A piece of coal put in the pot when cabbage or cauliflower
is boiling destro3's all unpleasant smell through the house.
Burned sugar is a deodorizer. Sprinkle the sugar on a few
live coals on a shovel and leave in the room for five minutes.
PORCELAIN FOR ACIDS
In cooking fruit, or in using any acid preparation in cook-
ing, be sure your saucepans and kettles are porcelain or en-
ameled or earthenware. If you use metal ware you run the risk
of having the acid of the fruits combine with the metals and
form deadly poisons. All fruits and vegetables holding any
acid whatever should be cooked in porcelain, earthenware, or
best enameled saucepans and kettles. Never cook anything
ACID IN TIN OR COPPER.
TO CLEAN DECANTERS AND CRUETS
Such glassware as decanters, carafes, and vinegar cruets
sometimes become so discolored that shot or fine charcoal will
not wash them clean. Try this remedy, which has worked
satisfactorily: Fill the bottle with finely chopped potato skins.
Cork tight, and let the bottle stand for three days. Empty
and rinse thoroughly.
ABOUT PLANKING BOARDS
A board for planking fish should be made of hard, well-
planed wood, either hickory or oak. If it is to be used in a gas
stove, measure the broiling chamber before ordering the plank.
Have it one inch smaller than the oven, to allow of its being
easily slipped in and out. Have the board about four inches
narrower than its length, and slightly rounded, ironing board
ITEMS OF VALUE 405
fashion, at one end, to accommodate the tail of the fish. The
older and blacker the board becomes the finer flavor it imparts
to a fish. Never wash it with soap ; scrub with a brush and
boiling water immediately on removing- the plank from the
table. Occasionally give it a good rub with sandpaper.
TO KEEP PEARS FOR WINTER USE
Lay the pears on a shelf in a dry, cool place. Set them
stems up and so far apart that they do not touch one another.
Allow the air to move freely in the room in which they lie.
Layers of paper or of straw make a soft bed, but the less the
pear touches the shelf or resting-place the better for its
keeping.
TO PACK EGGS
Put into a butter firkin a thick layer of coarse dry salt, then
a layer of eggs, with the small end down, another layer of salt,
then eggs, and so on until the firkin is full. Cover and keep
in a dry place. These eggs will keep put up in this way almost
any length of time.
TO MAKE BREAD CLOTHS
Cloths for breadmaking, to put over sponge at night to
preserve its even temperature, and to lay over rising bread to
save it from chill, are nicely made by taking a good quality of
cheesecloth, folding double, thus making a square of about
three-quarters of a yard or a yard, and laying a thin layer of
cotton batting in between. Quilt the batting in coarse quilt-
ings so that it will not lose its place in the frequent washings
the cloths must have.
PAPER ON PANTRY SHELVES
There used to be an old custom — which was thought a good
one by some housekeepers — of covering pantry shelves with
paper. Indeed, there were fancy-colored papers with lace bor-
ders made for such use. But the sanitary housekeeper and
406 THE HOME COOK BOOK
Page 220
Presented as published in 1905. 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
A piece of coal put in the pot when cabbage or cauliflower is boiling destroys all unpleasant smell through the house.
Burned sugar is a deodorizer. Sprinkle the sugar on a few live coals on a shovel and leave in the room for five minutes.
PORCELAIN FOR ACIDS
In cooking fruit, or in using any acid preparation in cooking, be sure your saucepans and kettles are porcelain or enameled or earthenware. If you use metal ware you run the risk of having the acid of the fruits combine with the metals and form deadly poisons. All fruits and vegetables holding any acid whatever should be cooked in porcelain, earthenware, or best enameled saucepans and kettles. Never cook anything
ACID IN TIN OR COPPER.
TO CLEAN DECANTERS AND CRUETS
Such glassware as decanters, carafes, and vinegar cruets sometimes become so discolored that shot or fine charcoal will not wash them clean. Try this remedy, which has worked satisfactorily: Fill the bottle with finely chopped potato skins. Cork tight, and let the bottle stand for three days. Empty and rinse thoroughly.
ABOUT PLANKING BOARDS
A board for planking fish should be made of hard, wellplaned wood, either hickory or oak. If it is to be used in a gas stove, measure the broiling chamber before ordering the plank. Have it one inch smaller than the oven, to allow of its being easily slipped in and out. Have the board about four inches narrower than its length, and slightly rounded, ironing board
fashion, at one end, to accommodate the tail of the fish. The older and blacker the board becomes the finer flavor it imparts to a fish. Never wash it with soap ; scrub with a brush and boiling water immediately on removing- the plank from the table. Occasionally give it a good rub with sandpaper.
TO KEEP PEARS FOR WINTER USE
Lay the pears on a shelf in a dry, cool place. Set them stems up and so far apart that they do not touch one another. Allow the air to move freely in the room in which they lie. Layers of paper or of straw make a soft bed, but the less the pear touches the shelf or resting-place the better for its keeping.
TO PACK EGGS
Put into a butter firkin a thick layer of coarse dry salt, then a layer of eggs, with the small end down, another layer of salt, then eggs, and so on until the firkin is full. Cover and keep in a dry place. These eggs will keep put up in this way almost any length of time.
TO MAKE BREAD CLOTHS
Cloths for breadmaking, to put over sponge at night to preserve its even temperature, and to lay over rising bread to save it from chill, are nicely made by taking a good quality of cheesecloth, folding double, thus making a square of about three-quarters of a yard or a yard, and laying a thin layer of cotton batting in between. Quilt the batting in coarse quiltings so that it will not lose its place in the frequent washings the cloths must have.
PAPER ON PANTRY SHELVES
There used to be an old custom — which was thought a good one by some housekeepers — of covering pantry shelves with paper. Indeed, there were fancy-colored papers with lace borders made for such use. But the sanitary housekeeper and