222 Dutch Processes in regard to the Arts and Science^, 



in vinegar, have the most agreeable taste ; those macerated 

 cold always retain a green taste, and are not so tender as 

 the former. 



" Red cabbages, which are exceedingly fine in this 

 country, and particularly in Belgium, are prepared in the 

 same manner as the white cabbages arc for saucr kraut ; they 

 are delicious food, and preferable to the real chou croute. I 

 think it needless to describe the process, as it is so well 

 known in France; but it is applied here to red cabbage, and 

 even to turnips, as is jjractiscd in some countries of Ger- 

 man v. 



" 'J'he potatoes here are of a very fine kind, and will keep 

 throughout tlie whole year; we cat them even in the spring 

 time and summer, yet they do not appear to have lost any 

 part of their quality: instead of keepins; them in cjellars 

 during that season when the frosts arc to be apprehended, 

 the Dutch spread them out in a barn; thev partly become so 

 dry, that the germ cannot be developed. To boil them, 

 they put them into a large kettle, taking care to add no 

 more water than is sufiieient, when reduced into vapour, to 

 penetrate each tubercle, and to separate the farinaceous 

 inolecul:e. By this method they are ahvays good. This 

 practice, as vou have proved in your works, has a great in- 

 fluence on their qualitv. 



'^ The Dutch are accustomed to preserve the root of the 

 ginger, and the calamus aromaticus ; in this state thev are 

 much employed as a tonic ; they are used in particular after 

 dinner, and in the evening. 



" To prepare them, they pick and clean the roots, free 

 them from the rind, and cut them into pieces about an inch 

 in length ; they then boil water in a bason, throw the roots 

 into It for some time, in order that they may become soft and 

 Jose some of their acridity: when sufficiently tender, they 

 are carefully taken out and suffered to drain on a sieve. This 

 operation is called bleaching:^ syrup, of a good consistence, 

 is then made with sugar, in which the roots arc suffered to 

 macerate for twenty-four hours; next day the whole is placed 

 over the fire, and gently boiled till the roots arc well dilated, 

 and impregnated with the sacchojine matter. The vessel in 

 ■which this operation is performed, the object of which is to 

 render them very tender, ought to be well closed, that the 

 evaporation of the aqueous liquid may be effected only with 

 difficulty: the whole is then left at rest for twelve hours, 

 taking the vessel from the fire on the third day. The syrup 

 is thei> concentrated, ai»id brought to a strong consistence : 

 the preserve is afterwards put into vessels of glass or of 

 1 earthen 



