SC - redacting? help with words

[Cindy Renfrow]

Hello!

>From "The Boston Cooking School CB", by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, 1884 (rpt. 1996,
Dover Publ. ISBN 0-486-29196-0, $12.95 U.S), p. 80:
"...Pearlash is purified potash.  Saleratus is prepared from pearlash by
exposing it to carbonic acid gas.
	Pure, strong alkalies are powerful corrosive poisons, eating the
coats of the stomach perhaps quicker than any other poisonous agent.  This
caustic or burning property is somewhat weakened by the carbonic acid
united with them, and is therefore less in bicarbonate of soda than in the
potash compounds...
	Soda has a great affinity for water; and when wet, a combination
takes place which allows some of the carbonic acid gas to escape.  This may
easily be seen by the effervescence which occurs when soda is dissolved in
hot water.  This, the old way of using soda, was theoretically wrong, as
much of the gas was lost; yet practically good results were obtained,
because the saleratus formerly used was much stronger than the bicarbonate
of soda of to-day, and could well be weakened.
	Soda alone, when mixed with wet dough, will give off gas enough to
raise the dough; but it leaves a strong alkaline taste and a greenish
yellow color, and, being poisonous must be neutralized by an acid, or else
its use is not admissible..."

So saleratus is/was stronger than baking soda, but was soaked in liquid
before use to expel some of the gas which causes the 'effluvia' & deep
yellow color mentioned in your recipe.  Saleratus was also used mixed with
a weak acid such as cream of tartar.

Her recipe for soft gingerbread calls for butter or drippings.

Regarding dripping (pp 18-19) she says to render "any uncooked fat, such as
suet, the fat from chickens, and all superfluous beef fat..." strain to
remove scraps & drain off the water, & add new fat from "soup stock, corned
beef, drippings from roast beef, veal, fresh pork, or chicken; in fact
anything except the fat from mutton, turkey and smoked meat." She adds a
raw potato, cut into thin slices, to the melted fat to eliminate odors &
gases.  "Clarified fat (or dripping, as it is usually termed) answers for
many purposes in cooking, -- frying, sauteing, basting roast meat, greasing
pans; and as shortening for bread, plain pastry, and gingerbread."

So bacon fat would not be acceptable in your recipe, but lard, chicken fat,
etc. would be.

HTH,


Cindy Renfrow/Sincgiefu
renfrow at skylands.net
Author & Publisher of "Take a Thousand Eggs or More, A Collection of 15th
Century Recipes" and "A Sip Through Time, A Collection of Old Brewing
Recipes"
http://www.alcasoft.com/renfrow/


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