Boil one quart of Irish potatoes in three quarts of water. When done, take out the potatoes, one by one, on a fork, peel and mash them fine, in a tray, with a large iron spoon, leaving the boiling water on the stove during the process. Throw in this water a handful of hops, which must scald, not boil, as it turns the tea very dark to let the hops boil.
Add to the mashed potatoes a heaping teacupful of powdered white sugar and half a teacupful of salt; then slowly stir in the strained hop tea, so that there will be no lumps. When milk-warm add a teacupful of yeast and pour into glass fruit jars, or large, clear glass bottles, to ferment, being careful not to close them tightly. Set in a warm place in winter, a cool one in summer. In six hours it will be ready for use, and at the end of that time the jar or bottle must be securely closed. Keep in a cold room in winter, and in the refrigerator in summer. This yeast will keep two weeks in winter and one week in summer. Bread made from it is always sweet.—Mrs. S. T.
Irish Potato Yeast.
1 quart of potatoes, boiled and mashed fine.
1 teaspoonful of salt.
½ teacup of sugar.
Put two cups of flour in a bowl, and pour over it three cups of strong hop-water, scalding hot, and stir it briskly.
Then put all the ingredients in a jar together, and when cool enough, add a cup of yeast, or leaven.
Set it by the fire to rise.
It will be ready for use in five or six hours.—Mrs. E.