salt and hot vinegar before cooking in them and no oily or acid substance after being cooked should be allowed to cool or remain in any of them 394 durable ink for marking linen dissolve a couple of dracoms of lunar caustic and a half an ounce of gum arabic in a gill of rainwater dip whatever is to be marked in strong pearl ash water when perfectly dry iron it very smooth the pearl ash water turns it a dark color but washing will efface it after marking the linen put it near a fire or in the sun to dry red ink for marking linen is made by mixing and reducing to a fine powder half an ounce of vermilion a dracom of salt of steel and linseed oil to render the consistency of black durable ink 395 black ball melt together moderately 10 ounces of bayberry tallow 5 ounces of beeswax 1 ounce of mutton tallow when melted add lamp or ivory black to give it a good black color stir the whole well together and add when taken from the fire half a glass of rum 396 liquid blacking a quart of a pound of ivory black six gills of vinegar a table spoonful of sweet oil two large spoonfuls of molasses stir the whole well together and it will then be fit for use End of Chapter 22 Chapter 23 of The American Housewife This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Anna Simon The American Housewife by Anonymous Chapter 23 397 Cement for the Mouths of Cork Bottles Melt together a quarter of a pound of sealing wax the same quantity of rosin a couple of ounces of beeswax when it's froth stir it with a tallow candle as soon as it melts dip the mouths of the cork bottles into it This is an excellent thing to exclude the air from such things as are injured by being exposed to it 398 Cement for broken china glass and earthenware Rub the edge of the china or glass with the beaten white of an egg Tie very finely powdered quick lime in a muslin bag and sifted thick over the edges of the dishes that have been previously rubbed with the egg Match and bind the pieces together and let it remain bound several weeks This is good cement for every kind of crockery but thick heavy glass and coarse earthenware The former cannot be cemented with anything for the latter white paint will answer Paint and match the broken edges bind them tight together and let them remain until the paint becomes dry and hard Milk is a good cement for crockery The pieces should be matched and bound together tight then put in cold milk for half an hour Then take it from the fire and let the crockery remain till the milk is cold Let the crockery remain bound for several weeks The Chinese method of mending broken china is to grind flint grass on a painter's stone till it is reduced to an impelpable powder Then beat it with the white of an egg to a froth and lay it on the edge of the broken pieces Match and bind them together firmly and let them remain several weeks It is said that no art will then be able to break it in the same place 399 Japanese Cement or rice glue Mix rice flour with cold water to a smooth paste and boil it gently It answers all the purposes of wheat flour paste while it is far superior in point of transparency and smoothness This composition made with so small a proportion of water as the habit of the consistence may be used to form models busts, basso reliefos and similar articles When made of it, they are susceptible of a very high polish Poland's starch is a nice cement for pasting layers of paper together or any fancy articles 400 Cement for alabaster Take of white bees' wax one pound of rosin a pound and three quarters of alabaster Melt the wax and rosin then stir the alabaster over it lightly which should be previously reduced to a fine powder Stir the whole well together then knead the mass in water in order to incorporate the alabaster thoroughly with the rosin and wax The alabaster when mended should be perfectly dry and heated The cement when applied should also be heated Join the broken pieces bind them and let them remain a week This composition when properly managed forms an extremely strong cement 401 To clean alabaster or any other kinds of marble pound pumice stone to a fine powder and mix it with furduce let it remain several hours then dip in a perfectly clean sponge and rub the marble with it till clean rinse it off with clear fresh water and rub it dry with a clean linen cloth 402 Cement for ironware Beat the whites of eggs to froth then stir into them enough quick lime to make a consistent paste then add iron file dust to make a thick paste The quick lime should be reduced to a fine powder before mixing it with the eggs Fill the cracks in ironware with this cement and let them remain several weeks before using them 403 To loosen the stoppils of the cantas and smelling bottles that are wedged in tight dip the end of a feather in oil and wrap it around the stoppil close to the mouth of the bottle then put the bottle about a couple of feet from the fire having the mouth towards it the heat will cause the oil to run down between the stoppil and mouth of the bottle when warm strike the bottle gently on both sides with any light wooden instrument that you may happen to have if the stoppil cannot be taken out with the hand at the end of this process repeat it and you'll finally succeed by persevering in it however firmly it may be wedged in 404 lip salve dissolve a small lump of white sugar in a tablespoon full of rose water common water will do but it's not as good mix it with a couple of large spoonfuls of sweet oil a piece of spermaceti of the size of half a butternut simmer the whole well together 8 or 10 minutes then turn it into a small box 405 cold cream take of the oil of almond two ounces of spermaceti half an ounce and white wax half an ounce put them in a closed vessel and set the vessel in a skillet of boiling water when melted beat the ingredients with rose water until cold keep it in a tight box or white mouthed bottle corked up close 406 to prevent the formation of a crust on tea kettles keep an oyster shell in your tea kettle and it will prevent the formation of a crust on the inside of it by attracting the stony particles to itself 407 to remove stains from broad cloth take an ounce of pipe clay that has been ground fine and mix it with 12 drops of alcohol and the same quantity of spirits of turpentine whenever you wish to remove any stains from cloth moisten a little of this mixture with alcohol then rub it on the spots let it remain till dry then rub it off with a woolen cloth and the spots will disappear 408 to extract paint from cotton silk and woolen goods saturate the spot with spirits of turpentine and let it remain several hours then rub it between the hands it will crumble away without injuring either the colour or texture of the article 409 to remove black stains on scarlet woolen goods mix tartaric with water to give it a pleasant acid taste then saturate the black spots with it taking care not to have it touch the clean part of the garment rinse the spots immediately in fair water weak pearl ash water is good to remove stains that are produced by acids 410 to extract grease from silks paper, woolen goods and flaws to remove grease spots from goods and paper, grate on them very thick french chalk common chalk will answer but it's not as good as the french chalk cover the spots with a brown paper and set on a moderately warm iron and let it remain till cold care must be taken not to have the iron so hot as to scorch or change the colour of the cloth if the grease does not appear to be out on removing the iron, grate on more chalk, heat the iron again and put it on, repeat the process till the grease is entirely out strong pearl ash water mixed with sand and rubbed on grease spots and flaws is one of the most effective things that can be used to extract the grease 411 to extract stains from white cotton goods and coloured silks salts of ammonia mixed with lime will take out the stains of wine from silk spirits of turpentine alcohol and clear ammonia are all good to remove stains on coloured silks spots of common or durable ink can be removed by saturating them with lemon juice and rubbing on salt then pushing them where the sun will shine on them hot for several hours as fast as it dries put on more lemon juice and salt when lemon juice cannot be obtained citric acid is a good substitute iron mould may be removed in the same way mildew and most other stains can be removed by rubbing on soft soap and salt and placing it where the sun will shine on it hot where soap and salt will not remove stains lemon juice and salt will generally answer the above things will only remove stains in warm clear weather when the sun is hot sulfuric acid diluted with water is very effectual in removing fruit stains care should be taken not to have it so strong as to eat a hole in the garment and as soon as the stain is out it should be rinsed in pearl ash water and then in fair water cotton goods that have common ink spilled on them should be soaked in lukewarm sour milk 412 directions for washing calico's calico clothes before they are put in water should have the grease spots rubbed out as they cannot be seen when the hole of the garment is wet they should never be washed in very hot soap sets that which is mildly warm will cleanse them quite as well and will not extract the colours so much soft soap should never be used for calico's accepting for the various shades of yellow which look the best washed with soft soap and not rinsed in fair water other colours should be rinsed in fair water and dried in the shade when calico's inclined to fade the colours can be set by washing them in lukewarm water with beef skull in the proportion of a teacup full to 4 or 5 gallons of water rinse them in fair water no soap is necessary without the clothes are very dirty so wash them in lukewarm suds after they have been first rubbed out in beef skull water the beef skull can be kept several months by squeezing it out of the skin in which it is enclosed adding salt to it and bottles and cork tight the water that potatoes has been boiled in is an excellent thing to wash black calico's in when there are many black garments to wash in a family it is a good plan to save during the week all the water in which potatoes are boiled is set to set the colours of calico's so that it will not fade by subsequent washing infuse 3 gills of salt in 4 quarts of boiling water put in the calico's which should be perfectly clean if not so the dirt will be set let the calico's remain in till the water is cold I've never seen this tried but I think it is not improbable that it may be an excellent way to set the colours as rinsing calico's in cold salt and water serves to set the colours particularly of black, blue and green colours a little vinegar in the rinsing water of pink, red and green calico's is good to brighten the colours and keep them from mixing all kinds of calico's but black look better for starching but black calico's will not look clear of starched on this account potato water is an excellent thing to wash them if boiled down to a thick consistency as it stiffens them without showing 413 directions for cleaning silk goods when silk cushions or silk coverings to furniture become dingy rub dry brown on it gently with a woolen cloth till clean remove greased spots and stains as in direction number 410 silk garments should have the spots extracted before being washed use hard soap for all colours but yellow for which soft soap is the best put the soap into hot water beat it till it's perfectly dissolved then add sufficient cold water to make it just lukewarm put in the silks and rub them in it till clean take them out without ringing and rinse them in fair lukewarm water rinse it in another water and for bright yellows, crimson's and maroons add sulfuric acid enough to the water to give it an acid taste before rinsing the garment in it to restore the colours of the different shades of pink put in the second rinsing water a little vinegar or lemon juice for scarlet, use a solution of tin for blues, purples and their shades use pearl ash and for olive greens dissolve vertigris in the rinsing water fawn and browns should be rinsed in pure water dip the silks up and down in the rinsing water take them out of it without ringing and dry them in the shade fold them up while damp let them remain to have the dampness strike through all parts of them alike then put them in a mangler if you have not one, iron them on the wrong side with an iron only just hot enough to smooth them a little isn't glass or gum arabic dissolved in the rinsing water of gauze, shawls and ribbons is good to stiffen them the water in which paired potatoes have been boiled is an excellent thing to wash black silks in it stiffens and makes them glossy and black beef skull and lukewarm water is also a nice thing to restore rusty silk and soap sets answers very well they look better not to be rinsed in clear water but they should be washed in two different waters 414 directions for washing woolens if you do not wish to have white flannels shrink when washed make a good sats of hard soap and wash the flannels in it without rubbing any soap on them rub them out in other sats then wring them out of it and put them in a clean tub wash in boiling water to cover them and let them remain till the water is cold a little indigo in the boiling water makes the flannels look nicer if you wish to have your white flannels shrink so as to have them thick wash them in soft soap sets and rinse them in cold water collard woolens that can climb to fade should be washed with beef skull and warm water before they are put into soap sets collard pantaloons look very well washed with beef skull and fair warm water and pressed on the wrong side while damp end of section 23 Chapter 24 of the American Housewife this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Alanna Jordan The American Housewife by Anonymous Chapter 24 Directions for washing white cotton clothes Table cloths or any white clothes that have coffee or fruit stains on them before being put into soap suds should have boiling water turned on them and remain in it till the water is cold the spots should be then rubbed out in it if they are put into soap suds with the stains in they will be set by it so that no subsequent washing will remove them table cloths will be less likely to get stained up if they are always rinsed in thin starch water as it tends to keep coffee and fruit from sinking into the texture of the cloth white clothes that are very dirty will come clean easily if put into strong cool suds and hung on the fire the night previous to the day in which they are to be washed if they get to boiling it will not do them any harm provided the suds is cool when they are put in it will set the dirt in the following method of washing clothes is a saving of a great deal of labor soak the clothes in luke warm soap suds if they are quite dirty soak them overnight to every three pales of water put a pint of soft soap and a tablespoon full of the salts of soda heat it till mildly warm then put in the clothes without any rubbing and boil them an hour drain the suds out of them as much as possible as it is bad for the hands then add water till cool enough for the hands the dirt will be loose so that they will require but a little rubbing rinse them thoroughly in clear water then in indigo water the soda can be procured cheap by purchasing it in large quantities soda is an excellent thing to soften hard water the soda suds will not do to wash calicoes in it is a good plan to save your suds after washing to water your garden if you have one or to harden cellars and yards when sandy 416 starch to make good flour starch mix flour gradually with cold water so that it may be free from lumps stir in cold water till it will pour easily then stir it into a pot of boiling water and let it boil five or six minutes a tallow or spermacidi candle stirred round in the starch several times will make it smoother drain it through a thick cloth starch made in this manner will answer for both cotton and linen very well some people do not boil their starch but merely turn boiling water on the mixed flour and water but it does not make clothes look nice polan starch is made in the same manner as wheat starch which is boiled in a pot without being tied up in a bag the water in it which is boiled is as good as polan starch for clear starching muslins if boiled to a thick consistency after it is turned off from the boiled rice and then strained muslins to look clear should be starched and clapped dry while the starch is hot then folded in a very damp cloth and suffered to remain in it before ironing them if muslins are sprinkled they are apt to look spotted garments that are not worn when laid by should not be starched as it rots them when not exposed to the air 417 to clean woollen and silk shawls pair and grate raw mealy potatoes and put to each pint of the potato pulp a couple of quarts of cold water let it stand 5 hours then strain the water through a sieve and run as much of the potato pulp through as possible let the strained water stand to settle again when very clear turn the water off from the dregs carefully put a clean white cotton sheet on a perfectly clean table lay the shawl which you wish to clean and pin it down tight dip a sponge that has never been used into the potato water rub the shawl with it till clean then rinse the shawl in clear water with a tea cup of salt to a pail full of the water spread it on a clean level place where it will dry quick if hung up to dry the colors are apt to run and make the shawl streaked fold it up while damp and let it remain half an hour then put it in a mangler if you have not one wrap it in a clean white cloth and let it remain till dry if there are any grease spots on the shawl they should be extracted before the shawl is washed 418 directions for carpets carpets should be taken up and shook thoroughly if in constant use as often as three or four times in a year as the dirt that collects underneath them wears them out very fast straw kept under carpets will make them wear much longer as the dirt will sift through from grinding out carpets should be taken up as often as once a year even if not much used as there is danger of moths getting into them if there is any appearance of moths and carpets when they are taken up sprinkle tobacco or black pepper on the floor before the carpets are put down and let it remain after they are laid down when the dust is well shaken out of carpets if there are any grease spots on them grate on potters clay very quick cover them with a brown paper and set on a warm iron it will be necessary to repeat this process several times to get out all the grease if the carpets are so much soiled as to require cleaning all over after the dirt has been shaken out spread them on a clean floor and rub on them with a new broom paired and grated raw potatoes let the carpets remain till perfectly dry before walking on them to clean light kid gloves Magnesia moist bread and india rubber are all of them good to clean light kid gloves they should be rubbed on the gloves thoroughly if so much soiled that they cannot be cleaned sew up the tops of the gloves and rub over them with a sponge dipped in a decoction of saffron and water the gloves will be yellow or brown according to the strength of the decoction 420 to restore rusty Italian crepe heat skim milk and water dissolve in half a pint of it a piece of glue an inch square then take it from the fire rinse the crepe out in vinegar to clean it then to stiffen it put it in the mixed glue and milk wring it out and clap it till dry then smooth it out with a hot iron a paper should be laid over it when it is ironed gin is an excellent thing to restore rusty crepe dip it in and let it get saturated with it then clap it till dry and smooth it out with a moderately hot iron Italian crepe can be dyed to look as nice as that which is new 421 to clean mahogany and marble furniture no soap should ever be used for them they should be washed in fair water and rubbed with a clean soft cloth till dry a little sweet oil rubbed on occasionally gives them a fine polish the furniture should be rubbed over with a cloth dipped in oil then rubbed over with a clean cloth till it appears dry and polished white spots on varnished furniture may be removed by rubbing them with a warm flannel dipped in spirits of turpentine ink spots may be removed by rubbing them with a woollen cloth of vitriol and water mixed being careful not to touch any part of the furniture that is not spotted as soon as the ink is extracted rinse the spot with pearl ash water and then with fair water it is said that blotting paper alone will extract the ink if rolled up tight and rubbed hard on the spots if it answers the purpose it is altogether best to use it as there is always danger attending the use of oil of vitriol it being so powerful as to corrode whatever it may get dropped on without its effects are destroyed by the use of an alkali 422 to clean stoves and stone hearths varnished stoves should have several coats of varnish put on in summer in order to have it get hard before being used they should be washed in warm water without soap a little oil then rubbed on them occasionally makes them look nice and tends to keep the varnish from wearing off black lead and british luster are both of them good to black stoves which have never been varnished if they have been it will not answer they should be mixed with cold water to form a paste then rubbed on the stoves and remain till quite dry they should then be rubbed with a dry stiff and flat brush till clean and polished if you wish to preserve the color of freestone hearths wash them in water without any soap then rub on them while damp freestone that has been reduced to a powder let it remain till dry then rub it off if the hearths are stained rub them hard with a piece of freestone if you wish to have your hearth look dark rub it over with hot soft soap alone or diluted with water for brick hearths use redding mixed with thin hot starch and milk 423 to extract ink from floors ink spots on floors can be removed by scouring them with sand wet in oil of vitriol and water mixed rinse them when the ink is extracted with strong pearl ash water 424 to remove paint and putty from window glass put sufficient pearl ash into hot water to make it very strong of it then saturate the paint which is dobbed on the glass with it let it remain till nearly dry then rub it off hard with a woolen cloth pearl ash water is also good to remove putty before it is dried on the glass if it dries on, whiting is good to remove it 425 to cleanse feather beds and mattresses when feather beds become soiled or heavy they may be made clean and light by being treated in the following manner rub over them with a stiff brush dipped in hot soap suds when clean, lay them on a shed or any other clean place where the rain will fall on them when thoroughly soaked let them dry in a hot sun for six or seven successive days shaking them up well and turning them over each day they should be covered over with a thick cloth during the night if exposed to the night air they become damp and mildew this way of washing the bed ticking and feathers makes them very fresh and light and it is much easier than the old fashioned way of emptying the beds and washing the feathers separately while it answers quite as well care must be taken to dry the bed perfectly before sleeping on it hair mattresses that have become hard and dirty can be made nearly as good as new by ripping them washing the ticking and picking the hair free from bunches and keeping it in a dry, airy place several days whenever the ticking gets dry fill it lightly with the hair and tack it together to cleanse vials and pie plates bottles and vials that have had medicine in them may be cleansed by putting ashes in each one and immersing them in a pot of cold water then heating the water gradually until it boils when they have boiled in it an hour take it from the fire and let them remain in it till cold then wash them in soap suds and rinse them in fair water till clear pie plates that have been used much for baking are apt to impart an unpleasant taste to the pies which is owing to the lard and butter of the crust soaking into them and becoming rancid it may be removed by putting them in a brass kettle with ashes in cool water and boiling them in it an hour to temper earthenware earthenware that is used to bake in will be less liable to crack from the heat if put before they are used into a vessel with sufficient cold water to cover them then heated in it gradually till the water boils when the vessel is taken from the fire the ware should remain in it until cold to temper new ovens and ironware new ovens before they are baked in should have a fire kept up in them half a day as soon as the wood is removed put up the lid of the oven it should not be used for baking until it has been heated the second time if not treated in this matter it will never retain the heat well new flat irons should be treated half a day before they are used in order to retain heat well iron cooking utensils when new will be less liable to crack if heated gradually five or six hours and then cooled slowly before being used to cook in cold water should never be turned into hot iron utensils as it will crack them by cooling the surface too suddenly 429 to polish brass, britannia and silver utensils rotten stone mixed with a little spirit is the best thing to clean brass with rotten stone and oil does very well they should be polished with dry rotten stone and a dry cloth hot vinegar and milk makes brass look nice it should be rinsed off, wiped dry and rubbed over with chalk to kill the acid and give the brass a polish brass looks very nice cleaned in this manner and will keep clean a long time provided all the acid is killed if not they will turn very soon when brass utensils are not in use they should be thoroughly cleaned with rotten stone and oil and wrapped up tight to exclude the air whiting or chalk is good to polish silver if the silver is spotted wet the chalk which should be powdered rub it on the silver and let it remain until dry then rub it off with a clean dry cloth when cloth will not remove spots hot ashes will britannia wear should be rubbed with a flannel rag dipped in sweet or linseed oil if spotted then washed in soap suds and wiped dry to give it a polish rub it over with dry powdered chalk or whiting using a clean dry rag 430 to remove or keep rust from cutlery Bristol brick is good to remove rust and give a polish to steel utensils it should be powdered fine and rubbed on dry with a woollen cloth knife should be rubbed on a board with a thick leather covered over it and fastened down tight the brick should be dry and powdered fine and the knife should not be wet after cleaning but merely wiped with a dry clean cloth to make the handles smooth wipe them with a cloth that is a little damp being careful not to touch the blades as it will tarnish them knives look very nice cleaned in this manner and the edge will keep sharp ivory handled knives should never have the handles put into hot water as it will turn them yellow if through misuse they turn yellow rub them with sandpaper when Bristol brick will not remove rust from steel rub the spots with sandpaper or emery or else rub on sweet oil and let it remain a day then rub it off with powdered quick lime to keep steel utensils that are not in constant use from contracting rust clean them thoroughly with Bristol brick wipe them on a perfectly dry cloth and rub them over with sweet oil and cover them with brown paper so as to exclude the air knives and forks should be wrapped up in brown paper each one by itself 431 preservatives against the ravages of moths moths are very apt to eat woollen and fur garments early in the summer to keep them from the garments take them late in the spring when not worn and put them in a chest with considerable camphor gum cedar chips or tobacco leaves are also good for this purpose when moths get into garments the best thing to destroy them is to hang the garments in a closet and make a strong smoke of tobacco leaves under them in order to do it have a pan of live coals in the closet and sprinkle on the tobacco leaves 432 to destroy cockroaches ants and other household vermin hellebore rubbed over with molasses and put round the places that cockroaches frequent is a very effectual poison for them arsenic spread on bread and butter and placed round rat or mouse holes will soon put a stop to their ravages quicksilver and the white of an egg beat together and laid with a feather around the crevices of the bedsteads and the sacking is very effectual in destroying bugs in them to kill flies when so numerous as to be troublesome keep cobalt wet with spirit in a large shallow plate the spirit will attract the flies and the cobalt will kill them very soon black pepper is said to be good to destroy them it should be mixed so as to be very strong with a little cream and sugar great care is necessary in using the above poisons where there are any children as they are apt to eat anything that comes in their way and these poisons will prove as fatal to them as to vermin accepting the pepper the flower of sulfur is said to be good to drive ants away if sprinkled round the places that they frequent sage is also good weak brine will kill worms and gravel walks if kept moist with it a week in the spring and three or four days in the fall end of chapter 24 recording by Alana Jordan in the great state of Missouri chapter 25 of the American housewife this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Alana Jordan the American housewife by Anonymous chapter 25 common simple dies 433 to die black allow a pound of logwood to each pound of goods that are to be died soak it overnight in soft water then boil it an hour and strain the water in which it is boiled for each pound of logwood dissolve an ounce of blue vitriol in lukewarm water sufficient to wet the goods dip the goods in when saturated with it turn the hole into the logwood die if the goods are cotton set the vessel on the fire and let the goods boil 10 or 15 minutes stirring them constantly to prevent their spotting silk and woollen goods should not be boiled in the dies stuff but it should be kept at a scalding heat for 20 minutes drain the goods without ringing and hang them in a dry shady place where they will have the air when dry set the color by put them into scalding hot water that is salt in it in the proportion of a teacup full to 3 gallons of the water let the goods remain in it till cold then hang them where they will dry they should not be rung boiling hot suds is the best thing for the color of black silk let it remain in it till cold soaking black dyed goods in sour milk is also good to set the color 434 green and blue die for silks and woollens for green die take a pound of oil of vitriol and turn it upon half an ounce of spanish indigo that has been reduced to a fine powder stir them well together then add a hump of pearl ash the size of a pea as soon as the fermentation ceases bottle it, the die will be fit for use the next day chemic blue is made in the same manner only using half the quantity of vitriol for woollen goods the east indigo will answer as well as the spanish and comes much lower this die will not answer for cotton goods as the vitriol rots the threads wash the articles that are to be dyed till perfectly clean and free them from color if you cannot extract the color by rubbing it in hot suds boil it out, rinse it in soft water till entirely free of soap as the soap will ruin the die to dial a pale color put to each quart of soft warm water that is to be used for the die 10 drops of the above composition if you wish a deep color more will be necessary without crowding and let them remain in it till of a good color the die stuff should be kept warm taking the articles out without ringing, drain as much of the die out of them as possible then hang them to dry in a shady airy place they should be dyed when the weather is dry if not dried quick they will not look nice when perfectly dry wash them in luke warm suds to keep the vitriol from injuring the texture of the cloth if you wish for a lively bright green mix a little of the above composition with yellow die 435 yellow dies to die above color boil equal parts of ornado and common padesh in soft clear water when dissolved take it from the fire when cool put in the goods which should previously be washed free from spots and color set them on a moderate fire where they will keep hot till the goods are of the shade you wish to die salmon in orange color tie ornado in a bag and soak it in warm soft soap suds till it becomes soft so that you can squeeze enough of it through the bag to make the suds a deep yellow put in the articles which should be clean and free from color boil them till the shade you wish should there be enough of the die to cover the goods stir them while boiling to keep them from spotting this die will make a salmon or orange color according to the strength of it and the time the goods remain in drain them out of the die and dry them quick in the shade when dry wash them in soft soap suds goods dyed in this manner should never be rinsed in clear water peach leaves, fustic and saffron all make a good straw or lemon color according to the strength of the die they should be steeped in soft fair water in an earthen tin in a vessel and then strained and the die set with alum and little gum arabic dissolved in the die if you wish to stiffen the article when the die stuff is strained steep the articles in it 436 red dies matter makes a good durable red but not a brilliant color to make a die of it allow for half a pound of it three ounces of alum and one of cream of tartar this proportion of ingredients will make sufficient die for six or seven pounds of goods heat half of the water scalding hot in a clean brass kettle then put in the alum and cream of tartar and let it dissolve when the water boils stir the alum and tartar up in it put in the goods and let them boil a couple of hours then rinse them in fair water empty the kettle and put in three gallons of water and the matter rub it fine in the water then put in the goods and set them where they will keep scalding hot for an hour without boiling stir them constantly when they have been scalding an hour increase the fire till they boil let them boil five minutes then drain them out of the die and rinse them without ringing in fair water and hang them in the shade where they will dry to die a fine crimson then put in the goods two and a half ounces of alum an ounce and a half of white tartar put them in a brass kettle with sufficient fair water to cover your goods set it where it will boil briskly for several minutes then put in the goods which should be washed clean and rinsed in fair water when the goods have boiled half an hour take them out without ringing and hang it where it will cool all over a light without drying put fresh water in the kettle and for each pound of goods to be dyed put in an ounce of cochineal powdered fine set the kettle on the fire and let the water boil 15 or 20 minutes then put in sufficient cold water to make it look warm put in the goods and boil them an hour and a quarter take them out without ringing and dry them in a shady place the blossoms of the Balm of Gilead steeped with fair water in a vessel will dye silk a pretty red color the silk should be washed clean and free from color then rinsed in fair water and boiled in the strained dye with a small piece of alum to dye a fine delicate pink use a Carmine saucer the directions for dyeing come with the saucers it is too expensive a dye for bulky goods but for faded fancy shawls and ribbons it is quite worth the while to use it as it gives a beautiful shade of pink 437 slate color dye to make a good dark slate color boil a sugar loaf paper with vinegar and an iron utensil put an alum to set the color teak rounds set with copperous makes a good slate color to produce a light slate color boil white maple bark in clear water with a little alum the bark should be boiled in a brass utensil the dye for slate color should be strained before the goods are put into it they should be boiled in it and then hung where they will drain and dry 438 soap from scraps dissolve 18 pounds of patash in three pails full of water then add to it 25 pounds of grease and boil it over a slow fire for a couple of hours turn it into a barrel and fill it up with water 439 cold soap 6 pounds of strained grease when melted mix it with 4 pails full of lye made of 20 pounds of white patash let the holes stand in the sun stirring it frequently in the course of a week fill the barrel with weak lye this method of making soap is much easier than to make a lye of your ashes while it is as cheap if you sell your ashes to the soap boiler 440 hard soap dissolve 20 weight of white patash in three pails full of water heat 20 pounds of strained grease then mix it with the dissolved patash and boil them together till the whole becomes a thick jelly which is ascertained by taking a little of it out to get cold take it from the fire stir in cold water till it grows thin then put to each pail full of soap a pint of blown salt well the succeeding day separate it from the lye and heat it over a slow fire let it boil a quarter of an hour then take it from the fire if you wish to have it yellow color put in a little palm oil and turn it out into wooden vessels when cold separate it again from the lye and cut it in bars let them remain in the sun several days to dry 441 Windsor and Castile soap to make the celebrated Windsor soap nothing more is necessary than to slice the best white soap as thin as possible and melt it over a slow fire take it from the fire when melted and when it is just lukewarm add enough of the oil of caraway to scent it if any other fragrant oil is liked better it may be substituted turn it into molds and let it remain in a dry situation for five or six days to make Castile soap boil common soft soap in lamp oil three hours and a half 442 Bayberry or Myrtle soap dissolve two pounds and a quarter of white porridge in five quarts of water then mix it with ten pounds of Myrtle wax or Bayberry tallow boil the whole over a slow fire till it turns to soap then add a teacup of cold water let it boil ten minutes longer at the end of that time turn it into tin molds or pans and let the remain a week or ten days to dry then turn them out of the molds if you wish to have the soap set in stir into it any essential oil that has an agreeable smell just before you turn it into the molds this kind of soap is excellent for shaving and chapped hands it is also good for eruptions on the face it will be fit for use in the course of three or four weeks after it is made but it is better for being kept ten or twelve months end of chapter 25 recording by Alana Jordan in the great state of Missouri