ODDS AND ENDS

Evening Star, Issue 20056, 22 December 1928, Page 21

ODDS AND ENDS

Do not use baking'powder .in pastry that has to he kept for any length or time, but increase the quantity of fat, which will prevent it" from ■ becoming too dry. . The messy job of stoning raisins can be extremely simplified if you pour boiling water over tho raisins and leave for a minute or two. Pour the water away and you will then find that the raisin pips arc more easily removed. When chopping onions, first soak them in cold water for ten minutes. This is to save your tears. When tho chopping is done, rub your hands with common salt, and all traces of the odour will vanish.

Before baking potatoes let them lie in hot water for fifteen minutes and they will take a much shorter time to cook. They will also be more mealy and palatable. Prick the skins with a fork or skewer, and this will ■ prevent them bursting. Rub the skins over until lard or dripping, and the inside can be scooped out easily, leaving the shell of skin as thin as paper. Should you run out of . night lights you will find that a candle, treated in the following maimer, makes an excellent substitute:—Light the candle and. wait until it is burning quite level, then sprinkle salt thickly round llio wick. This will cause .the fight to go down to a mere glimmer, and tho candle will burn steadily throughout the night. When making sauces, remember that a sauce, if too thick, is easily made thinner, but it is more difficult to thicken if it is too thin. When it is to coat something it should bo thick enough to cover the back of tho spoon with which it is stirred When it is to be poured round a dish it should bo thin-- enough to flow smoothly. If there is any lumpinoss, strain tho sauce before sending it to the table-

Egg stains will yield readily to plain cold water, which should bo used in preference to warm for the purpose. By far the best way is just to soak tho corner of material which bears tho mark. Spoons that have been used for eggs should bo rinsed in cold water. This will not only remove the stain, but will tend ns well to prevent those dark patches which usually disfigure spoons used for eggs. Spoons that arc already marked should be rubbed well with salt, which hardly ever fails to remove tho darkest stains.

TO REMOVE lODINE STAIN,

A method adopted by chemists is far more satisfactory than those already given. It takes a few seconds only. Make a, fresh solution of sodium hyposulphite (hypo) _ procurable very cheaply at any clicmists or photography stores, and immerse tho affected article in it, afterwards rinsing in cold water. .The more delicate fabrics will not be injured. lodine will also stain gold badly, but such stains arc easily removed with any of the well-known makes a plate polishing power.