Part 5

Stem, wash and mash enough currants to make a pint of juice. Cover and stand on ice for twenty-four hours. Strain through a bag, squeezing out all the juice possible. To each pint add one pound of granulated sugar, and boil for five minutes. Skim, if necessary, bottle in hot bottles, seal and store in a cool place.

GRAPE SYRUP (CRÉOLE RECIPE)

1 quart of plain syrup, 1 pint of grape juice (made at home), 1 pint of Catawba grape juice (commercial).

Wash, stem and seed the grapes; crush and set on ice for thirty-six hours. Strain through a bag, add the Catawba juice, and add that to the plain syrup, which should have been brought to the boiling point. Mix and boil together for five minutes. Strain, and when nearly cold, bottle and store.

LEMON SYRUP

4 pounds of sugar, 1 quart of water, 2 cupfuls of lemon juice.

Boil the water and sugar together for ten minutes, add the lemon juice, continue boiling for another five minutes, strain into hot bottles and store.

ORANGE SYRUP

1 pint of orange juice, ½ cupful of lemon juice, 1 quart of plain syrup (see recipe).

Bring the plain syrup to the boiling point, add the lemon and orange juice, continue to boil for five minutes. Strain into hot bottles and store in a cool place.

ORGEAT SYRUP (CRÉOLE RECIPE)

A very little of this syrup used in drinks where a mixture of fruits is used will be found most satisfactory.

1 pound of sweet almonds, 4 ounces of bitter almonds, 2 pounds of granulated sugar, 1 quart of soft water (distilled, if preferred), 1 lemon, 2 ounces of orange flower water.

Shell the almonds, and throw into _cold_ water, allowing them to stand until the skin will come off readily. Mash them, using a mortar, if possible, or an earthen dish; continue to crush and mash, adding a few drops of water and a little of the zest of the lemon, until the mixture is pastelike. Moisten this paste with half of the soft water, and squeeze as much as possible through a firm bag. Return the paste to the dish and add the rest of the water, stir, put into the bag again and again press all through the bag that is possible.

Bring the plain syrup to the boiling point; remove from the fire, stir the almond milk in thoroughly, return to the fire and bring again to the boiling point, allowing it to boil for five minutes. When cool, add the orange flower water; stir well, being sure that it is well blended. Strain again, and place in bottles; seal and store. It is well, however, to watch this and shake the bottles once in a while, especially if the almond oil has risen to the top.

ORANGE FLOWER SYRUP

1 pint of orange flower water, 1½ pounds of granulated sugar.

Put the sugar into a porcelain kettle with the orange flower water, stir until the sugar is dissolved, place on the fire and slowly bring to the boiling point. Remove from the fire, cool somewhat and bottle. Store in a cool place.

PEACH SYRUP

1 pint of peach juice, 1 pound of sugar, ½ teaspoonful of peach extract.

Peel the peaches by dropping them into boiling water for one minute, then the skin may be rubbed off, wasting none of the fruit at all. Cut the peaches in small pieces, crack a few peach stones and add to the fruit, placing all in a porcelain kettle; cover the bottom of the kettle with water and boil slowly for fifteen minutes, strain through a flannel bag, add one pound of sugar to each pint of juice and bring to the boiling point again, boil for five minutes; take from the fire, add the peach extract and bottle in hot bottles.

PINEAPPLE SYRUP

1 pint of pineapple juice, 1 quart of plain syrup, ⅛ cupful of lemon juice.

Peel the pineapple, remove the eyes, using a pineapple scissors if possible, for in that manner it is possible to remove _all_ the eye with the least amount of trouble. Wind a towel around the pines, and grate the pineapple on a coarse grater. Be sure to hold the pineapple over a porcelain kettle or dish while working with it, so saving all the juice. Heat a quart of plain syrup until it begins to boil, add the pint of pineapple juice, and boil for five minutes; take from the fire and add the lemon juice. Bottle while hot, using hot bottles. Seal and store in a cool place.

RASPBERRY SYRUP

1 pint of raspberry juice, 1 pound of sugar.

Pick all the stems from the berries and look them over very carefully as there are many little insects which like to hide in raspberries. Wash and mash thoroughly. Place on ice for twenty-four hours, strain through a bag and add one pound of sugar to each pint of juice. Bring this to the boiling point and boil for five minutes. Strain into hot bottles and seal. Keep in a cool place, preferably a dark one.

RASPBERRY AND CURRANT SYRUP

½ pint of raspberry juice, ½ pint of currant juice, 1 pound of sugar.

Remove the stems, and discard any imperfect berries, remove the stems and wash the currants; place in a bowl or porcelain kettle and mash thoroughly. Place on ice, closely covered with a fine cloth, for twenty-four hours. Strain through a bag and add one pound of granulated sugar to each pint of juice. Boil for five minutes and put in hot bottles. Seal the bottles and place in a cool dark place until ready to use.

STRAWBERRY SYRUP

1 pint of strawberry juice, 1 pound of sugar.

Select ripe berries only, but be sure that they are not overripe. Hull them, put them in a bowl or porcelain kettle, mash well, cover with a cloth and place on ice for ten hours. Strain through a bag, pressing out all the juice possible. To each pint of juice add one pound of granulated sugar, put over a slow fire, stir constantly, and when the boiling point is reached, skim and bottle while hot. Use hot bottles, seal and store in a cool dark place.

LIME SYRUP

1 pint of lime juice (use fresh limes), 1 quart of plain syrup.

Extract the juice from the limes; bring the plain syrup to the boiling point, add the lime juice, continue to boil for five minutes longer. Strain into hot bottles and seal. Store where it is both dark and cool.

CHOCOLATE SYRUPS

If one would be able to serve cold chocolate drinks at home which will rival those offered at the soda fountains, one must learn how to make chocolate syrups and keep them bottled for an emergency.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP (FOR BOTTLING)

1½ pounds of cocoa, 1½ pints of water, 1½ pounds of sugar, 1 teaspoonful of vanilla.

Heat the water until boiling, and use a little of it to moisten the cocoa, mixing it until smooth; add the sugar, and the rest of the water, stir carefully, being sure that the mixture is smooth, put over the fire and bring to the boiling point; boil for five minutes and pour into sterilized bottles. Seal and put away in a cool place.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP (FOR IMMEDIATE USE)

½ cupful of cocoa, 2 cupfuls of sugar, 1 cupful of boiling water, Vanilla.

Mix the cocoa and sugar, stir in a little of the water, mixing well to be sure that the mixture is smooth; then add the rest of the water, stir well and boil for five minutes. Add a half teaspoonful of vanilla and put into a pint jar until needed for the refreshing drink.

Two tablespoonfuls to each glass is about the right proportion when ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE SYRUP (MADE FROM UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE)

Because chocolate is somewhat richer than cocoa, many prefer it. The following recipe, easily made, will be found most satisfactory.

¼ pound of grated chocolate, 1 cupful of granulated sugar, 1 cupful of water, ½ teaspoonful of vanilla.

Grate the chocolate, add the sugar and then the hot water, mixing well. Bring to the boiling point, boil for ten minutes, and put in a cool place until serving time. A fruit jar is a most acceptable receptacle.

COFFEE SYRUP

¼ pound of Java coffee, ¼ pound of Mocha coffee, ½ gallon of water, 5 pounds of granulated sugar.

Grind the coffee, add the cold water and boil for five minutes; strain and add the sugar; boil up again, strain a second time and bottle while hot.

COFFEE SYRUP No. 2

½ cupful of powdered coffee, 3 cupfuls of boiling water, 3 tablespoonfuls of granulated sugar.

Use any coffee desired, although a mixture of Java and Mocha is recommended. Pulverize the coffee, pack it in the bag of a drip pot; pour the boiling water over it slowly, allow it to drip until the powdered coffee in the bag seems dry. Add the sugar, boil for five minutes and bottle while hot. Use hot bottles, and seal immediately.

CREAM SYRUP

½ pint of thick cream, ½ pint of milk, 1 pound of block sugar.

Pour enough hot water over the sugar to melt it, add the milk, stir until the sugar is dissolved and add the cream; mix well and it is ready for use.

SARSAPARILLA SYRUP

10 drops of oil of wintergreen, 10 drops of oil of sassafras, ½ ounce of fluid extract of liquorice, 5 pints of plain syrup.

Heat the plain syrup until the boiling point is reached, and stir in the essential oils. Bottle while hot.

VI—GRAPE JUICE, ROOT BEERS AND CIDER

GRAPE JUICE

As it is possible to purchase grape juice, either purple or white, in bottles, at prices which are not at all beyond reason, it is hardly necessary to make it at home, but if one has a few grapes which one desires to use for drinks and has not the opportunity to obtain the commercial product it may be made after the directions issued by the Department of Agriculture at Washington.

These directions follow.

TO MAKE GRAPE JUICE

Only clean, sound, well ripened, but not overripe, grapes should be used. These may be crushed and pressed either by hand or in an ordinary cider mill. If light colored juice is desired, the crushed grapes are put in a clean, well washed cloth sack and either hung up and twisted or grasped by two persons, one at either end, and twisted until the greater part of the juice is expressed. Then, in a double boiler or its equivalent, such as a large stone jar placed in a pan of hot water, so that the juice does not come in direct contact with the fire, the juice is gradually heated to a temperature of 180° to 200° F. The temperature should never be allowed to go over 200° F. It is best to use a thermometer; if none is available, however, the juice may be heated until it steams, but it should not be allowed to boil. It should be poured immediately into a glass or enameled vessel and allowed to settle for 24 hours; then the juice should be drained from the sediment and run through several thicknesses of clean flannel or through a conic filter made from woolen cloth or felt and fixed to a hoop of iron, so that it can be suspended wherever necessary. The juice is then poured into clean bottles, space being left at the top for the liquid to expand when heated. A good home substitute for the commercial pasteurizer is an ordinary wash boiler with a thin board fitted over the bottom on which the filled bottles are set. Ordinary glass fruit jars serve the same purpose equally well. The tubs should be filled with water within an inch or so of the tops of the bottles and heated until the water begins to simmer. The bottles should be taken out and sealed or corked immediately. Only new corks that have just been soaked in a temperature of about 140° F. should be used. It is well to take the further precaution of sealing the corks with paraffin or sealing wax to prevent the entrance of mold germs.

When red juice is desired, crushed grapes should first be heated to a temperature of not more than 200° F.; then strained through a clean cloth or drip bag, no pressure being used, and set away to cool and settle. The remaining procedure is the same for the red as for the light colored juice. Many people do not even take the trouble to let the juice settle after it is strained, simply reheating and sealing the vessels and setting them away in an upright position in a cool place where they will be undisturbed. If bottles are used, the corks should be sterilized and the necks of the bottles sealed with sealing wax. The juice settles, and when desired for use the clear liquid is poured off the sediment.

Any person familiar with the process of canning fruit can put up grape juice, for the principles involved are the same. Care should be taken not to sterilize the juice at a temperature higher than 195° F.; or the finished product will have a scorched taste. The bottles or jars should not be so large that when they are opened the juice will spoil before it can be used. Unfermented grape juice, properly made and bottled, will keep indefinitely if not exposed to the atmosphere or to infection of mold germs; when a bottle is once open, however, the contents, like canned goods generally, should be used as soon as possible. Unfermented juice may be made not only from all varieties of grapes, but also from some other fruits, such as apples, pears and cherries. Some berries also yield excellent juices.

GRAPE JUICE No. 2

Crush the grapes in a clean kettle with a wooden spoon and put them in a cloth sack or jelly bag. Twist the sack or press it until the juice has all come out. Put the juice in a double boiler over hot water until it steams. If a kettle is used, great care must be taken that the juice does not boil. Let the juice stand in an enamel kettle for 24 hours to settle. Run it through a flannel jelly bag and put into clean bottles. Leave space in bottle for the liquid to expand. Put the bottle in a sterilizer and fill the sterilizer with cold water until within an inch of the top of the bottles. Heat the water slowly until it is nearly simmering, take the bottles out and insert clean corks, and, as a final precaution it is advisable to dip the top of the cork in sealing wax or paraffin.

This makes a light colored juice. For a red juice, the grapes may be heated until just before the boiling point as in the first part of the process. It is not necessary to allow the juice to settle but it is much clearer if you do.

ROOT BEERS

GINGER BEER

2 ounces of ginger root, 2 ounces of cream of tartar, 1 lemon, 1½ pounds of granulated sugar, ¼ cake of compressed yeast.

Place the ginger in a large bowl, bruise and pound thoroughly; add boiling water, then the grated rind of the lemon and when stirred in, add the juice of the lemon. Now mix in the cream of tartar and the sugar; stir well, allow to cool until lukewarm; add the yeast which should have been dissolved in a little warm water. Mix all together, cover tightly and allow to stand for six hours. At the end of that time, strain and put into bottles having patent tops, unless one has a commercial “topper” which is most desirable. Keep in a cool place, for if kept warm or not securely corked the beer will effervesce.

ENGLISH GINGER BEER

This interesting recipe dates back to about 1840.

1½ ounces of ginger, 4 quarts of boiling water, 1 ounce of cream of tartar, 1 pound of sugar, 2 lemons, 1 cupful of yeast.

Pour the boiling water upon the ginger and the sugar (either brown or granulated may be used) add two lemons thinly sliced. Into this pour one cupful of good yeast and allow it to stand for twenty-four hours. Pour off carefully and put into bottles.

MAPLE BEER

4 gallons of boiling water, 1 quart of pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoonful of essence of spruce, 1 pint of yeast.

This recipe too, dates back to 1840.

Put in a large container, one quart of pure maple syrup, and add one gallon of boiling water and the spruce essence; allow this to stand until lukewarm, then add a pint of yeast, allowing it to stand twenty-four hours. Pour off carefully and bottle and seal.

ROOT BEER

½ cupful of commercial root beer extract, 5 pounds of sugar, 5 gallons of rain water, ¾ cake of compressed yeast.

Dissolve the yeast cake in a little warm water; mix the sugar and root beer extract together and add the water, which should be hot; allow this to stand until lukewarm and add the yeast cake; mix well, allow to settle and pour into bottles. If one owns patent top bottles they are easily handled. Fasten the stopper and store where it is cool. The beer will be ready for use after twenty-four hours.

It is not at all necessary to put this beer up in such quantities; just divide or subdivide the recipe.

SPRUCE BEER (CRÉOLE RECIPE)

2 quarts of water, ½ ounce of hops, ½ teaspoonful of ginger, ½ pint of Louisiana molasses, 4 tablespoonfuls of yeast, Sprigs of spruce.

Gather a handful of spruce sprigs, break and bruise, and steep in a little water until a strong essence is made.

Pour the water over the hops and the ginger and allow to boil; strain and add the molasses and essence of spruce. Cool until lukewarm and add the yeast. Cover tightly and stand away for twenty-four hours. Pour off carefully and bottle. Seal and store in a cool place. In two days the beer is ready for use.

One may gather the spruce sprigs as directed, or purchase the extract or essence of spruce, or steep the spruce gum.

BIRCH BEER

¼ pound of black birch bark, ½ ounce of hops, 1 teaspoonful of ginger, ½ compressed yeast cake, 1 pint of corn syrup, 3 quarts of water (soft or rain water).

Boil the birch bark in a quart of water until reduced a third; strain and set aside until the hops, syrup and ginger has boiled for twenty minutes. Strain and mix with the birch extract; when cooled until about lukewarm add the yeast cake dissolved in a little warm water. Cover tightly and stand away for twenty-four hours. Strain into bottles and cork well.

CIDER

It would seem unnecessary labor to make cider at home, unless, of course one lives on a farm and has many apples to dispose of after the selected apples are shipped or stored for winter use. And even in that event one is likely to take the apples to a community cider mill. But if there should be a time when one of my readers cares to try cider making at home it may be done with utensils found in every kitchen.

Be sure that there are no bruised or rotted spots on the apples to be used and wipe them carefully with a damp cloth. Cut them in pieces and run through a food grinder, placing a deep dish where it will catch _all_ of the juice. Place a fine cloth in a colander; pile the apple pomace (the ground apple) in it and pour all the juice in too. Fold the cloth over and place a heavy weight on top, pressing it often. When the juice or cider is pressed out, bottle and use. It should not be kept, as it becomes sour very quickly.

It is probably as economical to purchase the sweet cider as to use the time and the necessary apples to make the cider.

TO KEEP CIDER SWEET AND SPARKLING

(Date of recipe, 1845)

Let the new sweet cider ferment from one to three weeks according to whether the weather is cool or warm, longer if cool or one week if warm. When it has attained a lively fermentation, add to each gallon, according to its acidity, from one half to two pounds of sugar, and allow it to again ferment until the desired sweetness is reached. Pour out one quart of the cider and add for each gallon one-quarter ounce of sulphite of lime (anti-chloride). Stir the powder and cider until thoroughly mixed and return to the rest of the cider. Agitate well and briskly for a few minutes and then let the cider settle. The fermentation will cease at once. After a few days draw off the clear cider, bottle carefully, and cork well. Bottles with patent stoppers will be found most satisfactory.

TO BOIL CIDER

(Old New England recipe)

Use perfectly sweet cider, preferably not over two days old: boil until boiled down about half. Skim often, pour into hot bottles and cork tightly. Store in a cool place.

This may be used for drinks, by stirring two tablespoonfuls into a glassful of iced water.

VII—COLD MILK DRINKS, HOT MILK AND BUTTERMILK

SHAKES, NOGGS AND PUNCHES

While many do not care for milk as a drink, still milk in combination with syrups, eggs, malted milk, flavoring extracts or fruit juices will be found pleasing even to those who would not drink it plain. When one considers the amount of nourishment furnished by a glass of milk, it is well to serve it when possible, even disguised as a nogg or punch.

CHOCOLATE MILK

1 cupful of milk, ⅛ cupful of chocolate syrup (see syrups) (2 tablespoonfuls), Ice.

Use a cocktail shaker, put two tablespoonfuls of cracked ice in the shaker, add the chocolate syrup and the milk; shake well, strain into a tall glass and serve. It is wise to use an iced tea glass, as these glasses hold at least ten ounces, and as a measuring cup will hold eight ounces of milk, there is room for the ice and syrup.

CHOCOLATE, EGG AND MILK

1 cupful of milk, 1 egg, ⅛ cupful of chocolate syrup (2 tablespoonfuls), Ice.

Place all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, shake thoroughly and strain into a tall thin glass. There is enough nourishment in a drink of this sort to be used as a substitute for luncheon if one is too hurried to take time for a comfortable luncheon, slowly eaten.

COCOA NOGG

⅝ cupful of milk, ⅛ cupful of cocoa syrup (2 tablespoonfuls), 1 egg, Ice.

Separate the white and the yolk of the egg, whip the white until dry and stiff, put the yolk, ice, cocoa syrup and the milk into a shaker and shake well; pour about three-quarters of the mixture into a tall glass, pour the rest over the beaten white, stir it swiftly, and add to the mixture in the glass.

CHOCOLATE CREAM FLOAT

For each service use:

2 tablespoonfuls of chocolate syrup, ½ cupful of milk, ¼ cupful of thick cream, Powdered sugar, Vanilla.

Multiply this recipe by the number of persons to be served, making the full amount, serving in glasses as desired.

Select attractive glasses, narrow, tall, stemmed glasses are the best; fill them nearly to the top with finely cracked ice, put two tablespoonfuls of chocolate syrup into each glass, add a half cupful of milk; fill with stiffly whipped cream. When whipping the cream add enough powdered sugar to make it slightly sweet and stir in a few drops of vanilla.

CHOCOLATE SHAKE