Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1880 — HOUSEKEEPERS’ HELPS. [ARTICLE]

HOUSEKEEPERS’ HELPS.

Lamp-shades of ground glass should be washed with soda and water, which will not discolor them. To Restore Yet.vets.— Hold over a basin of boiling water, back down. It takes a long time, but the nap will rise. Lemon Zest.— Rub loaf-sugar over the surface of lemons. The friction breaks the oil-ducts and the sugar absorbs the oil. Put into fruit jars in the lump, or pound fine. Keep tightly corked. This is very fine for flavoring custards, creams’ etc. Coffee.— The best coffee is made by using a mixture of two-thirds Java and one-third Mocha. Delmonico is said to allow one and one-half pound of coffee to a gallon of water. The water is filtered through the coffee—it is not boiled. Fried Mush.— This simple breakfast dish is much improved, if the slices of mush are first dipped in beaten egg and then in cracker crumbs, trying m a mixture of lard and butter to a light brown. The meal should be thoroughly cooked and the mush allowed to become cold before slicing. Crab Apple Jelly.— djut out the blossom ends and quarter the apples, but do not peal or core them. Put into a stone jar, covered well, and set in a kettle of tepid water, with a block or small tin in the bottom. Let it boil thus nearly all day, leaving it in the covered jar until next morning. Then sift through a colender, and aftewards strain through a jelly bag. Allow a pound of sugar for a pint juice. Boil the juice twenty minutes, add the hot sugar, stirring well, and let all boil up together two or three minutes. Some crab apples seem very dry, and require a little addition of water to the juice.

Dbeed Peas.—Soak a quantify of peaa in -water for twenty-four hours. Throw the water away, and put the peas in a saaoe-pan with a couple of onions stuck -with cloves, a bunch of thyme and parsley, a couple erf bay leaves, whole pepper and salt to taste. Fill up the sauce-pan with cold water, ond set the contents to boil until the peas are thoroughly done. Drain off the water, pass the peas through a hair sieve and work them in a sauce-pan on the fire with a piece of huttear until the puree is quite hot, moistening with a little stock or some of their own liquor if the puree be too stiff. A piece of bacon boiled with the peas is an improvement Jjabd. —Deaf lard, skin carefully, wash, drain, cut into bits, put into a tin pail and set into a pot of boiling water. After melting, throw in a small quantity of salt to make the sediment settle, then simmer for half an hour or until clear. Strain through a coarse cloth into jars. Tie over bladders or paper and cloth, the latter dipped in melted grease. The other fatty portions, wash, drain, cut into bits and put into an iron kettle over a slow fire. Add a small teacupful of water, to prevent burning. When the bits of fat are reduced to fibers, take out with a skimmer. Watch constantly, and toward the last stir constantly. The fire should be moderate from first to last. Sprinkle in a little salt, ahd when the fat looks clear take from the fire, and wheD cool enough strain through a sieve or coarse cloth into jars. When straining lard, do not press the • cloth as long as the clear fat will run through, and when you do squeeze it, strain that part into another jar. Lard keeps bfest in small quantities, so it is well not to use overlarge vessels. Keep closely covered in a cool, dark place.