1868 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
299 
TIME IMTOKHCm 
For oilier Household Items , see “ Basket” pages.) 
Sea-side Fare—The Crab. 
Though related to the lobster, the crab is a very 
different looking animal, and at first sight the 
points of resemblance are not very manifest. The 
crab seems to be all body, while in the lobster that 
part popularly called the “tail” predominates. In 
order to represent the-crab fairly, we give two 
engravings, one showing the upper side, and ftie 
other the lower side. Viewed from above, fig. 1, 
we see that which corresponds to the body part of 
the lobster, with the mouth and eyes in the center 
of the rounded edge. The sides of this portion 
end in two sharp points. Turning the crab over, 
we see in fig. 2, how the legs are attached. The two 
forward ones are, as in the lobster, enlarged to 
form claws or nippers, while the rear pair are thin 
and broad, to aid the animal in swimming, and are 
called “flippers.” The part corresponding to the 
“tail” of the lobster is very small and inconspicu¬ 
ous in the crab, and is closely bent under the body, 
as seen in the engraving. It has 
much the appearance of the “tuck” 
of a pocket-book. In the female, the 
eggs are carried under this “ apron.” 
Crabs are caught in shallow water by 
means of nets, and in deep water by 
baitiug a net stretched over a hoop 
with meat, which is quite as good 
for this purpose if it has passed the 
point at which it is fit for food. 
Sometimes a long line is set, with 
bait placed at intervals, and the 
fishermen pass along the line in a 
bbat, and remove the crabs that have 
taken hold by means of a hand-net. 
"When taken from the water, the 
crab is of a dull olive green, with 
some blue about the claws; it 
is very lively and pugnacious, and capable of 
giving a severe nip with the claws. Taken up 
by the flippers, or by the portion between them, 
the animal is unable to inflict injury when handled. 
The crab may be regarded as a delicacy, or luxury, 
rather than an article of substantial food. It is 
more tenacious of life than the lobster, and will 
live for a number of days in moist sea-weed. It is 
cooked by being plunged into boiling salted wa¬ 
ter, and after cooking for twenty minutes, is taken 
up and cooled, when it is ready to be eaten. The 
boiling converts the olive coloring of the shell to a 
bright scarlet, while the white portions become 
still whiter. To eat the crab requires some patience, 
and a hungry man had better take some other food, 
and pick at the crab after his hunger is mainly satis¬ 
fied. In eating the crab, the claws are removed 
and cracked, and afford a nice bit. The legs arc 
generally rejected, though some like to munch 
them for the little meat they contain. By a pull, 
placing the thumbs at the mouth, the upper shell 
is separated from the lower portion, which contains 
the meat. The gills, some fringe-like, pnegtable 
looking bodies, are removed, and then the remain¬ 
ing part is broken up by the fingers. The meat is 
found enclosed in tough, elastic membranes, which 
answer to the crab for bones, and has to be picked 
out. "When served in the rough (aw naturel), the 
meat is eaten as it is picked out. When crabs are 
served at the table, the meat is carefully picked out, 
and with the addition of the “ coral ” (spawn) from 
the female, as well as the yellow fat, chopped and 
dressed with whatever seasoning may be fancied— 
oil, vinegar, mustard, pepper,etc.,—and then filled 
into the upper shell,which has been properly cleaned. 
Another way is, to pick out 
the meat as above, warm it 
up in a saucepan with but¬ 
ter, bread crumbs, and sea¬ 
soning; fill the shells and 
put bread crumbs over, then 
place for a few minutes 
in a hot oven until of a 
good brown, and serve hot. 
Soft-shelled Ckabs are 
among the high-priced deli¬ 
cacies found in our city 
markets and restaurants. 
The crab, enclosed iu its 
firm coat, cannot increase 
in size, so iu the spring of 
the year it manages to shed 
its shell completely, claws 
and all, even divesting it¬ 
self of stomach and other 
interior portions. Iu this 
condition, it is a poor, 
defenceless thing, covered only by a tender skin, 
and being quite incapable of offering the least 
resistance to an enemy, it conceals itself iu a 
hole or under some protection. Shore people tell 
us that at this season they always find a hard crab 
ready to act as a defender of the soft-shelled one. 
During this defenceless condition the animal makes 
its growth, the shell gradually hardens, and it 
comes out a new edition, “ enlarged and corrected.” 
It is in their soft-shelled condition that the crabs 
possess their greatest value, and the trade in them 
in the season is of considerable magnitude. The 
softer the crab, the more valuable it is ; in a few 
Fig. 2. —UNDEK SIDE OF EDIBLE CKAB. 
days after shedding, the skin becomes tough, and 
it is known as a “leather-back.” In the New 
York market soft-shelled crabs seldom sell for less 
than one dollar a dozen, and often higher. Like 
the others, they are always cooked alive. The crab 
is first dipped in beaten egg, then covered with 
powdered cracker, after which it is put, with all 
the cracker that will adhere, into an abundance of 
hot fat. The crab dies instantly, and is cooked un¬ 
til the cracker becomes of a good brown. Good 
either hot or cold. In this state all of the animal is 
eaten, except some tough portions about the mouth. 
Several other species of crab are found along our 
coast; these are very interesting to the naturalist, 
but few of them are of value as food. A kind 
called the “stone crab” is often caught in the nets 
of the fishermen in winter, and kept in a “car” 
until it sheds its shell, when it is eaten. A very 
small crab is found as a guest of the oyster, en¬ 
closed within its shells. These-crabs are about the 
size of large spiders, and resemble them somewhat. 
The oystermen save them and sell them to those who 
are fond of them stewetj like oysters and eaten entire. 
Fig. 1. —EDIBLE CKAB, ONE-THIKD SIZE. 
Household Talks. 
BY AUNT HATTIE. 
I have just been bottling the ginger beer that I 
made yesterday. We are all fond of it and find it 
very refreshing this sultry weather. It is made as 
follows : Pour into a vessel upon the fire 2 gallons 
of spring water. While it is coming to a boil, mix 
well together 3 lbs. of white sugar, 2 ounces of 
bruised ginger, 2 ounces of cream of tartar, the 
grated rind of one and the juice of two lemons. 
As soon as the water boils, stir in the mixture, and 
let it simmer for twenty minutes or half an hour. 
Set to cool in a large crock, and when nearly cold, 
spread a small piece of bread with a little good 
yeast, and place to float on the surface of the beer. 
Bottle the next day, securing the cork firmly. Only 
good strong bottles should be used. This is rather 
an extravagant luxury for a large family, and some¬ 
times I reduce the expense by using less sugar, and 
a little cream of tartar, but my reputation for mak¬ 
ing excellent ginger beer suffers in consequeuce. 
My plums look delicious, certainly. I pride my¬ 
self on my plum preserve. There is a great differ¬ 
ence between the unbroken luscious fruit so tempt¬ 
ingly surrounded by its natural juice, as I make it, 
and the brown, burnt looking mass of jam I some¬ 
times find at the tables of some of my friends. The 
large blue plum and greengages I generally bottle. 
Damsons, when done up lb. for lb., will keep per¬ 
fectly in crocks or jars, and as they require nearly 
or quite that amount of sugar to make them palat¬ 
able, I prefer to do them up in this way, as I can 
always find plenty of fruits and vegetables to fill 
all the self-sealing bottles I have. My method, 
however, of extracting the juice is the same in all 
cases. Procure ajar or crock that will go into the 
oven. Proportion the sugar to be used, wipe and 
stem the fruit. Place a layer on the bottom of the 
vessel and sprinkle well with some of the sugar, 
another layer of plums and sugar, until the crock is- 
full. Cover and place in a moderately heated oven, 
allowing them to remain for ten or twelve hours. 
It will do no harm to take the jar out occasionally, 
if the oven is needed or should be too hot. I usu¬ 
ally put mine in about tea time, and by the next 
day they are ready for the final doing up. Sepa¬ 
rate juice and plums by a colander, put the juice 
into a brass or porcelain kettle, (on no account use 
a tin or iron, as the color will be spoiled), adding 
the sugar not used the evening before, and place 
upon the stove. If I am using the blue plum or 
greengage, as soon as the syrup has well boiled I 
put in the fruit, and when it boils perfectly, bottle 
and immediately put on the lid securely. With 
damsons the syrup should be simmered and skim¬ 
med until no more scum will rise; then the fruit 
should be added, and the whole boiled slowly 
for thirty or forty minutes, when they may be 
poured into small jars or crocks as convenient. 
Black currant jam may be made in this way; this 
fruit does not require quite so much sugar however. 
The jam is excellent for colds, and some persons 
are fond of it in tarts or as a table sweetmeat. 
We use so much sponge and rich cake that for 
some time I have been thinking that I must adopt 
a cheaper kind for every day use, both because eggs 
and butter are so dear, and because I think that 
a plainer kind would be far healthier for us, the 
children especially. Last baking day I tried the 
experiment, and made a very palatable cake from 
the cheapest materials. Even Edward, who is 
rather fastidious, ate some of it, and when asked 
for an opinion, said it would do. Place two tea¬ 
cups of brown sugar in the cake bowl, with one 
teacup of lard and a half teacup of earraway seeds. 
After mixing to a foam, add two teacups of sour 
milk, and stir well again; sift with the flour 1 
tablespoonful of baking powder; about 4 teacups 
of flour may be needed, perhaps 5. When the flour 
is well blended in, add 1 teaspoonful of soda pre¬ 
viously dissolved in a little water. Bake in a well- 
larded tin for at least an hour iu a moderate oven. 
The peach season will soon be at its flight, and I 
