Stock is regularly prepared by taking fresh meat (cracking the bones and cutting the meat into small pieces) and covering it with cold water. Put it over the fire and simmer or boil gently until the meat is very tender. Some cooks say, allow an hour for each pound of meat. Be sure to skim carefully. When done take out meat and strain your liquid. It will frequently jelly, and will keep in a cold place for several days, and is useful for gravies, as well as soups.
A FINE SOUP. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Take good soup stock and strain it. When it boils add cracker balls, made thus: To one pint of cracker crumbs add a pinch of salt and pepper, one teaspoonful parsley, cut fine, one teaspoonful baking powder, mixed with the crumbs, one small dessert spoon of butter, one egg; stir all together; make into balls size of a marble; place on platter to dry for about two hours; when ready to serve your soup put them into the stock; boil five minutes.
ROAST BEEF SOUP. MRS. W. C. BUTCHER
To a good loin roast add six tablespoons of vinegar and small piece of butter; salt and pepper; stick six cloves in the roast; sprinkle two tablespoons of cinnamon and sift one cup of flour over it. Put in oven in deep pan or kettle with a quart of boiling water; roast until it is about half done and then strain over it three-fourths of a can of tomatoes; finish roasting it and when done add celery-salt to suit the taste, and one cup of sweet cream and some catsup, if preferred.
BEAN SOUP. MRS. H. F. SNYDER.
To one quart of beans add one teaspoon of soda, cover with water, let boil until the hulls will slip off, skim the beans out, throw them into cold water, rub with the hands, then remove the hulls; drain, and rub until all hulls are removed; take two quarts of water to one quart of beans, boil until the beans will mash smooth; boil a small piece of meat with the beans. If you have no meat, rub butter and flour together, add to the soup, pour over toasted bread or crackers, and season with salt and pepper. Add a little parsley, if desired.
BOUILLON. MRS. W. C. DENMAN.
Take three pounds of lean beef (cut into small pieces) and one soup bone; cover with three quarts of cold water, and heat slowly. Add one tablespoon of salt, six pepper corns, six cloves, one tablespoon mixed herbs, one or two onions, and boil slowly five hours. Strain, and when cold, remove the fat. Heat again before serving, and season with pepper, salt, and Worcester sauce, according to taste.