Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book : what to do and what not to do in cooking / by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln.

  • Lincoln, Mary J. (Mary Johnson), 1844-1921.
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book : what to do and what not to do in cooking / by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    flour dealers think differently. Flour should be kept in a cool, drj' place, as the least dampness causes it to absorb moisture ; the gluten loses its tenacity, becomes sticky, and the bread made from it is coarser and less light. For small families it is better to buy whole-wheat flour by the bag or half-barrel; Haxall, for bread, by the bar- rel ; and the best St. Louis flour for cake and pastry, by the bag, as a much smaller proportion is needed (or should be) for these indigestibles, than for the staff of life. Bread, Fermented and Unfermented. Now, having discussed Jthe subject of the flour, the next step in order is the different ways of making it into bread. These may all be included under two divisions, — those made by fermentation, and those without fermentation. Fermentation^ what is it^ — Fermentation is that change in organic substances by which their sugar, starch, gluten, etc., are decomposed or recombined into new compounds. This change may be spontaneous under favorable condi- tions of air, moisture, and warmth ; or it may be hastened by the presence of a ferment. A ferment is some albu- minous substance in a state of decomposition, and, when introduced into any other albuminous substance, in how- ever minute a quantit}', causes a change which pervades the whole mass. These fermenting substances are in great variety, and the germs of some of them are always present in the air. There are different kinds of fermentation. The lactic fermentation is the change in milk when it sours. The casein, or albuminous part of the milk, by exposure to the air and warmth, begins to decompose, becomes a ferment, and changes the sugar of the milk into an acid called lactic acid. This reacts upon the remainder of the milk, as any acid would, and causes it to coagulate or harden, and gives it a sour taste. The alcoholic fermentation is that which is produced in substances rich in sugar or starch, as the fruits and grains from which wines and beer are made. Some of these fer-