If the surface becomes mouldy, wipe it with a little warm water; the mouldy taste does not penetrate the mass.
If, after several days’ drying, it does not become so hard as you wish, put it into a bainmarie stew-pan, or milk-boiler, till it is evaporated to the consistence you wish; or, set the pots in a cool oven, or in a cheese-toaster, at a considerable distance from the fire: this is the only safe way of reducing it very much, without the risk of its burning, and acquiring an extremely disagreeable, acrid flavour, &c.
Obs. The uses of this concentrated essence of meat are numerous. It is equally economical and convenient for making extempore broths enumerated in the [Obs.] to [No. 200], sauces and gravies for hashed or stewed meat, game, or poultry, &c.
You may thicken it and flavour it as directed in [No. 329]; to make gravy, sauces, &c. take double the quantity ordered for broth.
If you have time and opportunity, as there is no seasoning in the soup, either of roots, herbs, or spice, boil an onion with or without a bit of parsley and sweet herbs, and a few corns of allspice, or other spice, in the water you melt the soup in, which may be flavoured with mushroom catchup ([No. 439]), or eschalot wine ([No. 402]), essence of sweet herbs ([No. 417]), savoury spice ([No. 421], or [No. 457]), essence of celery ([No. 409]), &c. or zest ([No. 255]); these may be combined in the proportions most agreeable to the palate of the eater, and are as portable as portable soup, for a very small portion will flavour a pint.
The editor adds nothing to the solution of this soup, but a very little ground black pepper and some salt.
N.B. If you are a careful manager, you need not always purchase meat on purpose to make this; when you dress a large dinner, you can make glaze at very small cost, by taking care of the trimmings and parings of the meat, game, and poultry, you use: wash them well, put them into a stew-pan, cover them with the liquor you have boiled meat in, and proceed as in the above receipt; and see [Obs.] on [No. 185].
Mem. This portable soup is a most convenient article in cookery; especially in small families, where it will save a great deal of time and trouble. It is also economical, for no more will be melted than is wanted; so there is no waste.
Nine pounds of neck of beef, costing 2s. 7 1/2d. produced nine ounces of very nice soup; the bones, when boiled, weighed ten ounces.
Half an ox-cheek, costing 1s. 9d. and weighing 14 3/4 pounds, produced thirteen ounces; but not so firm or clear, and far inferior in flavour to that obtained from a shin of beef.