ANSWERS TO QUERIES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 17, 23 April 1892, Page 434

ANSWERS TO QUERIES.

Vinegar (‘ Sour apple ’). —What adreadful ncm de plume you have adopted ! It sets my teeth ou edge ! 1 feel inclined to tell you to use your own name for vinegar. Do change it. But now for your recipe. Take apples, pears, or any juicy fruit, crush them well ; to two bushels of fruit take four gallons of boiling water and pour over the fruit, and put in a warm place for a week. Strain off impurities as they arise. At the end of that time strain it through a strong thick towel, pressing the pulp. Put the juice in a cask or jar ; put in a pint of yeast and a bit of biead. Let the jar be quite full. Put the bung in loosely and throw over it a piece of flannel. Set it m a warm place for a month or six weeks, and bottle. A vinegar plant is the cheapest way to get vinegar. Parsley Jelly (Dorothy L.). —Take as much fresh young parsley as your jelly-pan will conveniently hold, and wash it well ; then pick it—that is, remove the stalks and any withered leaves. When peifectly nice put it in the jelly pan and Hatten it a little, and then put it in water about one inch less than will, cover the parsley, and half a teaspoonful of alum. Put it on the fire and boil for half an hour. Put it through a pointed jelly bag without pressure. Now measure the juice, and to each large bieakfast cupful add one pound of sugar. Boil a quarter of an hour, and put in jars for use. Always count the time preserves boil from the time when they are boiling all over.

‘Birdie.’—For creamed potatoes, pare and chop the potatoes and put them in a hot spider in which a little butter has been melted. Cover closely, aftei seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook slowly until they are browned through, stirring occasionally. Five minutes before serving add half a cupful of milk or cream to each quart of potatoes, stiiring frequently until taken up. ‘Emilie.’ —There are various recipes for potato cakes. Some grate the potato, some boil it, using it either cold or hot. One of the best recipes for a cake is to peel and grate sufficient potatoes to make one cupful ; mix it well with two cups of plain Hour, one of sugar, and a little Havouring and cut lemon peel, one-and-a half spoonsful of bakingpowder, and sufficient milk to make it tolerably moist. Another recipe is made of cold potatoes, very well mashed up so as to be absolutely free from lumps. Add to one cupful of the potatoes half a-cup of butter. Break over it one egg and beat well, then add another, beat well, then a third (I always beat them with my hand), then a cup of soft sugar, and a little fruit. Mix—but this should be done before you get your handin the eggs—half a-teaspoonful of carbonate of soda and a whole spoonful of cream of tartar well together, rub thoroughly into one cup of Hour, add the flour to the mixed eggs, etc., and bake in a well buttered tin in a moderate oven. If the eggs are not veiy large a little milk may be necessary.