All vegetables kre better cooked in soft water, provided ft is clean and pure ; if hard water is used, put in small pinch of soda. The water should be freshly drawn, and should OQly be put over fire in time to reach the boiling point before the hour for putting in. vegetables, as standing and long boiling frees the gases and renders the water insipid. The fresher all vegetables are, the^ more whole* some. After being washed thoroughly, put them in the boiling water using only enough to cook them, as when much is to be drained off some of the sweetness of the vegetables is lost If they are fresh they will not need to be placed in cold water before cook* ing ; but if not so, then let stand half an hour in it, but some of the flavor is thereby lost. Keep water boiling all the time, and if more has to be added, let it be boiling ; do not cook too long, only till tender^ as too long cooking is very injurious. This is true of all vegetables ; they must be thor- oaghly done, that is cooked tender, one can eas- ily test them, and should then be served at once. Where there is danger from burning, the kettle illustrated is of great service. It is very nice for spinach, etc., where it is coolced without water. While all are best fresh, green com and pease v***^* *««^ must be so to be in their prime. The proportion of salt in cooking vegetables is a heaping tablespoon to every gallon of water, added when half done ; after vegetables are aided, press down with a wooden spoon, skim when necessary, and for green vegetables, such as asparagus, pease, beans, etc., do not put cover on the kettle or saucepan. If one is very particular about preserving their color ; when done, drain and place in cold salted water a moment or two or till VEGETABLES. 603 ready to use, then reheat, season and serve. Sometimes pease, beans, etc, do not boil easily and it has usually been imputed to the cold- ness of the season, or the rains. This peculiar notion is erroneous. The difficulty of boiling them soft arises from an excess of gypsum imbibed during their growth. To correct this, throw a small quant- ity of carbonate of soda (common baking soda) in the pot with the vegetables. For keeping vegetables fr^sh for present use, see Keep- ing Fruits and Vegetables. Never split onions, turnips and carrots, but slice them in rings cut across the fiber, as they thus cook tender much quicker. If the home garden furnishes the supply of pease, spinach, green beans, asparagus, etc., pick them in the morning early, when the dew is on, and put them in a clean cool place, near ice if possible. A piece of red pepper the size of finger nail, dropped into meat or vegetables when first beginning to cook, will aid greatly in killing the unpleasant odor. Remember this for boiled cabbage, green beans, onions, mutton and chicken. All vegetables should be thoroughly cooked, and require a longer time late in their season. Cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, onions and beets are injured for some by being boiled with fresh meat, and they also in- jure the flavor of the meat. In cutting vegetables in fancy shapes a set of vegetable cutters that come nicely packed in a box are very convenient.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

All vegetables are better cooked in soft water, provided it is clean and pure ; if hard water is used, put in small pinch of soda. The water should be freshly drawn, and should only be put over fire in time to reach the boiling point before the hour for putting in. vegetables, as standing and long boiling frees the gases and renders the water insipid. The fresher all vegetables are, the more wholesome. After being washed thoroughly, put them in the boiling water using only enough to cook them, as when much is to be drained off some of the sweetness of the vegetables is lost If they are fresh they will not need to be placed in cold water before cook* ing ; but if not so, then let stand half an hour in it, but some of the flavor is thereby lost. Keep water boiling all the time, and if more has to be added, let it be boiling ; do not cook too long, only till tender, as too long cooking is very injurious. This is true of all vegetables ; They must be thoroughly done, that is cooked tender, one can easily test them, and should then be served at once. Where there is danger from burning, the kettle illustrated is of great service. It is very nice for spinach, etc., where it is coolced without water. While all are best fresh, green corn and pease must be so to be in their prime. The proportion of salt in cooking vegetables is a heaping tablespoon to every gallon of water, added when half done ; after vegetables are aided, press down with a wooden spoon, skim when necessary, and for green vegetables, such as asparagus, pease, beans, etc., do not put cover on the kettle or saucepan. If one is very particular about preserving their color ; when done, drain and place in cold salted water a moment or two or till ready to use, then reheat, season and serve. Sometimes pease, beans, etc, do not boil easily and it has usually been imputed to the coldness of the season, or the rains. This peculiar notion is erroneous. The difficulty of boiling them soft arises from an excess of gypsum imbibed during their growth. To correct this, throw a small quantity of carbonate of soda (common baking soda) in the pot with the vegetables. For keeping vegetables fresh for present use, see Keeping Fruits and Vegetables. Never split onions, turnips and carrots, but slice them in rings cut across the fiber, as they thus cook tender much quicker. If the home garden furnishes the supply of pease, spinach, green beans, asparagus, etc., pick them in the morning early, when the dew is on, and put them in a clean cool place, near ice if possible. A piece of red pepper the size of finger nail, dropped into meat or vegetables when first beginning to cook, will aid greatly in killing the unpleasant odor. Remember this for boiled cabbage, green beans, onions, mutton and chicken. All vegetables should be thoroughly cooked, and require a longer time late in their season. Cabbage, potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, onions and beets are injured for some by being boiled with fresh meat, and they also injure the flavor of the meat. In cutting vegetables in fancy shapes a set of vegetable cutters that come nicely packed in a box are very convenient.

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