Vegetable cooking is very often defective beyond any
other. Cooks are not careful enough to see whether
the water really boils, and not what the generality of
cooks call boiling, which makes all the difference in the
cooking. Vegetables require, as a rule, to be cooked quickly
and thoroughly, and to be eaten as soon as possible when
the cooking is completed. It is a desideratum, of course,
that all vegetables that require to be cooked, should be as
fresh as possible. They should be well washed, except
those that can be safely used without washing, as allowing
vegetables to remain soaking in water for a long time tends
to injure them. They must be clean, for the removal of dirt
and grit are not the sole reasons for washing ; it is
necessary to get rid of earwigs, caterpillars, and slugs.
Spinach may be washed in tepid water more quickly and
more completely than in cold. Cauliflowers and cabbage
are the happy hunting-grounds for vermin, and should be
thrown into a bowl with a lump of salt and plenty of cold
water, and if necessary a little hot water, and then when
the vegetables are thrown in the occupants will soon wriggle
out. A great thing in cooking green vegetables is to
send them to table with a fresh and beautiful colour, and
for this there should be put into the water two table-
FLAl^^ COOKING
83
spoonfuls of salt to the gallon, and a small quantity of
soda. The fire should be sufiicient to let the saucepan
boil up quickly from the moment the vegetables are im-
mersed, and they should be well drained from their ablution
water, and only put into the pot when the water is quite
boiling, which process must be kept going, the vegetables
being constantly pushed down to keep them covered ; but
there should be no lid on the saucepan, as that ruins the
colour and appearance. As soon as they are cooked, which
is when they are quite tender, and have not begun to fall
to pieces or to mash, turn them out and drain them ; * and
those vegetables which require it must be pressed.
The medicinal value of vegetables is great. Celery is
said to be very beneficial to the nervous system, and to
be a cure for rheumatism and neuralgia. Spinach has a
direct effect upon the kidneys, and tomatoes act upon the
liver ; asparagus purifies the blood ; beans nourish and
strengthen; beets and turnips are excellent appetisers,
and onions are much recommended for insomnia ; all
housekeepers should therefore provide plenty of vegetables
for the table, as it signifies health in the family. In cook-
ing cauliflower, asparagus, stringed beans, and any other
vegetable which may sometimes have a slightly bitter flavour,
it is well to put a lump of loaf sugar into the water.
Vegetables should never be cut after they have been sliced.
Potatoes take half an hour to boil, unless small, when they
take rather less ; peas and asparagus twenty to twenty-five
minutes ; cabbage and cauliflower twenty-five to thirty
minutes; carrots and turnips forty-five minutes when
young, but an hour in winter ; beets one hour in summer,
and one to two in winter ] onions, medium size, one hour.
Page 56
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Vegetable cooking is very often defective beyond any other. Cooks are not careful enough to see whether the water really boils, and not what the generality of cooks call boiling, which makes all the difference in the cooking. Vegetables require, as a rule, to be cooked quickly and thoroughly, and to be eaten as soon as possible when the cooking is completed. It is a desideratum, of course, that all vegetables that require to be cooked, should be as fresh as possible. They should be well washed, except those that can be safely used without washing, as allowing vegetables to remain soaking in water for a long time tends to injure them. They must be clean, for the removal of dirt and grit are not the sole reasons for washing ; it is necessary to get rid of earwigs, caterpillars, and slugs. Spinach may be washed in tepid water more quickly and more completely than in cold. Cauliflowers and cabbage are the happy hunting-grounds for vermin, and should be thrown into a bowl with a lump of salt and plenty of cold water, and if necessary a little hot water, and then when the vegetables are thrown in the occupants will soon wriggle out. A great thing in cooking green vegetables is to send them to table with a fresh and beautiful colour, and for this there should be put into the water two table-
PLAIN COOKING
spoonfuls of salt to the gallon, and a small quantity of soda. The fire should be sufficient to let the saucepan boil up quickly from the moment the vegetables are immersed, and they should be well drained from their ablution water, and only put into the pot when the water is quite boiling, which process must be kept going, the vegetables being constantly pushed down to keep them covered ; but there should be no lid on the saucepan, as that ruins the colour and appearance. As soon as they are cooked, which is when they are quite tender, and have not begun to fall to pieces or to mash, turn them out and drain them ; * and those vegetables which require it must be pressed.
The medicinal value of vegetables is great. Celery is said to be very beneficial to the nervous system, and to be a cure for rheumatism and neuralgia. Spinach has a direct effect upon the kidneys, and tomatoes act upon the liver ; asparagus purifies the blood ; beans nourish and strengthen; beets and turnips are excellent appetisers, and onions are much recommended for insomnia ; all housekeepers should therefore provide plenty of vegetables for the table, as it signifies health in the family. In cooking cauliflower, asparagus, stringed beans, and any other vegetable which may sometimes have a slightly bitter flavour, it is well to put a lump of loaf sugar into the water. Vegetables should never be cut after they have been sliced. Potatoes take half an hour to boil, unless small, when they take rather less ; peas and asparagus twenty to twenty-five minutes ; cabbage and cauliflower twenty-five to thirty minutes; carrots and turnips forty-five minutes when young, but an hour in winter ; beets one hour in summer, and one to two in winter ] onions, medium size, one hour.