ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE. 289 



the water to soak into all the crevices — 

 say six hours — then pour in water to re- 

 place what has sunk away. Seal up the 

 can, and all is done. Canned in this way, 

 peaches retain all their freshness and 

 flavor. 



There will not be enough water in them 

 to render them insipid. If preferred, a 

 cold syrup could be used instead of pure 

 water, but the peaches taste more natural 

 without any sweet. 



PEAS, Green, to Preserve.— When full 

 grown, but not old, pick and shell the 

 peas. Lay them on dishes or tins in a 

 cool oven, or before a bright fire; do not 

 heap the peas on the dishes, but merely 

 cover them with peas, stir them frequent- 

 ly, and let them dry very gradually. 

 When hard, let them cool, then pack them 

 in stone jars, cover close, and keep them 

 in a very dry place. When required for 

 use, soak them for some hours in cold 

 water, till they look plump before boiling; 

 they are excellent for soup. 



PICCALILLI, Indian Method. — This 

 consists of all kinds of pickles mixed and 

 put into one large jar — sliced cucumbers, 

 button onions, cauliflowers, broken in 

 pieces. Salt them, or put them in a large 

 hair sieve in the sun to dry for three days, 

 then scald them in vinegar a few minutes ; 

 when cold put them together. Cut a 

 large white cabbage in quarters, with the 

 outside leaves taken off and cut fine; salt 

 it, and put in the sun to dry three or four 

 days ; then scald it in vinegar, the same 

 as cauliflower ; carrots, three parts, boiled 

 in vinegar and a little bay salt. French 

 beans, radish, pods, and nasturtiums, all 

 go through the same process as capsicums, 

 etc. To 1 gallon of vinegar put 4 ounces 

 of ginger bruised, 2 ounces of whole white 

 pepper, 2 ounces of allspice, ^ ounce 

 chillies bruised, 4 ounces of turmeric, 1 

 pound of the best mustard, y z pound of 

 shallots, 1 ounce of garlic, and yi pound 

 oi bay salt. The vinegar, spice, and 

 other ingredients, except the mustard, 

 must boil half an hour; then strain it into 

 a oan, put the mustard into a large basin, 

 with a little vinegar ; mix it quite fine and 

 free from lumps, then add more. When 

 well mixed put it into the vinegar just 

 strained off, and when quite cold put the 

 pickles into a large pan, and the liquor 

 over them; stir them repeatedly, so as 

 to mix them all. Finally, put them into 



*9 



a jar, and tie them over first with a blad- 

 der, and afterwards with leather. The 

 capsicums want no preparation. 



POTATOES, Storing. — Potatoes should 

 not be exposed to the sun and light any 

 more than is necessary to dry them after 

 digging them from the hill. Every ten 

 minutes of such exposure, especially in 

 the sun, injures their edible qualities. The 

 flesh is thus rendered soft, yellowish or 

 greenish, and injured in flavor. Dig them 

 when dry, and put them in a dark cellar 

 immediately and keep them there till 

 wanted for use, and there would not be so 

 much fault found about bad quality. This 

 is also a hint to those grocers and market- 

 men who keep their potatoes in barrels in 

 the sun — that is, if they wish to furnish 

 their customers with a good article. 



POTATOES, To keep from sprouting. 

 — To keep potatoes intended for the use 

 of the table from sprouting until new pota- 

 toes grow, take boiling water, pour into a 

 tub, turn in as many potatoes as the water 

 will cover, then pour off all the water, 

 handle the potatoes carefully, laying up in 

 a dry place on boards, only one layer 

 deep, and see if you do not have good 

 potatoes the year round, without hard 

 strings and watery ends caused by growing. 



PUMPKINS, Drying. — Take the ripe 

 pumpkins, pare, cut into small pieces, 

 stew soft, mash and strain through a col- 

 ander, as if for making pies. Spread this 

 pulp on plates in layers not quite an inch 

 thick ; dry it down in the stove oven, kept 

 at so low a temperature as not to scorch 

 it. In about a day it will become dry and 

 crisp. The sheets thus made can be 

 stowed away in a dry place, and they are 

 always ready for use for pies or sauce. 

 Soak the pieces over night in a little milk,, 

 and they will return to nice pulp, as deli- 

 cious as the fresh pumpkin. The quick, 

 drying after cooking prevents any portioa 

 from slightly souring, as is always the case 

 when the uncooked pieces are dried ; the 

 flavor is much better preserved, and the 

 after cooking is saved. 



RAIN-WATER, To Keep Sweet.— -The 

 best way to keep rain-water sweet in a 

 cistern, is to first collect it in a tank, and 

 filter it into the cistern below the surface. 

 This will remove the organic matters, 

 and prevent fermentation. Care should 

 also be taken to prevent surface drainage, 

 into it. 



