124 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Feb. 15 



HONEY FOR COOKING. 



An Fxperiment In Making Doughnuts with 

 Different Amounts of Honey and iugar. 



BY EMMA M. WILSON. 



After reading what was said about honey 

 doughnuts, p 34, Jan. 1, 1 concluded it might 

 be a good plan to try to see what could be 

 done. 1 made three different batches, and 

 am sending you samples of each. Batch No. 

 1 was made after this recipe: One cup hot 

 ma&hed potato; 2 tablespoonfuls of shorten- 

 ing; 1 egg; Yz cup honey; % cup sugar; 2 

 teaspoontuls baking powder; 1 saltsponn of 

 salt; Yz cup sweet milk; a little nutmeg. 



Make a cream of potato, shortening, hon- 

 ey, sugar, and beaten yolk of an egg; then 

 add the milk, nutmeg, and salt; lastly, add 

 the flour, in which the baking-powder has 

 been sifted, and the white of the egg beaten 

 stiff. 



It is hard to tell exactly how much flour 

 was used; but don't mix it very stiff at first; 

 then try frying a small piece of dough; and 

 if not enough flour, add a Uttle more until 

 they are just right. 



Batch No. 2 was made exactly like No. 1, 

 with the exception that one cup of honey 

 was used and no sugar. 



Batch No. '6 was tne same as No. 1, with 

 this difference: One cup each of honey and 

 sugar was used instead of >^ of each, and 

 two eggs instead of one. 



Now, when i came to fry them I found 

 this difficulty. I did not dare to keep the 

 lard nearl> as hot as when frying doughnuts 

 without honey. Tuey browned very quick- 

 ly, and would get too brown before they 

 were cooked through if the lard was kept 

 very hot. So I rolled them out thinner than 

 usual, which helped. None of them were 

 more than >2 inch thick before frying, and 

 most of them less. 



Now as to how these three different 

 batches were liked at our home 



The first batch, we all agreed, were good; 

 but Dr. Miller and myseif thought they 

 might be improved by being just a little 

 sweeter. Mrs Miller tnought not. Sne has 

 not quite as sweet a tooth as we have. 



Dr. Miller wanted some made entirely of 

 honey, hence the second batch. 



Mrs. Miller and I do not like them as well 

 as batch No. 1, and Dr. Miller thinks them 

 better. Perhaps there may be some preju- 

 dice in the case, because they are made of 

 honey. 



Batch No. 3 — too sweet for Mrs. Miller. 

 Dr. Miller and I think they are pretty good. 



As to the keepmg qualities of these dough- 

 nuts, I can say nothing as yt^t, as they were 

 baked only yesterday, Jan 17. I should ex- 

 pect tho.-e made with all honey to keep best. 



Now, Mr. Editor-, I am really very scrry for 

 your digestion if you have to sample ail the 

 doughnuts that are launched upon you; but 

 ph ase remember that you invited the catas- 

 trophe. 



Marengo, III. 



[Our own judgment in regard to these 

 doughnuts is practically the same as yours. 

 No I seems to have the best flavor. No. 2, 

 which is all honey, is much more moist, but 

 the flavor of honey is a little too prontunc- 

 ed, although some might like it for that very 

 reason. No. 3, having a large amount of 

 honey and sugar both, is too rich; and. be- 

 sides, the doughnut is comparatively dry and 

 hard. We have been making scme experi- 

 ments here, and it appears that a moderate 

 amount of honey and no sugar makes a soft- 

 er cake, and gives a flavor that is pleasing. 



We wish to suggest that you put away a 

 few of each kind and keep them for a month, 

 and then test them for iheir softness and 

 moisture. We should like it if you could re- 

 port to us again after, say, sixty or ninety 

 days. 



Apparently an excess of sugar and honey 

 makes the cake too dry and hard after it be- 

 gins to age. Honey used alone for sweet- 

 ening surely makes a softer cake. Some of 

 the very best doughnuts we have eaten were 

 very soft but only very mildly sweet. We 

 have not much of a "sweet tooth." and per- 

 haps this is why we like the smaller amount 

 of sweetening. 



The honey flavor in the doughnuts seems 

 to be that of some fall honey, and w e should 

 like to inquire whether you have t ver used 

 a mild honey like cl iver in making dough- 

 nuts. Alfalfa honey is fine for cooking, for 

 it does not have a strong flavor, and the 

 suggestion of mmt or cinnamon is quite 

 pleasing. — Ed.] 



DO BEES FLY IN A STRAIGHT LIVE AFT- 

 TER NECTAR? ARE THEY ATTRACT- • 

 ED BY SCENT OR SIGHT? 



Golden Italians Not Hardy. 



BY RALEIGH THOMPSON. 



I have made some close observations in 

 the last two years. My apiary is in a vailey 

 half .a mile wide, with hills all around except 

 on the west, where the unbroken country 

 expends for miles. I have traced my bees in 

 this direction tour miles. I know they were 

 my bet s for they were goldens, and the first 

 that were brought to this part of the S ate. 

 I will say right i.ere, howevtr. that I did not 

 keep the goldens long, as thty were not 

 hardy, and were tio much inchned to rob. 

 There is no strain of bees that goes ahead of 

 the leather-colored Italians. 



There is a very larrow valley running east 

 for about two miles. My apiary is south of 

 this about 300 yards, and is situated at the 

 foot of a hill with a narrow opening into the 

 valh y on the noi th. Now my bees go north 

 through this opening, then tui n t ast and fol- 

 low this valiey along the souti side and the 

 sumac on the hills at the upper end— that is, 

 at the east end. The val ey is veiy irregular 

 in outline, and I have watched my bees fol- 

 low this route for hours. The hills are cov- 

 ered with timber. 



