Fowlers Household Helps | Page 7

carrots. A few
passes over the grater will rid the carrots of their skins quicker than any
other method.
Proper Way to Slice Bacon--To slice bacon properly, always place it
rind down, and do not attempt to cut through the rind until you have the
desired number of slices. Then slip the knife under them and cut them
free of the rind, keeping as close to it as possible.
When Cream is on the Turn--When the sweetness of the cream is
doubtful and there is no more on hand and it must be used, a pinch of
soda will keep it from curdling, even in hot coffee.
To Prevent Musty Teapot--When putting away a silver teapot, or one
that is not in everyday use, place a little stick across the top underneath
the cover. This will allow fresh air to get in and prevent mustiness.
Lemon or Orange Peel for Tea Caddy--Thoroughly dry the peel from
an orange or a lemon, and place it in the tea caddy. This will greatly
improve the flavor of the tea.
Heat Lemons Before Squeezing--In using lemons, heat them
thoroughly before squeezing and you will obtain nearly double the
quantity of juice that you would if they had not been heated.
To Keep Teakettle from Rusting--A clean oyster shell placed in the
teakettle will keep out rust.
To Clean Gas Stove Burners--Pick the holes open with a large pin and
apply a vacuum cleaner to take out the particles of dirt.
Flour for Burning Kerosene--Wheaten flour is the best extinguisher to
throw over a fire caused by the spilling and ignition of kerosene. This
should be a matter of common knowledge, since flour is always within
convenient reach.

Use for Old Newspapers--Old newspapers clean stoves beautifully, as
well as being useful for polishing kitchen windows.
To Take Rust from Flat-Irons, tie some yellow beeswax or paraffine in
a cloth, and when the iron is warm, but not hot enough to use, rub with
the wax and then rub it through sand or salt.
A Good Stove Polisher--A piece of burlap is a very good polisher for
the kitchen stove or range when it is hot. It does not burn readily, and
for that reason is better than flannel or cotton cloth or paper.
Wire Rack for Use Under Pies--When taking pies from the oven, do not
put them on the flat surface of the table to cool unless a high wire rack
is put under them. The rack helps to keep the crust crisp and they will
not be soggy.
Marble Slab or Plate Glass for Mixing Board--For mixing cake and
pastry an old marble slab or a piece of plate glass is better than a
wooden board.
To Prevent Cakes from Burning--Sprinkle the bottom of the oven with
fine, dry salt to prevent cakes, pies, and other pastry from burning on
the bottom.
Wooden Bowl When Washing Silver--When washing silver, use a
wooden tub or bowl if possible. There will be less danger of the silver
getting scratched or otherwise damaged.
Tissue Paper for Greasy Dishes--Very greasy dishes should be wiped
with soft tissue paper before being washed.
To Skin Tomatoes Easily--Tomatoes nearly always have to be skinned
before being used. To do this easily, place them in a basin and pour
boiling water over them. Let stand a minute, and then drain.
Another method is to rub the tomatoes all over with the back of a knife
to loosen the skins before peeling. This is said to be better than
scalding.

To Peel Sweet Potatoes Easily--Before putting sweet potatoes in the
oven, grease the skins and they can then be peeled easily and without
any waste of the potato.
To Prevent Roasted Meat from Drying Out--To prevent roasted meat,
which is to be served cold, from drying out and losing its flavor, wrap it
in cheesecloth while it is still hot.
When Food is Too Salty--When you have put too much salt into
cooking food, stretch a clean cloth tightly over the kettle and sprinkle a
table-spoonful of flour over the cloth. Then allow the contents of the
kettle to steam and in a few moments the flour will absorb the surplus
salt.
To Remove Fish Odor from Hands--A few drops of ammonia in the
water in which you wash your hands will remove all fishy odor from
the hands after preparing fish for cooking.
To Remove Onion Smell from Pans--The disagreeable smell of onions
which clings to pots and pans so stubbornly can be quickly removed by
washing and drying the pans, then scouring them with common salt,
and placing them on the stove until the salt is brown. Shake often, then
wash the pans as usual.
To Prevent Onions from Making the Eyes Water--Scalding water
poured over onions will keep the eyes