1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



403 



Hard Gingerbread. 



One and one-half cups of white sugai", one-half 

 cup of butter, one-half cup of sweet milk, one- 

 half teaspoon soda, one of crcain tartar, one egg, 

 ginger to suit the taste, or nutmeg and cinnamon. 

 Knead in fiour enough to make a very hard dough, 

 and roll out to the thickness of pic-crust. 

 Pudding. 



Two cups of flour, one of chopped suet, one of 

 raisins, or any other dried fruit, one egg, two ta- 

 blespoonfuls of molasses, one teaspoonful of soda, 

 one cup of new milk, spice to suit the taste, steam 

 one and one-half hours. Eat with liquid sauce. 

 Imitation Corn Starch Pudding. 



One quart of milk, and a little salt. Thicken one- 

 third of the milk to quite a thick, smooth paJstc, 

 with flour; add two eggs well beaten, andstirinto 

 the remainder of the milk, when it boils. To be 

 eaten cold with cream and white sugar. 



Dudley, Mass., 1867. A Farmer's "Wife. 



Mr. Editor : — As I feel quite interested in read- 

 ing the receipts, and have tried some which ap- 

 pear in your paper from time to time, I thought I 

 would send a few which certainly belong to 

 "Household Economy," but I consider them good 

 enough for use sometimes. 



Brown Bread. 



Among the receipts for brown bread, I find none 

 which suits me any better than mine. I do not 

 think sweetening improves the bread enough to 

 pay for the molasses used. 



I prefer mixing at night. For two loaves, I take 

 five pints of Indian meal, nearly the same of rye, 

 full two-thirds of a cup of yeast (I like "Ruby's" 

 way of making yeast very much ;) mix with warm 

 water. In summer I use cool water. In the ex- 

 treme hot weather of last summer I took cold wa- 

 ter. When I do not mix at night, I scald the In- 

 dian meal, and use warm water. 



Indian Griddle Cakes. 



Two cups of sweet milk, the same of sour, one 

 teaspoonful of soda, salt; one-third flour, two- 

 thirds Indian meal ; mixing a little thicker than 

 Avhen all flour is used. The flour sifted from the 

 meal will make them better, if any one has a fine 



sieve. 



Molasses Cake. 



Two cups of buttermilk, one cup of molasses, 

 ono teaspoonful of soda, a little salt, flour enough 

 to make a batter not so thick but it will run. I 

 sometimes vary this with ginger or caraway seed. 



Veppcrell, Mass., 1837. Hannah. 



ABOUT CURRANTS. 

 Currants Preserved. 

 Take ripe currants free from stems ; weigh 

 them, and take the same weight of sugar ; put 

 a teacup of sugar to each pound of it ; boil the 

 syrup until it is hot and clear ; then turn it 

 over the fruit ; let it remain one night ; then 



set it over the fire, and boil gently until they 

 are cooked and clear ; take them into the jars 

 or pots with a skimmer ; boil the syrup until 

 rich and thick, then pour it over the fruit. 

 Currants may be preserved with ten pounds of 

 (ruit to seven of sugar. Take the stems from 

 seven pounds of the currants, and crush and 

 press the juice from the remaining three 

 pounds ; put them into the hot syrup, and boil 

 until thick and rich ; put it in pots or jars, and 

 the next day secure as directed. 



Currant Jelly. 



Pick fine, red, but long-ripe currants from 

 the stems ; bruise them and strain the juice 

 fi-om a quart at a time through a thin muslin; 

 wring it gently to get all the liquid ; put a 

 pound of white sugar to each pound of juice ; 

 stir it until it is all dissolved ; set it over a 

 gentle fire ; let it become hot, and boil for fif- 

 teen minutes ; then try it by taking a spoonful 

 into a saucer ; when cold, if it is not quite 

 firm enough, boil it for a few minutes longer. 

 Jelly. — Another Receipt. 



Put your currants in a bell-metal kettle and 

 scald them well ; when cool press them through 

 a sieve, getting out all the juice, (be careful 

 not to allow any skin or seeds to pass through 

 the sieve,) measure the juice and put it back 

 again into the kettle and let it boil hard for 

 five or six minutes, skimming it well ; then 

 add while on the fire boiling one pound of 

 sifted loaf sugar to every pint of juice ; stir it 

 till dissolved, which it will be in a few minutes ; 

 it oitght not to boil after the sugar is in, all 

 that is necessary is to have it well dissolved, 

 and then it is done and rewdy to put in the 

 tumblers. It tastes much more of the fruit, 

 and is a beautiful light color. Will keep for 

 years if necessary. 



Currant Jam of all Colors. 



Strip your currants and put them into your 

 pan, with three-quarters of a pound of sugar 

 to a pound of fruit ; add your sugar after your 

 fruit has boiled a few minutes ; boil all" to- 

 gether, mashing your fruit with a wooden 

 spoon ; boil all gently for half an hour, then 

 fill your jars. 



Currant Wino. 



Dissolve eight pounds of honey in fifteen 

 gallons of boiling water, to which, "when clari- 

 fied, add the juice of eight pounds of red or 

 white currants ; then ferment for twenty-four 

 hours ; to every two gallons add two pounds of 

 sugar, and clarify with whites of eggs. 



Black Currant Vinegar. 

 _ To four pounds of fruit, very ripe, put three 

 pints of vinegar ; let it stand three days ; stir 

 occasionally; squeeze and strain the fruit. 

 After boiling ten minutes, to every pint of 

 juice add one pound of lump sugar. Boil 

 twenty minutes. 



Currant and Gooseberry Compoto. 

 Put one quart of red currant juice to five 

 pounds of loaf sugar ; set it on the fire, and 



