Cookery for every household

Vinegar (vinaigre). — A very important condiment, which is obtained from various sources. In this country it is generally made from malt or acetic acid, but on the Continent large quantities are made from wine or grape juice. The French and Italian red and white wine vinegars are considered the best. Special flavourings are sometimes added, as in tarragon, chilli, and spiced vinegars. Vinegar is largely used for preserving and pickling. It helps to soften the fibre of meat and to make it tender, and is also useful for giving a piquant flavour to certain dishes. Ketchup or Catsup is a valuable condiment made usually from walnuts, tomatoes, or mushrooms by squeezing out their juice, boiling this juice down and adding various seasonings to it. It forms the foundation of a number of bottled sauces. 3047. Herbs, To Dry The most suitable herbs for drying are : balm, basil, marjoram, mint, sage, savoury, and common and lemon thyme. They must be picked in good condition, and before they begin to flower. Gather the herbs on a fine day, when they are free from moisture, spread them out on sheets of paper, dry them in the sun, in a cool oven with the door left slightly open, or on the rack above the fire. Unless the drying is done fairly quickly the herbs will lose their colour. When ready, strip the leaves from the stalks, dry them again if necessary, and then rub them through a fine sieve. Put the powder into perfectly dry bottles, keeping each sort separate, and cork tightly. Label the bottles and store them in a dry place. This is a better and cleaner method than hanging up the bunches of herbs to dry. When required for flavouring soups and sauces, a small quantity of the powder should be tied up in a piece of muslin. 3048. Herb Seasoning or Aromatic Spice Take 1 oz. each of thyme, basil, marjoram, and summer savoury, 2 bay-leaves, 2 cloves, a blade of mace, 1 tea-spoonful dried and grated lemon rind, J tea-spoonful grated nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne. Pound all together in a mortar, rub through a fine sieve, and bottle for use. This will be found useful for flavouring stuffings, sauces, and savoury meat dishes. The flavour is excellent. 3049. A Bunch of Herbs or Bouquet Garni This is used for flavouring sauces, soups, stews, and other savoury meat dishes. It is usually composed of a bay-leaf and a sprig of thyme and marjoram wrapped up in parsley, and tied together with a piece of cotton. A small piece of basil, tarragon, and a little lemon rind are sometimes added. 3050. Herb Vinegar Herb vinegar is very easily made, and especially by those who have herbs growing fresh in their own gardens. Mint, thyme, marjoram, basil, tarragon, &c., are all suitable, or a mixture of herbs may be used. Choose young leaves, pick them from the stalks, and wash and dry them, if necessary. Then put them into wide-mouthed bottles, filling these about three parts full, and fill up with good vinegar. Cork the bottles closely, and leave them for 2 or 3 weeks. By this time the vinegar ought to be sufficiently flavoured, and may be strained olf into other bottles and corked again. The vinegar will become impregnated with the full flavour of the herbs, and will be found useful in winter for flavouring salads, sauces, fish dishes, &c. 3051. Parsley, To Dry