The Still-Room

_THE COUNTRY HANDBOOKS—IV_

EDITED BY HARRY ROBERTS


_The Still-Room_

[Illustration: A CORNISH STILLER OF HERBS.]




_The Still-Room_

_By Mrs. Charles Roundell and Harry Roberts_

[Illustration]

    _John Lane, The Bodley Head
    London and New York MDCCCCIII_




    WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LTD., LONDON AND BECCLES.




EDITOR’S NOTE


MRS. CHARLES ROUNDELL is responsible for the chapters dealing with the
Pickling of Meat, Preserves, Refreshments at a Garden-Party, and Food
for Invalids; as well as for certain recipes scattered through the
book. These are distinguished by the initials “J. R.”




CONTENTS


                                                           _Page_
    A PLEA FOR HOUSEWIFERY                                     1
    BUTTER AND CREAM                                           9
    CHEESE                                                    16
    PICKLING MEAT                                             23
    FISH                                                      31
    EGGS                                                      32
    PICKLING VEGETABLES                                       33
    CONDIMENTS AND SAUCES                                     40
    PRESERVES                                                 48
    THE STORING OF FRUIT AND HERBS                            57
    THE BOTTLING OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES                      63
    THE DRYING OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES                        67
    HOME-BREWED BEER                                          71
    CIDER                                                     77
    WINE-MAKING                                               80
    THE DISTILLING OF WATERS AND CORDIALS                     92
    SOME OTHER CORDIALS AND BITTERS                          112
    DRINKS—OLD AND NEW                                       117
    HINTS FOR REFRESHMENTS AT A GARDEN-PARTY OR PICNIC       128
    ICE CREAMS                                               137
    FOOD FOR INVALIDS                                        139
    PERFUMES                                                 145
    SOME MISCELLANEOUS RECIPES                               149
    INDEX                                                    153




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


  A CORNISH STILLER OF HERBS                               _Frontispiece_
  SYMBOLS OF DISTILLATION                                       _Page_ 3
  ALCHEMIST IN HIS LABORATORY                                    ”     5
  ALCHEMIST PERFORMING MYSTIC RITES                              ”     7
  DIAPHRAGM CHURN                                                ”    10
  MELOTTE CREAM SEPARATOR                              _To face page_ 10
  A SMALL BUTTER-WORKER                                        _Page_ 11
  MILK-STRAINER FOR USE WITH MUSLIN                              ”    13
  DOUBLE PAN FOR DEVONSHIRE CREAM-RAISING                        ”    13
  A SELF-SKIMMING PORCELAIN MILK-PAN                             ”    14
  BUTTER-SCOOP                                                   ”    14
  OLD DISTILLING FURNACES AND STILLS                             ”    35
  DISTILLING OYLE OUT OF SEEDES                                  ”    43
  A FRUIT-ROOM                                                   ”    59
  ORR’S FRUIT-STORING TRAYS                            _To face page_ 60
  LEE’S STEAM FRUIT PRESERVING APPARATUS                     ”   ”    62
  RYLAND’S FRUIT BOTTLES                                       _Page_ 64
  LEE’S FRUIT BOTTLES AND BOILER                       _To face page_ 64
  BARNETT AND FOSTER’S SPILE-DRAWER                            _Page_ 74
  A GROUP OF DRINKING-GLASSES                                    ”    82
  A GROUP OF ANCIENT BOTTLES                                     ”    83
  A SIMPLE FRUIT-MILL                                            ”    84
  CORK-DRIVER                                                    ”    84
  A GROUP OF MODERN BOTTLES                                      ”    86
  A WINE FILTER-BAG                                              ”    88
  BALNEUM MARIÆ                                                  ”    93
  DISTILLING BY HEAT OF STEAM                                    ”    93
  SOME OLD DISTILLING VESSELS                                    ”    95
  DISTILLING BY HEAT OF FERMENTING MANURE                        ”    97
  ALCHEMIST WITH HIS SERVANT                                     ”    97
  A 16TH-CENTURY STILL, WITH CONDENSER JACKET TO HELM OF STILL   ”    99
  “THE INSTRUMENT NAMED THE PELLICANE”                           ”    99
  STILLS AT THE WORKS OF THE LONDON ESSENCE CO.       _To face page_ 100
  BALNEUM MARIÆ                                               _Page_ 101
  FURNACE WITH STILLS                                            ”   101
  STILL-ROOM OF THE LONDON ESSENCE CO.                _To