FoodNetArchive

The new practical housekeeping

1890

Page 553 · 2 recipe records on this page

Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Com Vinegar, — Boil one pint shelled corn in one gallon rain water till the grains burst, put it in a stone jar with the water in which it was boiled, add- ing sufficient rain water to make a gallon. Add pint of syrupCorn Vinegar (sugar cane is best as it is not so likely to be adulterated) and tie a piece of cheese cloth, or two thicknesses of mosquito netting over jar. Keep in a warm place one month, then pour off vinegar in a lug, putting in half the mother and it is ready for use. More can be made of samq corn, by covering it with rain water adding the half of the muther and a gill of syrup and let stand as above one month. Tie a thin cloth over jug of vinegar instead of corking it and keep in a dry place not too cold. This costs about seven cents a gallon and is said to be richer and better flavored than the best cidar vinegar and is equally good for most purposes. Economical Vinegar, — After washing the fruit, discarding all that is rot- ten, place the peelings of apples, pears, peaches or quinces in a stone crock, if you use any crab apples, put them in too ; boil pure rain water and pour hot over them ; if in cold weather they can stand several weeks then place in a porcelain kettle, covering them with water to the depth of two inches ; set on stove, let them l>oil for half an hour, strain through a collender, let the juice stand until it settles, then add enough molasses to make a pleasant taste ; now pour it into the keg or vinegai* barrel that has been prepared with a hole for faucet in the end of the barrel at the lower side, made the size of faucet; it should be one inch from the stave, so that it can be easily cleansed KITCHEN WBINKLEI. 637 with a wet cloth wrapped around the finger and passed under the faucet. The bung hole ought to be in the upper side of barrel equally distant from each end. Take cork out of bung hole, or if none in barrel make one, and cover it with a piece of mosqueto netting or other very thin material ; paste can be put around the hole, and the cloth put on it, or tack it on with small tacks — either will do, for you have to lift up one corner so as to place the f un« nel in when vou wish to add more juice. Here in MinnesotOi many apples are used in tne winter. All the pealings and cores can be saved, by placing them in a crock, pouring water over them, keeping them until crock is full. Then boil and proceed as above. Add one pint alcohol to eight or ten gallons of juice, or if you can set boiled cider add one gallon of thatEconomical Vinegar. If starting the vinegar in the fall whue making jelly, marmalade, etc., save all the waste luices, place in a crock and add to the vinegar. If you can get a little ' 'mother" from an old keg of vinesar, it helps start it more quickl]^, or put a cup of good sponge made ready for bread into a four gallon jar of juice, letting jar stand in the sun with a thin cloth tied over it for a few weeks ; then pour into keg. In putting the juice into keg let some of the settlings run in, as this furnishes yeast for the vinegar. If you have a lar^e quantity of juice to start vrith, a good proportion is to eight or ten gallons of juice take one gallon of molasses, one pint alcohol. If at any time it needs moro sweet, you can add molasses. Cold tea can be added, but never coffee, as that makes the color too dark.