DUCKS AND GEESE 



the skin or rubbing the body with moistened hands 

 will partially remove them. 



Usually geese are scalded or steamed for picking. 

 For steaming a wash boiler three-quarters full of 

 boiling water and with a burlap sack tightly 

 stretched over its top can be used. The goose is 

 simply laid on the sack and the steam coming 

 through the burlap steams the feathers and makes 

 them easy to remove. The breast should be steamed 

 first, then the back and then each side. Two or three 

 minutes will be time enough to complete the steam- 

 ing. The feathers are steamed until they pull out 

 easily. The goose must be kept moving to prevent 

 the flesh from becoming scalded and since the breast 

 is especially tender it is usual to lay the head under 

 the breast to prevent the latter from scalding. After 

 steaming the body feathers are removed and the 

 bird is then singed over a flame furnished by alcohol 

 burned in shallow tin plates, in order to remove the 

 down. The down may also be removed by sprink- 

 ling powdered rosin over the goose's body which is 

 then dipped into hot water. The hot water melts 

 the rosin which sticks to the down and the down and 

 rosin can then be rubbed off together. 



Geese may also be steamed by scalding slightly in 

 hot water and then wrapping tightly in burlap or 

 some other cloth. They are kept wrapped for about 

 five minutes which allows the steam to work thor- 

 oughly through the feathers which can then be 

 plucked easily. 



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