The hearthstone; or, Life at home

Home-made Vinegar. — To one pint of strained honey add two gallons of soft water. Let it stand in a moderately warm place; in three weeks it will be excellent vinegar. Cheap Vinegar. — Take a quantity of common Irish potatoes, wash them until they are thoroughly clean, place them in a large vessel, and boil until done. Drain off carefully the water they were cooked in, straining it, if necessary, in order to remove every particle of the potato. Then put this potato-water in a jug or keg, which set near the stove, or in some place where it will be kept warm, and add one pound of sugar to about two gallons and a half of the water, some hop yeast, or a small portion of whiskey. Let it stand three or four weeks and you will have excellent vinegar, at the cost of six or seven cents per gallon. Spiced Tomatoes. — One peck of tomatoes, three pounds of brown sugar; boil four or five hours. One hour before taking from the fire, add one pint of vinegar and a handful of spices, consisting of unground cinnamon, cloves and mace. Spiced Sweetmeats. — Ten pounds of fruit, six pounds of brown sugar, one ounce of ground cloves, one ounce of allspice, one ounce of cinnamon, a little mace. Hot Spice (a delicious adjunct to chops, steaks, gravies, etc) — Three drams each of ginger, black pepper and cinnamon, seven cloves, half an ounce of mace, quarter of an ounce of cayenne, one ounce of grated nutmeg, an ounce and a half of white pepper. Pound the ingredients and mix them thoroughly together, taking care that everything is well blended. Put the spice in a very dry glass bottle for use. The quantity of cayenne may be increased should the above not be enough to suit the palate. Crab Sauce for Fish [equal to Lobster Sauce). — Choose a nice fresh crab, pick all the meat away from the shell, and cut it into small square pieces. Make half a pint of melted butter, and put it in the fish and seasoning ; let it gradually warm through, and simmer for two minutes. It should not boil. Cucumber Vinegar [a very nice addition to salads). — Use ten large cucumbers or twelve small ones, one quart of vinegar, two onions, two shallots, one tablespoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of pepper, one-quarter of a teaspoonful of cayenne. Pare and slice the cucumbers, put them in a stone jar or open-mouthed bottle with the vinegar ; slice the onions and shallots, and add them, with all the other ingredients, to the cucumbers. Let it stand four or five days, boil it all up, and when cold strain the liquor through a piece of muslin, and store it away in small bottles well sealed. This vinegar is a very nice addition to gravies, hashes, etc., as well as a great improvement to salads, or to eat with cold meat. Caramel for Coloring. — Haifa pound of brown sugar, one tablespoonful of water put into a frying-pan, and stir steadily over the fire till it becomes a deep, dark brown in color; then add one cup of boiling water and one teaspoonful of salt ; boil a minute longer, bottle and keep corked. One tablespoonful will color a clear soup, and it can be used for jellies, gravies and sauces. VEGETABLES.