The white film that often gathers around grapes is a breeding place for diphtheria germs. Wash thoroughly before eating all fruits which have been stored in houses or at the market. Do not prepare more raw food than can be eaten at one meal. Never allow it to stand after it is cut.
Many housekeepers think it important to scald their dishes, but do not know that it is far more important to sterilize or reboil cooked foods which have stood on the shelf for 18 to 24 hours and sometimes longer. Such foodstuff is dangerous long before the process of fermentation can be detected by the sense of smell or taste.
Some foods begin to undergo changes immediately after cooling; therefore, cooked foods left over, with the exception of a few, should be reboiled before serving again. Rice or other cereals should be stirred over the fire for a while and then baked in the oven until they are thoroughly sterile. The care of milk has been discussed in the chapter on food. Soups which are preserved with fat will keep wholesome for several days without reboiling. Fruits and fruit juices should not stand longer than 24 hours. Eggs are best preserved in bran or lime water or on ice if kept for a week or longer.
PRESERVATION OF EGGS FOR THE WINTER.
Put one layer of common salt or bran one inch deep on the bottom of a wooden pail or washtub. Then grease the eggs with paraffin or oil and place them with the small end down, so that they will not touch the bottom of the tub. Fill with enough salt to cover the eggs one inch.
PRESERVATION OF EGGS. No. 2.
Preserve the eggs with salicylic acid, which can be bought in the drug store. Follow directions on package.
DISHWASHING.
Dishwashing is a work which takes up so much time in every household, that it is a subject which should receive some attention.
The housekeeper who serves a considerable amount of raw food saves much time and strength by relieving herself of greasy dishes and saucepans.