HOME HELPS. 319 



eaten from the cob without further preparation, or after 

 being pared off with a knife, can be served up as peas. 

 There is a peculiar flavour in this green corn, not unlike 

 cooked oysters, to enjoy which is an acquired taste; but it is 

 very easily acquired, and few things are more nourishing. 

 In America vast quantities of the grain are put up in cans 

 in the same way as preserved meat and fruit, and it comes 

 into use while the corn is out of season. In Australia we 

 have had fresh green corn on the table during seven months 

 of the year. The white varieties are most in favour for 

 cooking : but all are good. 



Maize-Meal. To make the best meal or flour, the grain 

 must be dried in an oven until quite crisp, then, if there is 

 no grinding-mill handy, a hand-mill (sold by the iron- 

 mongers at from 2 to 4) answers very well. These 

 hand-mills make excellent meal ; they grind a bushel in an 

 hour, and last for years. Grind the corn coarsely at first 

 the work is too hard when the meal is ground fine at one 

 operation ; then screw up the mill as fine as may be desired, 

 and grind what will be necessary for not longer than a 

 week. It should always be fresh. 



Porridge. There are few things better than maize- 

 meal porridge for persons of weak digestion. It is also 

 good food for strong men. Boil the water, and pour in the 

 meal gradually through the fingers of one hand while 

 stirring with the other. It requires at least half-an-hour's 

 boiling, and is all the better of being boiled still longer. 

 Eut with milk, molasses, or butter. When cold, it forms 

 into a stiff mass that is excellent when fried. 



Puddings. They require four or five hours' cooking. 

 The meal makes up well with suet, eggs, milk, molasses, 

 currants, spices, or other pudding fixings. Stir the 

 ingredients into as much meal as may be desired, making 

 the whole into a stiff batter. L"t it stand a bit, and 

 prepare a pudding-cloth by first dipping in boiling water; 

 then dredge flour over it and put in thr pudding, tying it 

 so that water will not get in and make the pudding heavy. 

 Leave plenty of room for swelling maize-meal swells more 

 then Hour. Put the bag into boiling water, and do not let 

 it go off the boil until cooked. 



