The water in which Potatoes have been boiled must also
be thrown away. It is poisonous, and only useful to kill
green-fly on rose trees.
But the water in which peas, beans, carrots, etc., have been
boiled is a weak stock, the eau de cuisson of French kitchens, and
should be carefully kept for use. In making melted butter it
is infinitely better to use this stock than milk-and-water.
Some vegetables are apt to have a bitter taste when boiled.
This can be prevented by changing the water, being very
careful to fill up the pan at once with absolutely boiling water
from a kettle.
Potatoes, Turnips, and Carrots should be well scrubbed with
a brush, and thoroughly rinsed in clean water.
The rind of Turnips is very hard and woody, and they must
therefore be pared thickly.
Carrots are the only roots in which the inside is harder than
the outside. The red outside should be scraped off, or the
whole Carrot may be thinly sliced.
Seakale and Celery must be carefully washed, as owing to
them having been earthed up to blanch them there is often dirt
between the stalks.
Onions must never be washed. A slice should be cut off the
top and bottom of the Onion, and some of the outer coats peeled
off. If too many coats are removed the Onion loses much of its
wholesome qualities as well as its flavour. The coats should be
put into the stock-pot, for although they are tough they have
quite as much goodness and flavour as the inside of the Onion.
Onions, when not to be used for flavouring only, should, like
celery and all strong-tasted vegetables, be blanched — that is, they
are put into boiling water for five minutes.
In digging up as well as in washing Beetroot, great care
RULES FOR COOKING VEGETABLES
299
must be taken not to break the little roots or the skin, or the
red juice and colour will be lost.
Cauliflowers and Cabbages must be soaked in cold salted
water in which a tablespoonful of vinegar has been put. This
will make any slugs or caterpillars wriggle out of their hiding-
places within the vegetables.
The end of the stalk of a Cauliflower should be cut across.
This will ensure the proper cooking of the stalk. A Cauliflower
should be boiled head downwards in the saucepan small enough
to keep it in position. This prevents the white part of the
Cauliflower from getting dirtied by the scum which rises to
the surface of the pan. Some people think that a very little
sugar (one teaspoonful to a gallon of water) brings out the
flavour of the Cauliflower.
If Spinach is not quite young the stalks and mid-ribs of the
leaves must be removed before they are cooked. If this is not
done the Spinach will be bitter.
Page 206
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
The water in which Potatoes have been boiled must also be thrown away. It is poisonous, and only useful to kill green-fly on rose trees.
But the water in which peas, beans, carrots, etc., have been boiled is a weak stock, the eau de cuisson of French kitchens, and should be carefully kept for use. In making melted butter it is infinitely better to use this stock than milk-and-water.
Some vegetables are apt to have a bitter taste when boiled. This can be prevented by changing the water, being very careful to fill up the pan at once with absolutely boiling water from a kettle.
Potatoes, Turnips, and Carrots should be well scrubbed with a brush, and thoroughly rinsed in clean water.
The rind of Turnips is very hard and woody, and they must therefore be pared thickly.
Carrots are the only roots in which the inside is harder than the outside. The red outside should be scraped off, or the whole Carrot may be thinly sliced.
Seakale and Celery must be carefully washed, as owing to them having been earthed up to blanch them there is often dirt between the stalks.
Onions must never be washed. A slice should be cut off the top and bottom of the Onion, and some of the outer coats peeled off. If too many coats are removed the Onion loses much of its wholesome qualities as well as its flavour. The coats should be put into the stock-pot, for although they are tough they have quite as much goodness and flavour as the inside of the Onion. Onions, when not to be used for flavouring only, should, like celery and all strong-tasted vegetables, be blanched — that is, they are put into boiling water for five minutes.
In digging up as well as in washing Beetroot, great care
must be taken not to break the little roots or the skin, or the red juice and colour will be lost.
Cauliflowers and Cabbages must be soaked in cold salted water in which a tablespoonful of vinegar has been put. This will make any slugs or caterpillars wriggle out of their hidingplaces within the vegetables.
The end of the stalk of a Cauliflower should be cut across. This will ensure the proper cooking of the stalk. A Cauliflower should be boiled head downwards in the saucepan small enough to keep it in position. This prevents the white part of the Cauliflower from getting dirtied by the scum which rises to the surface of the pan. Some people think that a very little sugar (one teaspoonful to a gallon of water) brings out the flavour of the Cauliflower.
If Spinach is not quite young the stalks and mid-ribs of the leaves must be removed before they are cooked. If this is not done the Spinach will be bitter.