The household cook book

Elder=flower Vinegar. — Into 1 quart of good strong vinegar put 1 pint elder flowers free from the stalks; let stand 2 weeks in the sun or in a warm place; strain through flannel, and put up in quite small bottles. It can also be made by infusing the leaves, either fresh or dried, in the same way, the fresh being the best. The vinegar is used both in cookery and in perfumery. Garlic Vinegar. — Into 1 quart of cold boiled vinegar put 2 oz. of finely chopped garlic; let stand 2 weeks, strain, and bottle for use. Shallot vinegar can be made the same way. Cress vinegar can be made by bruising in a mortar ^ oz. cress seed, and letting it stand 2 weeks in 1 quart of cold, boiled vinegar. Horseradish Vinegar. — Put into a bottle 1 quart vinegar, ^ lb. scraped horseradish, a pinch of cayenne and 1 teaspoon sugar; let stand two weeks, shaking daily; then strain and bottle. An excellent relish for cold beef, etc. Lemon Vinegar. — Put the vinegar in a glass bottle and add lemon peel; the rind of 1 lemon will flavor a pint of vinegar; let it stand 2 weeks, then strain and bottle. Orange Vinegar can be made the same way. Mint Vinegar. — Pick nice fresh mint from the stalks, fill a bottle or jar loosely with them, and then fill it full with vinegar; cover closely to exclude the air, and let stand 3 weeks; then strain, put into small bottles, and cork tightly. Excellent for roast meats, cold meats, soups, etc. Parsley vinegar can be prepared the same way, the principle being merely to let the herb soak in the vinegar until its flavor is extracted. Onion Vinegar.— Mince 6 large onions and add a tablespoon of salt, letting them stand for 5 or 6 hours. Take 1 quart of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sugar and pour over the onions; put in a jar, tie down the cover and let steep for a fortnight; then strain and bottle. This gives an onion flavor to meat sauces and gravies, when liked, without the trouble of cooking onions for each dinner. Tarragon Vinegar. — Take a handful of tarragon leaves just before the plant begins to bloom, and cover them with the best cider or wine vinegar (a quart is as much as would be needed for a year in a small family ) ; let the leaves steep in the vinegar for a week, turning them every day; then strain, and bottle tightly. This is good in sauces for boiled fish or poultry. The Tarragon is a hardy plant which grows in light, dryish soil. It is a native of Siberia, and belongs to the order Compositae. It has smooth leaves, of a bright green color, which are agreeable to the taste, and are used principally for making the tarragon vinegar. Other Flavored Vinegars.— J5Zacfc Pepper Vinegar, Caper Vinegar, Capsicum Vinegar, Ginger Vinegar, Red Rose Vinegar, Curry Vinegar, Truffle Vinegar, White Pepper Vinegar, and several others can be made by steeping about 1 oz. of the article in 1 pint of good vinegar for 2 weeks, to ex- [illustration: tarragon] tract its flavor; then strain and bottle. Celery Seed vinegar is made the same way, but first crush the seeds. Using a little more of any article increases the strength. THE PROCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF COOKING. "To be a good cook means the economy of our great'grandmothers, and the science of the modern chemist." — Ruskin.