HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MONTHLY 



HOM e: making 



MISS HKLKN A. HAUKIiVlAN, DeinonKtratiuli Aeeilt 



Home Economics Club of Southampton 



The following shows one of the activ- 

 ities of the Study Group in Southampton. 

 It is hoped this winter that other towns 

 may form groups and carry on a partic- 

 ular line of study. 



When you get ready to plan next 

 winter's work with the women of your 

 town, see if the Farm Bureau has some- 

 thing that you can use to help solve 

 their household problems. 

 Here's to Home Economics 

 Modern, progressive and live 

 Gladly, all housewives instructing 

 Helping along every line. 

 Teaching of food conservation 

 How we must save here and there, 

 That our brave fellows in khaki 

 May have a good bill of fare. 

 Now if our meals must be wheatless 

 Something as nice may be found; 

 Substitutes, fine and delicious 

 In plentiful measure abound. 

 Tho nice roasts of beef are denied us 

 They tell us a nut roast is fine, 

 That meat lovers need not go hungry 

 Nor should they one moment repine. 



* * * * 



Think of our dairy products 

 And every one certain to please, 

 Use milk, with eggs, rice and tomatoes 

 Or make into cottage cheese. 

 Flour we have in abundance 

 They make it from rye and from rice 

 Of common potatoes and barley 

 In certain foods, all proving nice. 

 You know we can live without candy, 

 Be well if we never see cake 

 Here also, be glad we are helping 

 In this war for humanity's sake. 

 » * * * 



To can any product we're raising 



We feel fully competent now 



One of our ladies we're hearing 



Has canned, would you think it, a Cow! 



Whenever we feel like complaining 



We'll think of the boys "Over There," 



And know where releasing our foodstuffs 



To them are providing a share. 



So what if our days may be meatless 



And wheatless and sweetless as well, 



Bravely privations enduring 



We'll not for a moment rebel. 



If one thing is scarce, take another 



From petty complain live above 



We must feed many men Over Yonder 



We'll not scrimp the brave fellows we 



love. 



* * * * 



So keep up the good work, my sisters, 

 We'll assist you with tongue and with 



pen. 

 Open our houses when needed, 

 Will help you again and again. 



Mrs. Clarke, Southampton. 



Fruit Butters 



i The cheapest fruit products are the 



I butters, since they can be made from the 

 imperfect fruits and require little sugar. 

 Apples, grapes, peaches and plums all 

 make delicious butter. 



In making butters from grapes, peaches 

 and plums cook the fruits in a small 

 quantity of water until the fruits are in 

 pieces; rub through a sieve or colander 

 to remove seeds and skins. Return the 

 pulp to the cooking vessel and cook with 

 constant stirring until it begins to thick- 

 en; then add sugar as follows: Grapes, 

 one-tenth the weight of fruit used; 

 peaches, 11 pounds of sugar for each 

 peck of fruit; plums, the same as for 

 peaches, unless fruit is acid, in which 

 case the amount of sugar will have to 

 be increased. Continue to cook until 

 butter is quite thick, add ground cin- 

 namon and cloves to taste, and fill while 

 hot into sterilized glass jars and seal at 

 once. 



Apple Butter. — Wash the apples and 

 remove all decay and worm holes. Cut 

 into quarters, place in cooking vessel, 

 add cider to cover, and cook at boiling 



j temperature until fruit falls to pieces. 

 Rub through colander or sieve to remove 

 peeling, cores and seeds. Return to fire 

 and cook with constant stirring until it 



I begins to thicken. If a spread is desired 

 add sugar at the rate of 4 to 6 pounds 

 per bushel of apples used. If a relish 

 is desired omit the sugar. Continue 

 cooking until the desired consistency is 

 obtained. Add ground cinnamon and 

 cloves to taste, fill into sterilized contain- 

 ers and seal at once. If cider is avail- 

 able a quart of boiled cider may be added 

 at the time of returning the pulp to the 

 fire. If the cider is not at hand start the 

 cooking with a little water, — 4 quarts 

 to 1 bushel of apples, — and proceed as 

 directed. 



A bushel of fair grade of apples, and 

 the cider from a bushel of cider apples, 

 will make between 3 and 4 gallons of 

 finished product. This is an excellent 

 substitute for the rich jellies and pre- 

 serves, and should be used in every home. 



M. .4. C. 



Sugar Saving in Preservation 



1. Do not make heavy syrups — use 

 1 part sugar to 4 parts water (20'^/r 

 syrup). 



2. Soups are good with com syrup 

 substituted for one-half the sugar. 



3. Put up fruit without sugar. 



4. Dry fruits. See Farmers' Bulletin 

 984 on "Drying." 



5. Make no jams or jellies unless 4 

 to ^ as much sugar as pulp is used. Can 

 the fruit instead. 



Preservi tion of Foods 



Fruits and vegetables may be dried in 

 the home by simple processes and stored 

 for future use. Drying should not re- 

 place canning but may supplement this 



1 method of preserving food. When can- 

 ning is not feasible, cans or jars too 

 expensive, drying may be used, for dried 



I products can be stored in receptacles not 

 suitable for canning. Drying also affords 

 a way of saving portions of food that 

 are too small for canning. 



There are two satisfactory methods 

 for home drying: 



1. Sun drying. 



2. Kitchen stove drying. 



Sun Drying: — The drying of fruits 

 and vegetables in the sun is a simple 

 process, if products are properly pi-e- 

 pared. Spread the prepared slices of 

 food materials on old pieces of clean 

 muslin or a tray, and put in a sunny 

 place out of doors. Bright, hot, sunny 

 days are needed for this work, and care 

 should be taken to protect the products 

 from rain or dew. Cover trays with 

 mosquito netting or cheesecloth during 

 the day to prevent insects from getting 

 on the products. Once or twice a day, 

 the slices may be turned, taking out the 

 ones that have dried. Take the trays 

 indoors at night. When the trays are 

 placed in the sun, one end should be 

 slightly higher than the other so that 

 the sun can reach all products. Trays 

 made of strips of narrow lumber can be 

 made cheaply. 



Kitchen Stove Drying: — The kitchen 

 stove oven can be used as a drier. The 

 products are placed on wire trays, in 

 I pie tins, or baking pans and placed in 

 the oven with the doors left slightly ajar 

 to permit escape of moisture and circu- 

 lating of air. The oven should not be 

 too hot for this or the products will be- 

 come scorched. Driers can easily be 

 made that suspend from the ceiling over 

 the kitchen stove, and may be used while 

 cooking is going on. A makeshift drier 

 I of small meshed wire bent at each end to 

 ' form edges to support the drying surface 

 can be used on the top of the stove. 

 Spread the products on top of this, and 

 with careful watching, good results will 

 be obtained. 



GENERAL DIRECTION.S FOR DRYING 



1. Use products that are fresh, young 

 and perfectly clean. Cleanliness is ab- 

 solutebj necessnri/. 



2. Shred or cut the fruits or vegeta- 

 bles in thin slices but care not to get 

 them too thin. 



3. Blanch all vegetables. The time 

 I for blanching varies from 1 minute to 

 I Concluded on page 6 



