UNCOOKED FONDANT
Roll and sift the sugar if it is lumpy, making it as fine as possible. Beat the egg white just enough to break it up or pour into a bowl the desired amount of sweet cream, remembering that very little liquid will moisten considerable sugar. Add the sugar a little at a time, beating all the while, until a sufficient amount has been used to make the mixture dry enough to handle with the fingers. Then flavor and color in any desired way and make up as if it were fondant.
114. STUFFED DATES.--Dates from which the seeds have been removed and which have been filled with nuts or fondant or a combination of both are a confection that meets with much favor. The uncooked fondant is entirely satisfactory for this purpose, but if some of the other is on hand it will make an especially fine confection. Regardless of what is used for a filling, though, the preparation of such dates is the same.
First wash the dates in warm water and rinse them in cold water. Then, if there is time, spread them out in a single layer on a cloth and let them remain until they are entirely dry. Cut a slit in the side of each one with a knife and remove the seed. If nuts, such as English walnuts, are to be used for the filling, place half a nut meat in the cavity left by the seed and press the date together over it. In case fondant and nuts are to be used, chop the nuts and mix them with the fondant. Coconut may be used in place of the nuts if desired or the fondant may be used alone. Shape the fondant into tiny balls, press one tightly into the cavity left by the seed, and close the date partly over the filling. When all the dates have been stuffed, roll them in sugar, preferably granulated, and serve.
115. SALTED NUTS.--Nuts to which salt has been added are an excellent contrast to the sweet confections that have been described. At social gatherings, luncheons, dinners, etc., they are often served in connection with some variety of bonbon and many times they replace the sweet confection entirely. Peanuts and almonds are the nuts generally used for salting. If peanuts are to be salted, the unroasted ones should be purchased and then treated in exactly the same way as almonds. Before nuts are salted, they must first be browned, and this may be accomplished in three different ways: on the top of the stove, in the oven, and in deep fat. Preparing them in deep fat is the most satisfactory method, for by it all the nuts reach the same degree of brownness.
116.First blanch the nuts by pouring boiling water over them and allowing them to remain in the water until the skins can be removed; then slip off the skins without breaking the nuts apart if possible. Spread the nuts out on a towel to dry.
If the deep-fat method of browning them is to be followed, have in a small saucepan or kettle a sufficient quantity of cooking fat or oil.
Allow it to become as hot as for frying doughnuts or croquettes, place the nuts in a sieve, and fry them in the fat until they become a delicate brown. Pour them out into a pan, sprinkle them with salt, cool, and serve.
To brown nuts on top of the stove, heat a heavy frying pan over a slow fire and into it put a small amount of fat. Add the nuts and stir constantly until they are browned as evenly as possible. This part of the work requires considerable time, for the more slowly it is done the less likely are the nuts to have burned spots. Salt the nuts before removing them from the pan, turn them out into a dish, cool, and serve.
It is more difficult to brown nuts equally by the oven method, but sometimes it is desired to prepare them in this way. Put the nuts with a little fat into a pan and set the pan in a hot oven. Stir frequently until they are well browned, salt, cool, and serve.
[Illustration: FIG. 17]
[Illustration: FIG. 17]
117. ORIENTAL DELIGHT.--An excellent confection that can be prepared without cooking is known as oriental delight. It is composed of fruit, nuts, and coconut, which are held together with egg white and powdered sugar. When thoroughly set and cut into squares, oriental delight appears as in Fig. 17.
ORIENTAL DELIGHT
Wash all the fruits, put them together, and steam for about 15 minutes. Then put these with the coconut and nuts through a food chopper or chop them all in a bowl with a chopping knife. When the whole is reduced to a pulpy mass, beat the egg white slightly, add sufficient sugar to make a very soft paste, and mix with the fruit mixture. If it is very sticky, continue to add powdered sugar and mix well until it is stiff enough to pack in a layer in a pan. Press down tight and when it is set mark in squares, remove from the pan, and serve as a confection.
118. MARSHMALLOWS.--To be able to make marshmallows successfully is the desire of many persons. At first thought, this seems somewhat of a task, but in reality it is a simple matter if the directions are carefully followed. Upon being cut into squares, the marshmallows may be served plain or they may be coated with chocolate or, after standing several days, dipped into a warm caramel mixture.
MARSHMALLOWS
Soak the gelatine in one-half of the water for 5 minutes. Cook the sugar and the remaining water until it will spin a thread when dropped from a spoon. Remove from the fire and add the gelatine. When partly cold, add the salt and the flavoring. Beat with an egg whip, cooling the mixture as rapidly as possible, until it is light and fluffy. When the mixture is thick, add the corn starch slowly, working it in thoroughly. Then pour out on a flat surface that is well dusted with confectioner's sugar. Let stand in a cool place until thoroughly chilled. Cut in squares by pressing the blade of a knife down through the mass, but do not slide it along when cutting. Remove the pieces, dust on all sides with powdered sugar, and serve.
119. NOUGAT.--The confection known as nougat consists usually of a paste filled with chopped nuts. Both corn sirup and honey are used in the preparation of this candy. Generally it is merely flavored with vanilla, but if chocolate flavoring is preferred it may be added.
NOUGAT
Put the sugar, corn sirup, honey, and water together and cook until a temperature of 260 degrees is reached or a brittle ball will form in water. Beat the egg whites stiff and pour the mass slowly into them, beating constantly until the mixture grows stiff and waxy. Then add the vanilla and nut meats. Mix well and pour into a small box or pan lined with waxed paper. If chocolate is to be used for flavoring, add the desired amount just before pouring the mixture into the pan. When it has cooled sufficiently, cut in squares or slices.
120. CANDIED PEEL.--Another favorite confection and one that is much used in connection with candies for social functions is candied orange, lemon, and grapefruit peel. After being removed from the fruit, the peel should be well scraped and then cut into thin strips. In this form, it is ready to coat with sirup.
CANDIED PEEL
Remove the skin in quarters from the fruit, scrape off as much of the white as possible, and cut each piece of skin into narrow strips. Put these to cook in cold water, boil them until they may be easily pierced with a fork, and then drain off the water. Add the water to the sugar and cook until a thread will form when the sirup is dropped from a spoon. Add the cooked peel to the sirup and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and dredge in granulated sugar. Spread in a single layer to dry.
121. POP-CORN BALLS.--Pop corn in any form is always an attractive confection, especially to young persons. It is often stuck together with a sirup mixture and made into balls. In this form, it is an excellent confection for the holiday season.
To make pop-corn balls, first shell the corn and pop it. Then make a sirup with half as much water as sugar and cook it until it will spin a thread. Have the pop corn in a large bowl and pour the sirup over it, working quickly so that all the sirup can be used up while it is warm. To form the balls, take up a large double handful and press firmly together. If the sirup sticks to the hands, dip them into cold water so as to moisten them somewhat before the next handful is taken up. Work in this manner until all the corn is made into balls.
122. CRACKER JACK.--Another pop-corn confection that is liked by practically every one is cracker jack. In this variety, pop corn and peanuts are combined and a sirup made of molasses and sugar is used to hold them together.
CRACKER JACK
Put the popped corn and the peanuts together in a receptacle large enough to hold them easily. Cook the molasses and the sugar until the sirup spins a thread. Then pour this over the popped corn and peanuts and mix well until it becomes cold and hard.
123.The best time to serve candy is when it will interfere least with the digestion, and this is immediately after meals. A dish of candy placed on the table with the dessert adds interest to any meal. It should be passed immediately after the dessert is eaten.
Various kinds of bonbon dishes in which to serve candies are to be had, some of them being very attractive. Those having a cover are intended for candy that is to be left standing for a time, while open dishes should be used for serving. Fig. 18 shows candy tastefully arranged on a silver dish having a handle. Dishes made of glass or china answer the purpose equally as well as silver ones, and if a bonbon dish is not in supply a small plate will do very well. A paper or a linen doily on the dish or plate adds to the attractiveness, as does also the manner in which the candy is arranged.
[Illustration: FIG. 18: candies arranged on silver dish.]
[Illustration: FIG. 18: candies arranged on silver dish.]
CONFECTIONS
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) What are confections?
(2) Discuss the use of confections in the diet of children and adults.
(3) (a) What food substance is found in the largest proportion in candy? (b) Are candies high or low in food value?
(4) Discuss briefly the kinds and qualities of sugar and their uses.
(5) What is the value of glucose in candy making?
(6) What kinds of flavorings are the most desirable?
(7) What care should be exercised in the use of colorings in candy?
(8) (a) What acids are used in candy making? (b) Why are these acids used?
(9) Of what value are milk, cream, and butter in the making of candy?
(10) What may be said of the selection of a pan for cooking candy?
(11) (a) What methods are used for testing candies? (b) Which of these methods is the most accurate?
(12) (a) How should the mixture be poured out to cool when a creamy candy is being made? (b) To what point should the sirup be cooled before the stirring is begun?
(13) (a) How should chocolate be melted? (b) How should coating with chocolate be done?
(14) How should waxed paper be cut for wrapping candies?
(15) Discuss the ingredients generally used for taffy.
(16) On what do good results in caramel making depend?
(17) What should be guarded against in the making of all cream candies?
(18) (a) What is fondant? (b) How may fondant be stored for future use?
(19) How should dates be prepared for stuffing?
(20) What is the best time for the serving of candy?
1.Throughout the lifetime of every person there is constant need for solid food to preserve health and prolong life; and, just as such food is necessary to satisfy the requirements of the body, so, too, is there need for water. As is well known, the composition of the body is such that it contains more liquid than solid material, the tissues and the bones weighing much less than the liquid. A tremendous amount of this liquid is continually being lost through the kidneys, through each pore in the skin, and even through every breath that is exhaled, and if continued good health is to be maintained this loss must be constantly made up. This loss is greater in very hot weather or in the performance of strenuous exercise than under ordinary conditions, which accounts for the fact that more than the usual amount of liquid must be supplied during such times. So necessary is liquid refreshment that the body cannot exist without it for any great length of time. In fact, if the supply were cut off so that no more could be obtained, the body would begin to use its own fluids and death would soon occur. A person can live for many days without solid food, but it is not possible to live for more than a very few days without drink.
2.Nature's way of serving notice that the body is in need of liquid refreshment is through the sensation of thirst. Satisfying thirst not only brings relief, but produces a decidedly pleasant sensation; however, the real pleasure of drinking is not experienced until one has become actually thirsty.
The various liquids by which thirst may be slaked, or quenched, are known asbeverages. The first one of these given to man was water, and it is still the chief beverage, for it is used both alone and as a foundation for numerous other beverages that are calculated to be more tasty, but whose use is liable in some cases to lead to excessive drinking or to the partaking of substances that are injurious to health.
3.The beverages that are in common use may be placed in three general classes:alcoholic,stimulating, andnon-stimulating. The alcoholic beverages include such drinks as beer, wine, whisky, etc., some of which are used more in one country than in another. In fact, almost every class of people known has an alcoholic beverage that has come to be regarded as typical of that class. Alcoholic fermentation is supposed to have been discovered by accident, and when its effect became known it was recognized as a popular means of supplying a beverage and some stimulation besides. Under stimulating beverages come tea, coffee, and cocoa. These are in common use all over the world, certain ones, of course, finding greater favor in some countries than in others. With the exception of cocoa, they provide very little food value. In contrast with these drinks are the non-stimulating beverages, which include fruit punches, soft drinks, and all the milk-and-egg concoctions. These are usually very refreshing, and the majority of them contain sufficient nourishment to recommend their frequent use.
4.Many persons restrict the term beverages, contending that it refers to refreshing or flavored drinks. It should be remembered, however, that this term has a broader meaning and refers to any drink taken for the purpose of quenching thirst. Water is the simplest beverage and is in reality the foundation of nearly all drinks, for it is the water in them that slakes thirst. Flavors, such as fruit juice, tea, coffee, etc., are combined with water to make the beverages more tempting, and occasionally such foods as eggs, cream, and starchy materials are added to give food value; but the first and foremost purpose of all beverages is to introduce water into the system and thus satisfy thirst.
5. KINDS OF WATER.--Inasmuch as water is so important an element in the composition of beverages, every one should endeavor to become familiar with the nature of each of its varieties.
SOFT WATERis water that contains very little mineral matter. A common example of soft water is rainwater.
HARD WATERis water that contains a large quantity of lime in solution. Boiling such water precipitates, or separates, some of the lime and consequently softens the water. An example of the precipitation of lime in water is the deposit that can be found in any teakettle that has been used for some time.
MINERAL WATERis water containing a large quantity of such minerals as will go in solution in water, namely, sulphur, iron, lime, etc.
DISTILLED WATERis water from which all minerals have been removed. To accomplish this, the water is converted into steam and then condensed. This is the purest form of water.
CARBONATED WATERis water that has had carbon-dioxide, or carbonic-acid, gas forced into it. The soda water used at soda fountains is an example of this variety. Carbonated water is bottled and sold for various purposes.
6. NECESSITY FOR PURE WATER.--The extensive use made of water in the diet makes it imperative that every effort be exerted to have the water supply as pure as possible. The ordinary city filter and the smaller household filter can be depended on to remove sand, particles of leaves, weeds, and such foreign material as is likely to drop into the water from time to time, but they will not remove disease germs from an unclean supply. Therefore, if there is any doubt about water being pure enough to use for drinking purposes, it should be boiled before it is used. Boiling kills any disease germs that the water may contain, but at the same time it gives the water a very flat taste because of the loss of air in boiling. However, as is mentioned inEssentials of Cookery, Part 1, the natural taste may be restored by beating the boiled water with an egg beater or by partly filling a jar, placing the lid on, and shaking it vigorously.
7.About one-third of all the water required each day is taken in the form of beverages with the meals. It was formerly thought that liquids dilute the gastric juice and so should be avoided with meals. However, it has been learned that beverages, either warm or cold, with the exception of an occasional case, may be taken with meals without injury. The chief point to remember is that it is unwise to drink beverages either too hot or too cold. For the best results, their temperature should be rather moderate.
8.Foods that may be dissolved in water can be incorporated in a beverage to make it nutritious. With many persons, as in the case of small children and invalids, this is often the only means there is of giving them nourishment. In serving beverages to healthy persons, the food value of the meal should be taken into consideration. The beverage accompanying a heavy meal should be one having very little food value; whereas, in the case of a light meal, the beverage can be such as will give additional nutrition. For instance, hot chocolate, which is very nutritious, would not be a good beverage to serve with a meal consisting of soup, meat, vegetables, salad, and dessert, but it would be an excellent drink to serve with a lunch that is made up of light sandwiches, salad, and fruit.
9. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGESare made by allowing yeast to ferment the starch or the sugar in a certain kind of food, thus producing acid and alcohol. Grains and fruits are used oftenest for this purpose. In some cases, the fermentation is allowed to continue long enough to use up all the starch or sugar in the material selected, and in this event the resulting beverages are sour and contain a great deal of alcohol. In others, the fermentation is stopped before all the sugar or starch is utilized, and then the beverage is sweet and contains less alcohol. The higher the percentage of alcohol a beverage contains, the more intoxicating it is and the more quickly will a state of intoxication be reached by drinking it.
10. HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.--In years past, alcoholic beverages were considered to be a necessity for medicinal purposes in hospitals and in homes, but this use of them has been very greatly decreased. In fact, it is believed by most authorities that often more harm than good is done by using alcoholic beverages as a medical stimulant or as a carrier for some drug. As these drinks are harmful in this respect, so are they detrimental to health when they are taken merely as beverages. It is definitely known that alcohol acts as a food when it enters the body, for it is burned just as a carbohydrate would be and thus produces heat. That this action takes place very rapidly can be detected by the warmth that is produced almost immediately when the drink is taken. Some of it is lost through the breath and the kidneys without producing heat, and it also acts upon the blood vessels near the skin in such a way as to lose very quickly the heat that is produced. It is never conserved and used gradually as the heat from food is used. The taking of alcohol requires much work on the part of the kidneys, and this eventually injures them. It also hardens the liver and produces a disease known as hob-nailed, or gin, liver. In addition, if used continuously, this improper means of nourishing the body produces an excessive amount of fat. Because of these harmful effects on the various organs, its too rapid loss from the body, and the fact that it does not build tissue, alcohol is at best a very poor food and should be avoided on all occasions.
11. KINDS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.--In spite of the truth that beverages containing alcohol are found to be harmful, many of them are in common use. Following are the names of these, together with a short account of their preparation:
BEERis an alcoholic beverage made from certain grains, usually barley, by malting the grain, boiling the product with hops, and finally fermenting it with yeast. The malting of grains, it will be remembered, is explained inCereals. The hops are used to give the beer a desirable flavor. This beverage is characterized by a low percentage of alcohol, containing only 2 to 5 per cent., and consequently is not very intoxicating.
WINEis a beverage that is usually made from grapes, although berries and other small fruits are occasionally used. It contains from 7 to 16 per cent. of alcohol and is therefore more intoxicating than beer. The wines in which all of the sugar is fermented are known assour, ordry, wines, while those in which not all of the sugar has been fermented are calledsweet wines. Many classes of wines are made and put on the market, but those most commonly used are claret, sherry, hock, port, and Madeira.
BRANDYis an alcoholic liquor distilled from wine. It is very intoxicating, for it consists of little besides alcohol and water, the percentage of alcohol varying from 40 to 50 per cent. Upon being distilled, brandy is colorless, but it is then stored in charred wooden casks, from which it takes its characteristic color.
GINis a practically colorless liquor distilled from various grains and flavored with oil of juniper or some other flavoring substance, such as anise, orange peel, or fennel. It contains from 30 to 40 per cent. of alcohol. It is usually stored in glass bottles, which do not impart a color to it.
RUMis an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting cane sugar, molasses, cane juice, or the scum and waste from sugar refineries and then distilling the product. It contains from 45 to 50 per cent. of alcohol, and has a disagreeable odor when it is distilled. This odor, however, is removed by storing the rum in wooden receptacles for a long period of time.
CORDIALSare beverages made by steeping fruits or herbs in brandy.Absinthe, which is barred from the United States because it contains wormwood, a very injurious substance, is a well-known cordial. Besides being extremely intoxicating, it overstimulates the heart and the stomach if taken in even comparatively small quantities.
WHISKYis an alcoholic beverage obtained by distilling fermented grain several times until it has a strength of 40 to 50 per cent. of alcohol. Then it is flavored and stored in charred casks to ripen and become mellow, after which it has a characteristic color. As can readily be understood, distilled liquors contain the highest percentage of alcohol.
NATURE OF STIMULATING BEVERAGES
12. STIMULATING BEVERAGESare those which contain a drug that stimulates the nervous and the circulatory system; that is, one that acts on the nerves and the circulation in such a way as to make them active and alert. Common examples of these beverages are coffee, tea, and cocoa or chocolate. If the nerves are in need of rest, it is dangerous to stimulate them with such beverages, for, as the nervous system indirectly affects all the organs of the body, the effects of this stimulation are far-reaching. The immediate effect of the stimulant in these beverages is to keep the drinker awake, thus causing sleeplessness, or temporary insomnia. If tea and coffee are used habitually and excessively, headaches, dull brains, and many nervous troubles are liable to result.
13.The stimulant that is found in the leaves of tea is known astheine; that found in coffee beans,caffeine; and that found in cacao beans, from which cocoa and chocolate are made,theobromine. Each of these stimulants is extracted by the hot liquid that is always used to make the beverage. It is taken up by the liquid so quickly that the method used to prepare the beverage makes little difference as to the amount obtained. In other words, tea made by pouring water through the leaves will contain nearly as much of the stimulant as tea made by boiling the leaves.
14.In addition to the stimulant, tea and coffee containtannin, ortannic acid, an acid that is also obtained from the bark of certain trees and used in the tanning of animal hides in the preparation of leather. Tannin is not taken so quickly from tea and coffee by the hot liquid used in preparing the beverage as is the stimulant, so that the longer tea leaves and coffee grounds remain in the liquid, the more tannic acid will be drawn out. This fact can be detected by the bitter flavor and the puckery feeling in the mouth after drinking tea that has been allowed to remain on the leaves or coffee that has stood for some time on the grounds. Tannic acid has a decidedly bad effect on the digestion in the stomach, so that if improperly prepared tea or coffee is indulged in habitually, it may cause stomach disorders.
TABLE ISTIMULANT AND TANNIC ACID PRESENT IN STIMULATING BEVERAGES
TABLE ISTIMULANT AND TANNIC ACID PRESENT IN STIMULATING BEVERAGES
15.The quantity of stimulant and tannic acid contained in an ordinary cup of tea, coffee, and cocoa or chocolate is given in Table I. As this table shows, the quantity, which is given in grains, does not vary considerably in the different beverages and is not present in such quantity as to be harmful, unless these beverages are indulged in to excess.
To reduce the quantity of caffeine contained in coffee has been the aim of many coffee producers. As a result, there are on the market a number of brands of coffee that have been put through a process that removes practically all the caffeine. The beverage made from coffee so treated is less harmful than that made from ordinary coffee, and so far as the flavor is concerned this loss of caffeine does not change it.
16.Neither tea nor coffee possesses any food value. Unless sugar or cream is added, these beverages contain nothing except water, flavor, stimulant, and tannic acid. Chocolate and cocoa, however, are rich in fat, and as they are usually made with milk and sugar they have the advantage of conveying food to the system. Because of their nature, tea and coffee should never be given to children. Cocoa and chocolate provide enough food value to warrant their use in the diet of young persons, but they should not be taken in too great quantity because of the large amount of fat they contain. Any of these beverages used in excessive amounts produces the same effect as a mild drug habit. Consequently, when a person feels that it is impossible to get along without tea or coffee, it is time to stop the use of that beverage.
17. COFFEEis the seed of the coffee tree, which in its wild state grows to a height of 20 feet, but in cultivation is kept down to about 10 or 12 feet for convenience in gathering the fruit. Coffee originated in Abyssinia, where it has been used as a beverage from time immemorial. At the beginning of the 15th century, it found its way into Arabia, where it was used by the religious leaders for preventing drowsiness, so that they could perform religious ceremonies at night. About 100 years later it came into favor in Turkey, but it was not until the middle of the 17th century that it was introduced into England. Its use gradually increased among common people after much controversy as to whether it was right to drink it or not. It is now extensively grown in India, Ceylon, Java, the West Indies, Central America, Mexico, and Brazil. The last-named country, Brazil, furnishes about 75 per cent. of the coffee used in the United States and about 60 per cent. of the world's supply.
18.Coffee is a universal drink, but it finds more favor in some countries than others. The hospitality of a Turkish home is never thought to be complete without the serving of coffee to its guests; however, the coffee made by the Turks is not pleasant except to those who are accustomed to drinking it. As prepared in Turkey and the East, a small amount of boiling water is poured over the coffee, which is powdered and mixed with sugar, and the resulting beverage, which is very thick, is served in a small cup without cream. The French make a concoction known ascafé an lait, which, as explained inEssentials of Cookery, Part 2, is a combination of coffee and milk. These two ingredients are heated separately in equal proportions and then mixed before serving. This is a very satisfactory way in which to serve coffee if cream cannot be obtained.
19. OBTAINING THE COFFEE SEEDS.--The seeds of the coffee tree are enclosed in pairs, with their flat surfaces toward each other, in dark, cherry-like berries. The pulp of the berry is softened by fermentation and then removed, leaving the seeds enclosed in a husk. They are then separated from the husks by being either sun-dried and rolled or reduced to a soft mass in water with the aid of a pulping machine. With the husks removed, the seeds are packed into coarse cloth bags and distributed.
20. ROASTING THE COFFEE BEANS.--The next step in the preparation of coffee for use is the roasting of the coffee beans. After being separated from the husks, the beans have a greenish-yellow color, but during the roasting process, when they are subjected to high temperature and must be turned constantly to prevent uneven roasting, they turn to a dark brown. As the roasting also develops the flavor, it must be done carefully. Some persons prefer to buy unroasted coffee and roast it at home in an oven, but it is more economical to purchase coffee already roasted. In addition, the improved methods of roasting produce coffee of a better flavor, for they accomplish this by machinery especially devised for the purpose.
21. GRINDING THE COFFEE BEANS.--During the roasting process there is developed an aromatic volatile oil, calledcaffeol, to which the flavor of the coffee is due. This oil is very strong, but upon being exposed to the air it passes off and thus causes a loss of flavor in the coffee. For this reason, roasted coffee should be kept in air-tight cans, boxes, or jars. Before it is used, however, it must be ground. The grinding of the coffee beans exposes more surface and hence the flavor is more quickly lost from ground than unground coffee. Because of this fact and because ground coffee can be adulterated very easily, it is not wise to buy coffee already ground. If only a small quantity is bought at a time and it can be used up at once, the grinding may be done by the grocer, but even in such a case the better plan is to grind it immediately before using it.
22.The method by which the coffee is to be prepared for drinking will determine to a large extent the way in which the coffee beans must be ground. When coffee is to be made by a method in which the grounds are not left in the water for any length of time, the beans must be ground very fine, in fact, pulverized, for the flavor must be extracted quickly. For other purposes, such as when it is to be made in a percolator, the beans need not be ground quite so fine, and when it is to be made in an ordinary coffee pot they may be ground very coarse.
[Illustration: FIG. 1]
23.For use in the home, simple coffee mills that will grind coffee as coarse or as fine as may be desired are to be had. Fig. 1 shows two of the common types of home coffee mills.
The one shown in (a) is fastened to a board so that it can be attached to the wall. The coffee to be ground is put in the chambera, from which it is fed to the grinding rolls, and the ground coffee drops into the chamberb. The grinding rolls are adjusted to the desired fineness by the notched arrangement on the end of the shaft.
The coffee mill shown in (b) may be placed on a table top or some other flat surface, but it operates on the same principle as the other. The coffee beans are placed in the chamber at the top, and the ground coffee drops into the draweraat the bottom. The adjustment of the grinding rolls is regulated by the notched head at the end of the vertical shaft.
24. ADULTERATION OF COFFEE.--As in the case of numerous other foods, attempts are often made to adulterate coffee. Since the Pure Food Laws have been enforced, there is not so much danger of adulteration in a product of this kind; still, every housewife should be familiar with the ways in which this beverage may be reduced in strength or quality, so that she may be able to tell whether she is getting a good or an inferior product for her money.
Coffee may be adulterated in a number of ways. Ground coffee is especially easy to adulterate with bread crumbs, bran, and similar materials that have been thoroughly browned. Many of the cheaper coffees are adulterated with chicory, a root that has a flavor similar to that of coffee and gives the beverages with which it is used a reddish-brown color. Chicory is not harmful; in fact, its flavor is sought by some people, particularly the French. The objection to it, as well as to other adulterants, is that it is much cheaper than coffee and the use of it therefore increases the profits of the dealer. The presence of chicory in coffee can be detected by putting a small amount of the ground coffee in a glass of water. If chicory is present, the water will become tinged with red and the chicory will settle to the bottom more quickly than the coffee.
25. SELECTION OF COFFEE.--Many varieties of coffee are to be had, but Mocha, Java, and Rio are the ones most used. A single variety, however, is seldom sold alone, because a much better flavor can be obtained fromblend coffee, by which is meant two or more kinds of coffee mixed together.
It is usually advisable to buy as good a quality of coffee as can be afforded. The more expensive coffees have better flavor and greater strength than the cheaper grades and consequently need not be used in such great quantity. It is far better to serve this beverage seldom and to have what is served the very best than to serve it so often that a cheap grade must be purchased. For instance, some persons think that they must have coffee for at least two out of three daily meals, but it is usually sufficient if coffee is served once a day, and then for the morning or midday meal rather than for the evening meal.
[Illustration: FIG. 2]
After deciding on the variety of coffee that is desired, it is well to buy unground beans that are packed in air-tight packages. Upon receiving the coffee in the home, it should be poured into a jar or a can and kept tightly covered.
26. NECESSARY UTENSILS.--Very few utensils are required for coffee making, but they should be of the best material that can be afforded in order that good results may be had. A coffee pot, a coffee percolator, and a drip pot, or coffee biggin, are the utensils most frequently used for the preparation of this beverage.
27.If aCOFFEE POTis preferred, it should be one made of material that will withstand the heat of a direct flame. The cheapest coffee pots are made of tin, but they are the least desirable and should be avoided, for the tin, upon coming in contact with the tannic acid contained in coffee, sometimes changes the flavor. Coffee pots made of enamelware are the next highest in price. Then come nickel-plated ones, and, finally, the highest-priced ones, which are made of aluminum. The usual form of plain coffee pot is shown in Fig. 2.
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
28.PERCOLATORS are very desirable for the making of coffee, for they produce excellent results and at the same time make the preparation of coffee easy. Those having an electric attachment are especially convenient. One form of percolator is shown in Fig. 3. In this percolator, the ground coffee is put in the filter cupaand the water in the lower part of the potb. The water immediately passes into the chamberc, as shown by the arrows. In this chamber, which is small, it heats rapidly and then rises through the vertical tubed. At the tope, it comes out in the form of a spray, strikes the glass top, and falls back on a perforated metal platef, called the spreader. It then passes through this plate into the filter cup containing the grounds, through which it percolates and drops into the main chamber. The circulation of the water continues as long as sufficient heat is applied, and the rate of circulation depends on the degree of heat.
29.The DRIP POT, orcoffee biggin, as it is sometimes called, one type of which is shown in Fig. 4, is sometimes preferred for the making of coffee. This utensil is made of metal or earthenware and operates on the same principle as a percolator. The ground coffee is suspended above the liquid in a cloth bag or a perforated receptacle and the water percolates through it.
[Illustration: FIG. 4]
30.In case a more complicated utensil than any of those mentioned is used for the making of coffee, the directions that accompany it will have to be followed. But no matter what kind of utensil is selected for the preparation of coffee, it should be thoroughly cleaned each time it is used. To clean it, first empty any coffee it contains and then wash every part carefully and scald and dry it. If the utensil is not clean, the flavor of the coffee made in it will be spoiled.
31. METHODS OF MAKING COFFEE.--Several methods are followed in the making of coffee, the one to select depending on the result desired and the kind of utensil to be used. The most common of these methods are:boiling, which produces a decoction;infusion, orfiltration, which consists in pouring boiling water over very finely ground coffee in order to extract its properties; andpercolating, in which boiling water percolates, or passes through, finely ground coffee and extracts its flavor. For any of these methods, soft water is better than water that contains a great deal of lime. Many times persons cannot understand why coffee that is excellent in one locality is poor in another. In the majority of cases, this variation is due to the difference in the water and not to the coffee. From 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of coffee to 1 cupful of water is the usual proportion followed in making coffee.
32. BOILED COFFEE.--Without doubt, coffee is more often boiled in its preparation than treated in any other way. Usually, an ordinary coffee pot is all that is required in this method of preparation. The amount of ground coffee used may be varied to obtain the desired strength.