THE CULTIVATOR. 
59 ' 
1847 , 
DOMESTIC ECONOMY. 
Yeast. —-The importance of yeast in domestic econo¬ 
my is well known. It consists of a variety of compo¬ 
nents ; and among others of acetic and malic acids, al¬ 
cohol, potash, lime, &c., but its essential and peculiar 
quality depends entirely on the presence of a portion of 
gluten or vegetable albumen, in a state of incipient de¬ 
composition. 
If a pure solution of sugar in water be excluded from 
the air, it remains perfectly unchanged for any length 
of time. But if an organic substance in a state of slow 
decomposition, as for instance yeast, be introduced, the 
particles of sugar also become affected, and participate 
in the change, and carbonic acid and alcohol are the result. 
After the yeast has converted a certain portion of the 
sugar compared with its own bulk, into alcohol, the 
yeast itself entirely disappears, and an additional quantity 
must be added to renew the fermentation. But when 
added to a mixture of flour with water, which contains 
gluten as well as sugar, a new portion of yeast is pro¬ 
duced by the decomposition of the gluten of the flour. 
Thus yeast reproduces itself, by inducing the vinous fer¬ 
mentation in substances containing gluten and sugar. 
Thus, in a brewery, the quantity of yeast continually 
increases. 
The presence of water is necessary for sustaining the 
properties of yeast; hence in a dried state it may be 
kept sometimes for months. Its action is also arrested 
by a temperature equal to that of boiling water, or 
greater ; hence the fermentation of dough is at once ar¬ 
rested by baking. Hence, also, in drying solid yeast for 
preservation, too great a heat will at once destroy it. 
In making bread, yeast operates in rendering it more 
light and porous, by the carbonie acid gas which is lib¬ 
erated, forming innumerable cavities of air in all parts of 
the loaf. A similar effect is produced in a more rapid 
degree, by the mixture of soda and tartaric acid or 
cream of tartar, and applying them in a dry state to the 
dough. Carbonic acid is abundantly liberated by the 
union of the acid and soda, and the bread or cake ren¬ 
dered very light ; and a similar result is finely produced 
in making buckwheat cakes, by using buttermilk and 
saleratus, the acid of the milk freeing the carbonic acid 
gas from the saleratus. 
Mode of Making Yeast. —The following mode, 
which is found very convenient in practice, was stated 
to us by a notable housewife. One quart of hops is 
boiled about three hours with about seven gallons of 
water ; after that the resulting liquid is passed through 
a cullender on three quarts of Indian meal, or so much 
that the mixture will be like batter. Hall - a tea-cup of 
salt is added, and when cooled to new milk warmth, 
half a pint of yeast. After stirring well, it stands 15 
or 20 hours, and Indian meal added till of the consist¬ 
ency of dough, when cakes, three inches in diameter and 
half an inch thick are made from it, and dried on a 
board by the fire ; much heat will destroy the yeast, and 
if,not dried in two or three days, fermentation will pro¬ 
ceed so far as to destroy it. These cakes will be good 
for three months ; one of them soaked half an hour in 
warm, not hot water, will be enough for a large loaf. 
The yeast prepared by the Hungarians is similar, 
and will keep, it is said, a whole year. During the 
summer season, they boil a quantity of wheat bran and 
hops in water ; the decoction is not long in fermenting, 
and when this has taken place, they throw in a suffi¬ 
cient portion of bran to form the whole into a thick 
paste, which they work into balls, and dry by a slow 
heat. T 
Humbugs—Preserving Tomatoes.— The publica¬ 
tion of untried experiments, with all the assumed assu¬ 
rance of actual truth, has beoome quite an evil. Some 
one has given directions for preserving tomatoes for 
winter use, by stewing and seasoning, and then sealing 
air-tight in small jars. This receipt has been copied 
and gone the rounds of the newspapers throughout the 
country. A very skilful housewife has tried it in the 
best and most careful manner, scrupulously observing 
all the particulars. On opening her jars early in win¬ 
ter, she found the tomatoes completely fermented, sour 
as vinegar, and of course good for nothing. T. 
Hommony. —This article is usually prepared by scald¬ 
ing the hardest and flintiest corn, and afterwards pound¬ 
ing and breaking it in a large mortar till the hulls are 
so loosened that they may be separated by winnowing. 
It is a slow and tedious process to prepare it in this 
manner, though when the excellence of the article is 
known, it will not be given up on this account. Mr. 
Bement has a mill in operation at his “Three Hills™ 
farm, which reduces corn to various degrees of fineness, 
and by being passed through sieves of different construc¬ 
tion, it is had either in the shape and size of “ samp™ or 
homminy, as is wished. In passing through the mill, 
most of the hulls are taken off, and by putting the crushed 
grain in water and stirring it, before the cooking is 
commenced, the loose hulls float, and may be skimmed 
off. We have tried some of this hommony, and find it 
equally as good as that made by pounding, excepting 
that it is not quite as clear of hulls. It is kept for sale 
by Laisdell, No. 9, South-Pearl street. 
Sour Krout. —A person who is familiar with the 
manufacture of this Article, so much esteemed by the 
Dutch and other people, whose taste has become habit¬ 
uated to it, has furnished us with the following, in re¬ 
gard to its preparation :—Select sound cabbages, which 
after having been divested of their outside leaves; must 
be cut fine; place in the bottom of the barrel or tub de¬ 
signed to receive it, a layer of about six inches in thick¬ 
ness, sprinkling on fine salt, at the rate of about a pint 
to the barrel; then pound it down with a stick prepared 
for the purpose, and add another layer, and pound down 
as before, and so on till the vessel is full. Put a weight 
on the top to press it down. The cabbage will form li¬ 
quor which will cover it. It is fit for use in four or five 
days, and w T ill keep through the winter. It is eaten 
cold, or heated through, and a little vinegar added. 
Receipt for Curing Hams. — 7 lbs coarse salt. 5 
lbs. brown sugar, 2 oz. salt petre, ■§ oz. pearl ash, 4 
gallons of w r ater. Boil all together and scum the pickle 
wffien cold. Put it on the meat. Hams to remain 
in 8 weeks'—beef 3 weeks. The above is for 100 lbs. 
weight. It is said that hams cured by this mode are of 
superior quality. It is called the u Newbold receipt,™ 
a person of that name in New-Jcrsey having, as it is 
said, attained great celebrity for the excellence of his 
hams, the mode of curing which was kept secret till af¬ 
ter his death. 
Curing Hams. —The following is the mode practiced 
by W. Stickney, of Boston, which has been much ad¬ 
mired. To every two quarts of a saturated solution of 
common salt, is added one ounce of summer savory, one 
of sweet marjoram, one of allspice, half an ounce of salt¬ 
petre, and one pound of brown sugar. The whole was 
boiled together, and applied boiling hot to the hams, 
which remained in the pickle three weeks. 
