Enquire Within Upon Everything Part 177

2300. Making Coffee.

In making Coffee, observe that the broader the bottom and the smaller the top of the vessel, the better the coffee will be.

2301. Turkish Mode of Making Coffee.

The Turkish way of making coffee produces a very different result from that to which we are accustomed. A small conical saucepan something like our beer-warmer, with a long handle, and calculated to hold about two tablespoonfuls of water, is the vessel used. The fresh roasted berry is pounded, not ground, and about a dessertspoonful is put into the minute boiler; it is then nearly filled with water, and thrust among the embers. A few seconds suffice to make it boil, and the decoction, grounds and all, is poured out into a small cup, which fits into a bra.s.s socket, much like the cup of an acorn, and holding the china cup as that does the acorn itself. The Turks seem to drink this decoction boiling, and swallow the grounds with the liquid. We allow it to remain a minute, in order to leave the sediment at the bottom.

It is always taken plain; sugar or cream would be thought to spoil it; and Europeans, after a little practice, are said to prefer it to the clear infusion drunk in France. In every hut these coffee boilers may be seen suspended, and the means for pounding the roasted berry are always at hand.

2302. Coffee Milk.

(FOR THE SICK-ROOM.)--Boil a dessertspoonful of ground coffee, in nearly a pint of milk, a quarter of an hour, then put into it a shaving or two of isingla.s.s, and clear it; let it boil a few minutes, and set it by the side of the fire to clarify. This is a very fine breakfast beverage; but it should be sweetened with sugar of a good quality.

2303. Iceland Moss Chocolate

(FOR THE SICK-ROOM).--Iceland moss has been in the highest repute on the Continent as the most efficacious remedy in incipient pulmonary complaints; combined with chocolate, it will be found a nutritious article of diet, and may be taken as a morning and evening beverage.

_Directions_.--Mix a teaspoonful of the chocolate with a teaspoonful of boiling water or milk, stirring it constantly until it is completely dissolved.

2304. Alum Whey.

A pint of cow's milk boiled with two drachms of alum, until a curd is formed. Then strain off the liquor, and add spirit of nutmeg, two ounces; syrup of cloves, an ounce. It is useful in diabetes, and in uterine fluxes, &c.

2305. Barley Water.

Pearl barley, two ounces; wash till freed from dust, in cold water.

Boil in a quart of water a few minutes, strain off the liquor, and throw it away. Then boil the barley in four pints and a-half of water, until it is reduced one half.

2306. Agreeable Effervescent Drink for Heartburn, &c.

Orange juice (of one orange), water, and lump sugar to flavour, and in proportion to acidity of orange, bicarbonate of soda about half a teaspoonful. Mix orange juice, water, and sugar together in a tumbler, then put in the soda, stir, and the effervescence ensues.

2307. Apple Water.

A tart apple well baked and mashed, on which pour a pint of boiling water. Beat up, cool, and strain. Add sugar if desired. Cooling drink for sick persons.

2308. Tincture of Lemon Peel.

A very easy and economical way of obtaining and preserving the flavour of lemon peel, is to fill a wide-mouthed pint bottle half full of brandy, or proof spirit; and when you use a lemon pare the rind off very thin, and put it into the brandy, &c.; in a fortnight it will impregnate the spirit with the flavour very strongly.

2309. Camomile Tea.

One ounce of the flowers to a quart of water boiling. Simmer for fifteen minutes and strain. Emetic when taken warm; tonic when cold.

_Dose_, from a wine-gla.s.sful to a breakfast cup.

[SOLITUDE IS THE NURSE OF WISDOM.]

2310. Borax and its Uses.

The utility of borax for medicinal purposes, such as relieving soreness of the throat, and for the cure of thrush in young children, has long been known, but it is only in the present day that its good qualities as an antiseptic have become known, and its use in every kind of domestic work, in the laundry, in the garden, vinery, and greenhouse, and even for the toilet, under various forms and in different preparations bearing the general name of "Patent Californian Borax," specially prepared for all personal and domestic purposes, has been promoted by its production in small packets, varying in price from 1d. to 6d., which may be purchased of almost any chemist, oilman, grocer, or dealer, throughout the world.

2311. Its Antiseptic Qualities.

The Patent Borax, which consists of a combination of boron and sodium, acts in a marvellous manner as an arrester of decay, and as such is useful for the preservation of meat, milk, b.u.t.ter, and all articles of animal food liable to taint and decay, especially in hot weather.

When infused in small quant.i.ties in water, it preserves and softens it for drinking, cooking, was.h.i.+ng, and all household purposes; it whitens linen and cleanses it far better than soda, it kills harmful insect life, though perfectly harmless to human beings and domestic animals; it cleanses and heals ulcers, festering wounds, sore throat, &c.; is useful in the nursery for was.h.i.+ng the heads of children, cleans sponges, destroys unpleasant and unwholesome smells, and is beneficial to teeth and gums when used as a tooth-powder, or put in water used for was.h.i.+ng the teeth.

2312. Borax as a Disinfectant.

Alone or dissolved in water, and used freely to pour down closets, sinks, &c., it removes all noisome smells, acting as a purifier, and rendering even impure water wholesome. It should be used frequently where sewer gas is suspected.

2313. Borax for Cleansing Purposes.

A solution Patent in hot water, allowed to cool, is useful for was.h.i.+ng any kind of gla.s.s or china, imparting a l.u.s.tre and brightness to them that they never exhibit when washed in the ordinary way. When it is put into water used for was.h.i.+ng floors it destroys all vermin with which the solution comes in contact.

2314. Borax as a Vermin Killer.

When sprinkled in the form of powder on places infested with insects, black beetles, &c., these troublesome pests with soon disappear.

2315. Its use in Cleansing Marble.

Sprinkle some borax on the marble, wherever it is stained or soiled, and then wash the marble with hot water and a little borax soap powder, applied with a soft flannel.

2316. Borax in Cookery.

A few grains added to the tea before the water is poured on it greatly improves the flavour of the infusion. When used instead of soda, or carbonate of soda, in cooking vegetables, such as greens, peas, beans, &c., it improves their flavour, preserves their colour, and renders them tender. Vegetables, eaten in an uncooked state, as, salad, are rendered more crisp and of better flavour, by steeping them for a short time before they are brought to table in a solution of borax.

2317. Borax as a Preservative of Meat, &c.

Meat may be preserved, and taint removed by soaking it for a short time in a solution of Patent Californian Borax, or by sprinkling it with the dry powder. Game, poultry, hams, bacon, and all kinds of meat may be thus preserved. Milk cans should be washed with the solution, and milk itself may be preserved and kept sweet for some time by adding to each quart about half a thimbleful of this prepared borax dissolved in a tablespoonful of hot water. b.u.t.ter may also be preserved by was.h.i.+ng it in a solution of borax, or sprinkling the powder over it, or the cloths in which it is wrapped.