HINTS.
Cooking in Iron Pots.—Let nothing stand in an iron pot after it is cooked, or it will become discolored and have an unpleasant taste.
Rusty Knives.—If knives become rusty, rub them with a fresh-cut potato dipped in ashes.
Emetic.—Gunpowder dissolved in water is a good emetic.
Save the Bacon Grease.—After frying salt pork, bacon or fat meat, do not discard the grease that is left in the pan. Keep a cup or small tin pail, in which pour all residue. It will soon harden, and is just the thing for frying slapjacks or potatoes in.
Improved River Water for Drinking.—If you make tea do not throw out the "grounds" after each drawing. In warm weather ordinary lake or river water will taste very refreshing if poured into the pot where tea-grounds have been left, and allowed to stand a few minutes before drinking.
Salt.—It is always best in cooking to use too little salt rather than too much. Further salting can be easily done at any time, but it is difficult or impossible to freshen anything that has been over-salted.
Baking Powder.—In using baking powder it is always best to follow the printed directions on the can as to the amount. The different makes of baking powders have each a different strength.
Spoons.—On a canoe trip, where storage room is at a premium, one spoon will suffice for all purposes. Let it be of iron, of "dessert" size. Get a tinsmith to cut off two inches of the handle, and solder strongly to the stump a tin cylinder one-half inch in diameter. There will be no long handle to interfere with packing it in a small space, and if a long handle is desired for skimming soups, stirring mush, etc., a stick of any length can be instantly cut to fit the tin cylinder.
Frozen Fish should be soaked in cold water to thaw them before cooking.
Fish-eating Ducks may be made palatable by parboiling them in water with an onion in it. After parboiling them throw away the onion and lay the ducks in cold water for half an hour, after which they may be roasted, broiled, fried or stewed.
Soft vs. Hard Water.—Beans, peas and other vegetables are best boiled in soft water. Hard water can be made soft (if its hardness depends upon the presence of carbonate of lime) by boiling it an hour and then allowing it to cool, when most of the lime will be precipitated.
Broiling.—Remember that it is better to broil before a fire than over it, as by the former process the juices of the meat can be caught and used as a dressing, while in the latter manner they are lost in the fire and tend to give a smoky flavor by their ignition. In broiling, the article should be turned frequently.
Frying.—The lard or fat used for frying should always be very hot before the article to be cooked is put in. If little jets of smoke issue from the top of the fat it is hot enough. If the fat is insufficiently hot, anything cooked in it will taste of the grease, while the moment a substance is dropped into fat at a great heat the exterior pores are closed, and no grease penetrates it.
Mixing Ingredients.—Preciseness in the preparation of ingredients is an important element of success in cooking. Guessing at proportions is the practice of the lazy or indifferent cook.
New Iron Pots.—Boil a handful of grass in a new iron pot, then scrub it inside with soap and sand, fill it with clean water and let this boil half an hour. It is then ready to use for cooking.
Table of Approximate Weights and Measures.—The following table may be of use. It is near enough to accuracy for cooking purposes:—
Three teaspoonfuls = One tablespoonful.
Four tablespoonfuls = One wine glass.
Two wine glasses = One gill.
Two gills = One tumbler or cup.
Two cupfuls = One pint.
One quart sifted flour = One pound.
One quart powdered sugar = One pound, seven ounces.
One quart granulated sugar = One pound, nine ounces.
One pint closely packed butter = One pound.
Three cupfuls sugar = One pound.
Five cupfuls sifted flour = One pound.
One tablespoonful salt = One ounce.
Seven tablespoonfuls granulated sugar = One half pint.
Twelve tablespoonfuls flour = One pint.
Three coffee cupfuls = One quart.
Ten eggs = One pound.
Yeast.—A serviceable yeast for leavening bread may be made by mixing flour and cold water into a thin batter. Set it away in a bottle until it sours, when it is ready for use.