Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation below, not the original instructions.
Starching
From The housewife's referee, 1898
Serves 7
This method gives shirts a perfect gloss.
A modern interpretation · AI-generated from the original record
Ingredients
- a teaspoonful of good starch
- just enough cold water to wet the starch
- a piece of sperm or white wax as big as a pea
- a quarter of a spoonful of clean salt
- three spoonfuls of starch
- a teaspoonful of glycerine
- pour on boiling water
Method
Stir the starch in cold water until free from lumps, then add more water and stir again.
Add wax and salt, pour on boiling water while stirring.
Boil for 15 minutes, skim and strain while hot.
Wet shirt fronts, collars, and cuffs in hot water, wring dry, and starch while damp.
Rub starch in, wring in a dry towel, and remove excess starch.
Roll tightly and let sit for 2-3 hours before ironing.
As published
This recipe was extracted from The housewife's referee (1898) by Harriet Anne de Salis, University of Leeds Library, page 36. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.
Starching. — Allow a teaspoonful of good starch to each shirt and collar, use just enough cold water to wet the starch. Stir till it is free from lumps, and add a little more, and stir it again. Add for each shirt a piece of sperm or white wax as big as a pea, and a quarter of a spoonful of clean salt to three spoonfuls of starch and a teaspoonful of glycerine, pour on boiling water
Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.