1302. To preserve Green Currants.—Currants may be kept fresh for a year or more, if they are gathered when green, separated from the stems, put into dry, clean junk bottles, and corked very carefully, so as to exclude the air. They should be kept in a cool place in the cellar.
1303. Walnut Ketchup.—Take half a bushel of green walnuts, before the shell is formed, and grind them in a crab mill, or beat them in a marble mortar; then squeeze out the juices through a coarse cloth, and wring the cloth well to get all the juice out, and to every gallon of juice put a quart of red wine, a quarter of a pound of anchovies, the same of bay salt, one ounce of allspice, two of long or black pepper, half an ounce of cloves and mace, a little ginger and horse-radish, cut in slices; boil all together till reduced to half the quantity; pour into a pan; when it is cold bottle it, cork it tight, and it will be fit to use in three months. If you have any pickle left in the jar after your walnuts are used, to every gallon of pickle put in two heads of garlic, a quart of red wine, an ounce each of cloves and mace, long, black, and Jamaica pepper, and boil them all together, till it is reduced to half the quantity, pour it into a pan, and the next day bottle it for use, and cork it tight.
1304. To discover if Bread is adulterated with Alum.—Make a solution of lime in aquafortis, and put a little of this solution into water, in which you have steeped the bread suspected to contain alum. If such should be the case, the acid, which was combined with the alum, will form a precipitate or chalky concretion at the bottom of the vessel.
1305. To preserve Biscuit from Putrefaction.—To preserve biscuit a long time sweet and good, no other art is necessary than stowing it, well baked, in casks exactly caulked, and carefully lined with tin, so as to exclude the air; at the same time the biscuit must be so placed as to leave as little vacant room as possible in the cask; and when the same is opened through necessity, it must be speedily closed again with great care.
1306. A good Yeast.—Put into one gallon of water a double-handful of hops;—boil them fifteen or twenty minutes, then strain off the water while it is scalding hot; stir in wheat flour or meal till it becomes a thick batter, so that it will hardly pour;—let it stand till it becomes about blood-warm, then add a pint of good lively yeast, and stir it well; and then let it stand in a place where it will be kept at a temperature of about seventy degrees Fahrenheit, till it becomes perfectly light, whether more or less time is required; and then it is fit for use;—or if it is desired to keep a portion of it, let it stand several hours and become cool; and then put it into a clean jug and cork it tight, and place it in the cellar, where it will keep cool; and it may be preserved good, ten or twelve days, and even longer.