Country Woman's Problems

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 29, 12 January 1940, Page 44

Country Woman's Problems

Dear Aunt Daisy, | Once again I have a packet of prob‘lems which I hope you or the Daisy Chain can solve for me. First: I should like recipes for summer drinks in the style of lemonades and ginger ale, but the recipes must contain very little or no sugar. Second: For how long can cereals-rice, sago, macaroni, semolina, flour, etc., be stored, and what is the best method of doing it? Third: I should like to know a reliable way of storing onions, carrots, and cabbages for winter use. Also a reliable recipe for dried apples. Fourth: Our water supply comes from a well, and colours any white article rather brownish after several washings. The water contains lots of iron and sediment, What is the best way of keeping things white, especially white woollies? I am not a clever and seasoned housewife, and cannot give you hints for exchange. Thanking you very much, in advance for your reply and trouble.Te Rapa. Well now, let us begin at the end, and take the water problem first. I think the real remedy would be to send a sample of the water to the Health Department in Wellington, and ask their advice. They would analyse the water, and find out what causes the discoloration; and suggest the proper thing to counteract it. Of course, they give the service free. In the meantime, I would tie several thicknesses of buttercloth loosely over the tap, so that the sediment, at any rate, will be strained out. For the white clothes, an old-fashioned custom was to add a tablespoon of turpentine to the ‘copper full of water; or a little kerosene. Still older is the idea of dissolving a little pipe-clay in the water, and this was very highly thought of. Borax would be good for the woollies, or a_ little ammonia. Probably somebody who has a similar difficulty with water will send in a helping hint. For storing the vegetables, 1 consulted a very well known nursery gardener. He said that the way to store onions is to "string them" (whole, of course), and hang the strings up, round and round the kitchen or a dry shed, so that the air can circulate round the onions, and they are not touching each other or anything else. For carrots, he said to screw off the tops, and dig a hole in the ground, covering them over ° with earth. I asked him if worms would not spoil them, but he said that a little lime mixed with the soil would keep the worms away. Being farmers, you will probably understand about that. Cabbages and green vegetables, he said, can only be kept in cold storage, so that (Continued on next page)

(Continued from previous page) unless you have a huge refrigerator, you won't be able to do anything about them. For sea voyages, and so on, they are, of course, kept in cold storage. Still, you can grow winter cabbage, and broccoli, and silver beet, so that is not so bad. Now about keeping rice and sago, etc., I got into touch with the manager of a big firm in Wellington, who tells me that all these cereals can be kept for absolutely any length of time, provided they are put into biscuit tins and soldered down. He said that is what they do in the Navy! Just solder them down in tins. For lemonade and ginger ale, I will copy one or two recipes for you. You could use less sugar than is stated. The old-fashioned lemonade which we used to make contained no sugar at all. Just cut up the lemons in thin slices, into a very large jug, and fill up with boiling water. Let it stand for twenty-four or torty-eight hours, stirring frequently, and then pour off the lemonade. It is most refreshing this way. Water can be added to it when you are going to drink it, and you may sweeten it to taste-a little honey is delightful instead of sugar. Here are the lemonade and ginger ale recipes: Good Ginger Beer This one I had given me in Scotland last year. It really uses very little sugar -only about four pounds to seventeen quarts of water. Three lemons; four pounds of sugar; two ounces of cream of tartar; quarter of a pound of root ginger well bruised; seven quarts of boiling

water; ten quarts of cold water; one slice of toast spread with about an ounce of yeast. Put the sugar, sliced lemons and bruised ginger and cream of tartar into a large vessel, and pour seven quarts of boiling water over them. When slightly cold, and the sugar is dissolved, add cold water with the toast spread with the yeast. In twenty-four hours it is ready to bottle in screw stoppered bottles. Be careful and not add too much yeast. Strain it. Lemonade There is only half a pound of sugar to a gallon of water in this one. Although it specifies loaf sugar, I suppose ordinary number one A would be just as good. Three lemons, half a pound of loaf sugar; and one gallon of boiling water. Peel the lemons finely, taking no _ white. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons, strain into a large jug, add the rind and the sugar. Pour on boiling water and let it stand till cold. If orangeade be desired, use four oranges instead of lemons.

Ginger Beer from "A Plant" I wonder if "Te Rapa" would like to try this old-fashioned way of making ginger beer. It was very popular some twenty years ago. Use a quart preserving jar with rubber ring and a well-fitting screw-top lid. To start the " plant" take three-quarters of a cup of sugar, dissolve it in hot water, and mix in a tablespoon of ground ginger. Put this into the jar, with about half a lemon cut into slices. Then fill up the jar with cold water, screw the lid on tightly, and set it aside in a cool place. Leave for about two days, then strain the " beer" off through double butter-muslin; and bottle it. Return the "grounds" to the jar; and add this time only one teaspoon of ground ginger, but the same quantity of dissolved sugar and another half-lemon sliced up. After the first time, strain every day and repeat the process. When the ginger beer begins to get too hot, give some of the "grounds" away as a " starter," or throw them away and begin again,