No. 1. The coating of small articles, of the better sorts, excludes the air. It is a mixture of gelatine with treacle, applied when hot, and which when exposed to the air becomes hardened, yet elastic as india-rubber. See Note, No. 12.
No. 2. The smoking with different sorts of fuel exerts a considerable influence on the flavour and preservation of the articles so treated; for example, the mutton of the Ardennes forest, Belgium, which owes its superiority to the juniper bushes with which it is dried and smoked. And again, kippered salmon smoked with cedar-wood, at the request of some of our wealthy Jew families, is excellent, though rather expensive.
No. 3. The spicing of bacon was adopted some years since, and chiefly in Ireland, to hide the inferior quality of the meat.
No. 4. Bay salt is far preferable to common salt for curing meats and fish, but the expense deters many persons from using it, except in small quantities. The rock, or mineral salt of Cheshire, is equal in all respects to the bay salt of commerce, and I have long used it with the greatest success. Common salt leaves a bitter smatch on all food cured with it after being long kept. See Note, No. 12.
No. 5. There is no remedy for over-salted provisions. You may, indeed, cut them into slices and lay them in water, but this only affects the outsides of large pieces, as hams, &c. If I had a ham that I suspected of being over salted, I should put it in an old bag, and bury it in my garden for a week or more, according to size.
No. 6. Rubbing large joints of meat over with a profusion of common salt, and letting them lie, to “draw out the blood,” as it is termed, is contrary to all reason, for away goes the chief part of the flavour and nutriment.
No. 7. Sprats are so different in their animal construction as to be easily detected from genuine fish—Gorgona anchovies. The Armenian bole, often made use of to colour the sauce, has very properly been exposed and condemned.
No. 8. Pure olive oil will preserve meat and fish, after it has been cured, for a long time; but oils drawn from lard and other spurious imitations, will not fail to hasten their decay. The oil should never be heated, when used for this purpose.
No. 9. Subjecting meats to a water-bath is not to be resorted to. I was shown a specification previous to the taking out of a patent (in France, by a French gentleman) to cure the more expensive sorts of fish. The first part of the process proposed, was subjecting the fish to a water-bath, first for three hours, and, changing the water, then to two hours further immersion in warm water. I, of course, entered my protest against such unreasonable treatment. I am sure I could not conjecture what became of both flavour and nutriment after so long immersion.
No. 10. Meats to be boiled, and particularly fish, must be put into boiling water, and after being kept up to the boiling point fifteen minutes or so, let them only simmer until done.