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Section Six: The Receipts
Now, my friend, I have brought you so far as to be able to understand the whole duty of a house servant perfectly. I shall give you in the following pages, all the useful receipts that are requisite for a house servant to understand, and to enable him to do every part of his work with expedition and to perfection.
All those receipts that I am going to lay before you and the public, are of my own long experience, which I can recommend to be genuine, as to everything they are set to ; and you will find them to be genuine.
Receipts.
1. – To make the best liquid blacking.
Take two quarts of sour beer or porter, the latter is preferable, eight ounces of best ivory black, three ounces of molasses, one ounce of sugar candy, half an ounce of gum arabic, half an ounce of oil of vitriol, and one ounce of sweet oil. Let your ivory black be well rubbed, to become fine and free from lumps ; mix the oil with the black, and dissolve the gum-arabic in some warm beer, then mix all the ingredients well together, keep it corked tight, in a jar or what you choose to put it in, shake it well three or four times each day for two or three days, then it will be fit for use ; and if used as the directions are given in boot and shoe cleaning, it will produce a brilliant and jet black, and is not in the least any way injurious to leather.
2. – To make boots or shoes water proof.
Take one pint of drying oil, two ounces of good yellow wax, two ounces of turpentine, (not spirits of turpentine,) half an ounce of burgundy pitch, melt all these ingredients carefully over some hot coals, be careful that the blaze does not get to it, or it will catch afire ; when they are all melted well together, take a painter’s brush, or a piece of flannel tied on the end of a stick, then apply your stuff on the boots or shoes as hot as possible without burning them, set them some distance from the fire, and when they become dry, apply the stuff on again as before, and so on until the leather will become saturated and hold no more ; then put them by for some time before you use them, until they become dry and elastic ; this method will make them impenetrable to wet or snow, and make them soft and of much more durability.
3 – To clean mahogany furniture.
Take one pound, or whatever quantity you choose, of best yellow wax, scrape it very fine, then put it into a pot or pipkin for that purpose, pour over it as much spirits of turpentine as will cover it well, you must let it stand 24 hours before you use it. If your furniture is to be perfectly clear and light-coloured, you may not add anything to it. But if it is required to be of a dark colour, you may add to it half an ounce of rose pink, or alkanet root in fine powder, mix them well together, and with a soft brush, or piece of flannel, rub quite even over the tables, or whatever furniture you are going to clean, rub quick and even, and polish off with a piece of flannel, and old silk handkerchief afterwards.
4. – Furniture oil for mahogany
Take one pint of cold strained linseed oil, half an ounce of alkanet root, half an ounce of rose pink, put them into a bottle or jar, shake it up well together. It will be fit for use in 24 hours ; you must be very careful when putting it on your furniture ; apply it on with a piece of woolen cloth or flannel, and put it very even over your furniture, rub it very quick and hard, until it is perfectly worked in, and polish off with linen cloths and you will soon have a beautiful polish ; you must be careful and rub the edges of your tables very clean, that the ladies or gentlemen may not get their clothes soiled.
5. – Italian varnish, most superb for furniture.
Melt one part of virgin wax (white) in eight parts of oil petroleum, lay a light coat of this very even over your furniture while warm, you may put it on with a badger’s brush ; let it stand for ten or fifteen minutes, then polish off with a piece of coarse soft cloth or flannel, and finish with an old silk handkerchief. Inexperienced servants should be very careful how they apply any receipt at first, they should always make the first experiment on some article of little value.
6. – Italian polish for giving furniture a brilliant lustre.
First, melt one quarter of a pound of best yellow wax, and one ounce of black rosin well pounded to powder, put them into a pipkin, or something else for that purpose, then pour over them, by degrees, two ounces spirits of turpentine, then mix it well together and cover it close for use. You may apply this on your furniture with a piece of soft woolen cloth, or some new flannel, be careful and put it on even and light, finish off with a piece of old silk or a handkerchief ; in a few applications this will produce a most brilliant and hard polish, and is not so liable to be stained by the heat of the dishes, as any other polish now in use, but looks as beautiful as the finest varnish.
7. – To take ink stains out of mahogany.
Dilute one teaspoonful of oil of vitriol in one tablespoonful of soft water, apply it to the parts affected, with a small piece of red flannel, rub rather light and quick until the spot disappears, then wash off with a little milk ; rub quick until dry, then apply your polish, &c. Spirits of salt will answer the same purpose.
8. – An excellent article for tables, after parties, &c.
Take one pint of milk, one ounce of spirits of turpentine, two dessert spoonsful of sweet oil, mix them well together, put the mixture into a bottle for use. When your tables are very dirty and stained with wine and fruit, after a party, &c. shake up your mixture and pour some out into an old saucer, or any thing you may have for that purpose. Dip into it a piece of flannel, and wash your tables quick and even all over, then dry and polish off with some old linen cloths. By this method, your tables will become a fine light colour, and will look most beautiful when cleaned off with your furniture oil, polish, or varnish.
9. – To take the black off the bars of polished steel grates.
Take one pound of soft soap, one quart of rain or soft water, put them in a sauce pan and boil it down to one pint, then take some of this jelly and mix it with some emery No. 3, and apply it to the bars of your grate with a piece of coarse cloth. Rub hard and quick, and it will remove the black in a few minutes.
10. – To polish the bright bars of polished steel grates, or fire irons.
Take some rotten-stone finely powdered, mix with it some spirits of turpentine, one teaspoonful of oil of vitriol, one tablespoon of sweet oil ; mix all well together, and apply it with a piece of coarse woollen cloth to the bars of your grate ; rub hard and quick, wipe off with old linen or cotton cloths, and polish with some dry rotten-stone and a piece of leather.
11. – The best way to clean a polished steel grate.
After you have removed the black from off the bars, take one ounce of crocus, one tablespoonful of sweet oil, mix well together, then add spirits of wine or Holland’s gin, by degrees, until your mixture is to the consistency of paint, then apply it to your grate or fire irons, hard and quick, with a piece of coarse woollen cloth ; wipe off with old linen or cotton cloth, and polish with dry whiting and leather. This receipt, if properly applied, gives a most brilliant polish, and repairs brightness of steel, and stands the fire much better than any now in use.
12. – For the black parts or inner hearth of a grate.
Take some best black lead finely powdered, add to it the whites of three eggs well beaten, then pour into it some sour beer, or porter, the latter is preferable, mix it well together, to the consistency of liquid blacking, then these ingredients must be simmered over some hot coals for twenty minutes ; when cold, pour it into a junk bottle for use ; apply it on your grate with a soft brush, and polish off quick in the same manner as you would a boot. This will give a beautiful polish, and hold for some time, by dusting it off in the morning, after you make your fire, with an old cloth, and then with your hard brush.
13. – Another excellent black mixture for the same.
Take some good black lead, finely powdered, mix with three sour apples beat up into a paste, then pour on some good vinegar till it is to the consistency of blacking, and apply it in the same manner as the preceding receipt ; this will give a beautiful polish.
14. – A beautiful secret to clean brass or copper.
Dissolve in one quart of rain or soft water, one ounce of oxalic acid, shake it well up together, then add half an ounce of butter of antimony ; bottle it and cork close for use. This composition will not soil anything it touches, it is excellent for cleaning the brass on bureaus, or the brass of the front door, &c. It will likewise take stains out of mahogany ; this must be applied with a piece of mantle cloth, or white flannel is preferable as it is soft ; wipe off quick with a soft linen cloth, and polish with leather. This will stand the heat of the fire better than any method in use, and is clean for the hands, or anything it touches. Always shake it up before use.
15. – To give Britannia metal a beautiful polish.
Take half a pound of lump whiting, as it is free from grit or sand, scrape it and roll it into fine powder, then add it to one wine glass full of sweet oil, and one tablespoonful of soft soap ; mix this well together, then add, by degrees, some New-England rum, or spirits of wine, to the consistency of cream. Apply it to the article with a soft sponge or piece of flannel, quick and even ; wipe off with a piece of old linen or cotton cloth, dust over some dry whiting and polish with leather.
16. – Another beautiful polish for black grates.
Take the whites of six eggs, beat them up to a froth, then add half a pound of black lead, mix well together, then add spirits of turpentine until it is to the consistency of liquid blacking ; apply it with a brush as you would black a boot. Polish with a hard brush, and it will become a brilliant polish.
17. – To make the best plate powder.
Take half a pound of chalk, scrape it and roll it into powder, then sift it through a fine sieve, then mix into it half an ounce of quicksilver ; when well mixed, and two ounces of hartshorn balls in fine powder, then mix all extremely well together. To use this, take some of this powder and apply it to your plate with your naked hand, observing to rub it well and even all over ; then polish off with your leather ; or take some of the powder and work it into your shammy leather, and rub your plate perfectly well and even, and polish as the other. The best way to use this is to make it wet, as you can apply it more even, and is much the safest way for new beginners ; to wet this properly, take some spirits of wine and wet it until it becomes to the consistency of cream, then take a piece of soft sponge, and rub your plate well and even all over. Wipe off with your leather and polish with a clean leather ; this will give your plate a most beautiful lustre. Once a week is enough to clean with this powder, hot soap suds may be used at other times.
18. – Another way, most superb, to clean plate.
Dissolve in one quart of rain or soft water, one ounce of prepared hartshorn powder, mix it well together, and put it into a sauce pan on some hot coals, so as to be scalding hot, then put into it as much plate as the vessel may hold, that they may be covered, let it boil a little, then take it out and drain it over the saucepan, and let it dry before the fire, then put in some more, and so on until you have it all done ; then put in some clean linen rags and leave them to soak up all the water ; these will be excellent to clean the plates of doors or any kind of brasses. Polish your silver when dry, with soft leather.
19. – Another excellent plate powder, by J. R. W. London.
Take one ounce of zinc, melt it in an iron ladle, then put into it two ounces of quicksilver, then turn this mixture out on some strong brown paper, pound and roll it fine, then pound and sift two pounds of best cake whiting, mix them well together, then mix in half an ounce of good vermilion, rub and mix them well up together. If you choose to use it wet, add to some of the powder spirits of wine, sufficient to make it the thickness of cream ; rub your plate well and even with a piece of soft sponge dipped in this mixture, and polish off with your shammy leather. This powder, if properly made and used, will give a most brilliant and elegant lustre to silver, & c.
20. – To clean plated articles of all descriptions.
Take one ounce of killed quicksilver, this you may get at the apothecaries, mix with this half a pound of best cake whiting pounded and sifted, then dried before you put in the quicksilver. When dry, mix these well together, and put the powder into a bottle for use ; when your plated things want cleaning, take a little of this powder and wet it with some spirits of wine, or New-England gin, and rub the articles lightly over with the soft sponge. Once a fortnight is sufficient for plated ware to be cleaned with this powder. Good hot and strong soap suds is the best to use for plated ware, the rest of the time, and to be wiped quick out of the hot studs, with soft cloths, and polished after with your shammy leather.
21.- To clean Japanned tea and coffee urns
Take one ounce of crocus, in half an ounce of rotten-stone, pound and mix them well together, then sift it, let this mixture be a little darker than the urns. You need not use rotten-stone if you can get the crocus powder dark enough. Clean your urns with this powder, as directed for cleaning plate, &c.
22.-To preserve iron or steel from rusting.
Take a piece of mutton suet, the skin part that is over the kidneys is the best for this purpose ; rub the bars of your grate or fire irons well over with this, and take some fresh unslacked lime, put it into a piece of muslin and dust it well over whatever you have to preserve. By this method you may preserve iron or steel for many months, and no damp can penetrate to them. Fire arms should be kept well wrapped up in baize, or paper, and laid by in a dry place. This is an excellent way to preserve best knives that you wish to lay by for any length of time, or that are to be exported.
23. – To take rust out of steel, &c.
Rub your steel that is rusty well over with a piece of flannel dipped in salad oil, no other oil will answer, as there generally is water in all other kinds. When you have rubbed them well over with the oil, then shake a little hot slacked lime over them and let them lay in a dry place for 48 hours ; then take some fresh unslacked lime finely powdered, and rub quick and hard until the rust disappears ; then polish off with dry whiting, or crocus, and shammy leather. This is a most excellent plan, if only properly done, as is here directed.
24. – To blacken the front of stone chimney pieces.
Mix oil, varnish, spirits of turpentine, and lampblack, thin it to the consistency of thin paint, wash the stone very clean with hot soap suds, sponge it off with clean warm water, then when perfectly dry, take a painter’s brush and put on a very smooth coat, let that dry, then put on another, observe to sift the lampblack before used, and this will give a most beautiful appearance, and look like varnish.
25. – Another excellent way to clean black grates.
Boil one quarter of a pound of best black lead in one pint of beer or porter, add one tablespoonful of good soft soap ; when it boils, take it off the fire, and when you are going to polish your grate, brush off all the dust from it, and with a painter’s brush apply this mixture quite even on the grate, then polish it off quick with a hard brush, and you will have a beautiful appearance to your grate.
26. – To clean mirrors and looking glasses.
Clean off the fly stains and other soils, with a piece of soft flannel dipped in gin, wipe dry with soft linen cloths, and polish off with a soft dry flannel and powder blue ; finish with a silk handkerchief ; this is an excellent way to clean all kinds of looking glasses, &c.
The author had this receipt from one of the largest looking glass manufacturers in London.
27. – To make a beautiful black varnish.
Take gum lac four ounces, sanderach and black rosin, of each one ounce, pulverize all separately ; dissolve the rosin in a sufficient quantity of spirits of wine, then add the sanderach ; as soon as dissolved add the powder of gum lac ; mix them all well together, and strain the mixture through a thin linen cloth. The black colour is to be given by mixing into it drachms of ivory black.
28. – To give silver a beautiful polish.
Scrape very fine four ounces of good white soap, pour on it one pint of rain or soft water, scalding hot, dissolve in that water half an ounce of wine ley dried in cakes, (this you will get at the apothecaries) and the same quantity of pearl ashes ; mix them well together, apply it with a sponge on your silver, and wash off in hot soap suds, and dry off with hot cloths, which you must have hung before the fire for that purpose ; afterwards polish with your shammy leather.
29. – an excellent mastick for mending glass, china, &c.
Take the whites of eggs, soft curd cheese, and quicklime, of each an equal quantity in weight, then begin and beat them all well together until the mastick becomes quite smooth ; this may be used in most kinds of ware ; it will cement broken glass, so as to stand fire or hot water without having the smallest effect on the part cemented, but stand like new.
30. – A wash to revive old deeds, or other writings.
Boil gall nuts in white wine, and steep a sponge in this solution, then pass it smoothly over the old writings, &c. and they will appear directly as new as when first wrote.
31.– An excellent way to prevent flies from settling on pictures, or making dirt on furniture.
Take a large bunch of leeks and soak them in a pail of soft water for 24 hours, then squeeze the leeks out of the water, let it stand for half an hour, then strain it off and bottle for use ; in the fly season take a sponge and wash your pictures or any furniture whatever, with this solution, and the flies will never come near it, or make any dirt on it. This is a valuable recipe for private families, &c.
32. – To remove flies from rooms.
Take half a teaspoonful of black pepper, in powder, one teaspoonful of brown sugar, and one tablespoonful of cream ; mix them well together, and place them in the room, on a plate where the flies are troublesome, and they will soon disappear.
33. – To render old pictures as fine as new.
Boil in a new pipkin for the space of one quarter of an hour, one quarter of a pound of bril, or gray ash, and a little Genoa soap ; when it is lukewarm take a soft piece of sponge and pass it even all over your pictures ; when dry, pass over it very lightly some olive die, and in five minutes wipe it off with a piece of old silk, or soft linen cloth ; this will make your pictures look as well, and have as fine a gloss, as when new.
34. – A varnish which suits all kinds of pictures and prints, and makes them shine like glass.
Dilute one quarter of a pound of Venice turpentine in one gill of spirits of wine, if to thick, add some more spirits of wine, until of the consistency of milk, then lay one coat of this on the right side of the print or picture, and when dry it will shine like glass ; if not to your satisfaction, lay on another coat, and it will have a most brilliant effect.
35. – To take ink spots out of mahogany.
Take a piece of clean white flannel, dip it into some spirits of salts, apply it quick to the part affected, until removed, then wash it off with a little cream or milk, and rub off dry ; don’t let it stand too long on it.
36. – A most delicious salad sauce, by J. R. W.
Take the yolks of four hard-boiled eggs, rub them through a sieve, and add to them one teaspoonful of salt, mix well up, then add two tablespoonsful of made mustard, stir well up, then add by one spoonful at each time, six spoonfuls of salad oil ; mix this well together until it becomes as smooth as mustard, then put in one teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, and one gill of cream or new milk, then stir well together ; and last of all put in by degrees some good vinegar ; I don’t state the quantity of this, as some is much stronger than others, this must lay in your own taste. Should you make it too sharp with vinegar, add one tablespoonful of fine white sugar in powder, this will soften it, and give it an excellent flavour. Bottle it for use. This will keep for any length of time, in the hottest weather ; and is excellent with any kind of salad or boiled slaw, and is a fine relish with fish. Shake it well up before you put it on your salad.
37. – A great secret to mix mustard, by M. B. of London.
Take one quart of water that corned beef has been boiled in, skim off any fat that may remain, then strain it and when cool put it into a junk bottle, then grate some horseradish, about two dessert spoonsful, and put into the bottle and shake it well up, and cork it tight. When you want to mix your mustard, take whatever quantum you think necessary, but you should never mix more than half your mustard pot full at once, as it is better when first mixed ; first put the flour of mustard in a tea-cup, add to it half a teaspoonful of salt, mix well together, then put in your liquor, by degrees, that you may not make it too thin, mix extremely well together, until it becomes quite smooth ; this method of mixing mustard is absolutely the best I have ever met with, as it much surpasses any other, both in strength and flavour.
38. – To extract oil from boards.
Make a strong ley of pearl ashes and soft water, then add some fresh unslacked lime, stir it extremely well together, then let it stand for fifteen minutes, and bottle it off, and cork it closed. Before you use it, have some water ready to lower it, as it generally is very powerful ; then scour the part affected and rinse it with clean soft water. Don’t let the liquor lay on too long on the part affected, or it will remove the colour from the board, &c. therefore you must do it with care and expedition.
39. – To colour any kind of liquor.
Take, in coarse powder, half an ounce of santulum rubium, put it into a bottle of a quart measure, and pour on the powder three half-pints of spirits of wine, and in five or six hours it will be a very high tincture, and will be fit to give a colour to any kind of liquid that you choose, by pouring some of it into the liquor and shaking it very well.
40. – To make liquid currant jam, of the first quality.
Take four pounds of clean picked currants, put aside two and a half pounds of them, and squeeze the remainder ; then put this in a preserving pan, with four pounds of sugar ; when come to a syrup, put in the remainder of the whole currants along with the one and a half pounds of juice, and boil it to the greatest perfection.
41. – A secret against all kinds of spots on cloth or silk, of any colour.
Take a water impregnated with alkaline salt, black soap, and bullock’s gall ; this composition will take out any kind of spots from any kind of cloth, silk, &c. Rinse off with soft warm water.
42.- How to make all kinds of syrups, with all sorts of flowers.
Heat in a pan half a pint of water, then put into it sugar to the quantity of flowers ; boil, skim, and thicken it to a proper consistency ; when done, put it into a glazed pot or pan and cover it over with a linen cloth, through which pour the syrup upon the flowers ; these being deadened, put altogether again into the same piece of linen, and squeeze them ; strain it into another vessel, then bottle and cork it close ; the quantity of sugar requisite for this syrup is generally one pound and a half to every four ounces of flowers. Observe that all kinds of flowers must be picked and cleaned of their cups and stems, and nothing but their leaves made use of.
43. – To make an excellent currant jelly.
Dissolve in water four pounds of loaf sugar to a strong syrup, then take four pounds of clean picked currants, then put them into the syrup, and boil so as to have them covered with the bubbles ; after six minutes such a boil, take the pan from the fire, and pour the contents into a sieve, strain off all the liquor, then put this liquor again into the pan, and when you want to try it, take a little with the skimmer and put it on a plate, if it congeals as it cools, it is fit to pot.
N.B. Those who want to spare sugar and have a great quantity of syrup or jelly, at a small expense, may apply only four pounds of sugar to six pounds of currants, only observing to do it rather more than in the manner above ; and by this method you will save a great deal of expense in making a large quantity of jelly.
44. – A most delicious lemonade, to be made the day before wanted.
Take and pare two dozen of good size lemons as thin as you possibly can ; put eight of the rinds into three quarts of hot water, but not boiling, cover it close over for four hours, then rub some sugar to the rinds to attract the essence, and put it into a bowl, and into which squeeze the juice of the lemons ; to which add one pound and a half of fine sugar, then put the water to the above, and three quarts of boiling milk, mix and run through a jelly bag until clear ; bottle it, if you choose, and cork close ; this will be most excellent, and will keep.
45. – Lemonade that has the appearance and flavour of jelly.
Pare two Seville oranges, and six lemons, as thin as possible, steep them for four hours in one quart of hot water, then boil one pound and a quarter of loaf sugar in three pints of water, skim it, and then add the two liquors to the juice of six good oranges, and twelve lemons ; stir the whole well together, and run it through a jelly bag until clear, then add a little orange water, if you like the flavour, and if wanted, you may add more sugar ; if corked tight it will keep a long time.
46. – To make raspberry vinegar most delicious.
Put one quart of clean picked raspberries into a large bowl, pour on them one quart of best white wine vinegar, the next day strain off the liquor on one pound of fresh raspberries, and the following day do the same, but do not squeeze the fruit, but drain the liquor as dry as possible from the fruit ; the last time pass it through a cloth wet in vinegar, to prevent any waste, then put it into a stone jar, with a pound of sugar to every pint of juice, let your sugar be in large lumps, as it is much better ; when dissolved stir it up well, put your jar in a pot of hot water, let it simmer, skim well, and when cold bottle and cork close.
47. – To make the best wine vinegar in one hour.
Take some rye flour and dilute it with some of the best and strongest vinegar you can find, make a thin round cake, bake it in the oven, then pound it into fine powder, then wet it as before, and bake again ; repeat this operation three or four times, then if you hang the last made cake while hot, by a cord, in a cask of wine, you will have most excellent vinegar in one hour.
48. – An excellent preparation for vinegar.
Take white cinnamon, long pepper, and cyprus, of each one ounce, round pepper half an ounce, and two nutmegs ; pulverize each article separate, and put them into so many different bags, then take five quarts of the best vinegar, put into each quart one of the bags, and boil separately each quart for three minutes, and so on until all are done, observing to keep each quart and bag by itself in different vessels ; then boil separately six quarts of best wine, then season your cask by rinsing it out with vinegar, then pour in your boiled wines and vinegars, and then half fill your cask with the worst spoiled wine, and stop it up until the vinegar is made, then draw off what you please, but fill up again with the same quantity that you draw off, of your bad wine ; by this process you can draw off and fill again for a number of times, and it will be a most excellent flavoured vinegar.
49. – A dry portable vinegar, or vinaigre en poudre.
Wash clean and warm water one pound of white tartar, dry it and powder it as fine as possible, wet this with the best sharp vinegar, dried it in an oven after the bread comes out, or before the fire, powder and wet it as before, and so on for ten or a dozen times, and you will have an excellent vinegar powder that will turn water into vinegar ; this is excellent for traveling parties to carry with them.
50. – To turn good wine into vinegar in three hours
Put into any quantity of wine you choose, say one gallon for the experiment, one red beet, and in three hours, it will be sour and true vinegar. By J. R. W.
51. – To restore that same wine to its first taste.
Take out the beet, and in its stead put a clean cabbage root, and it will return to its primary taste in the same space of time.
52.-To correct a bad taste or sourness in wine.
Put into a clean linen bag one or two roots of wild horseradish cut in fine pieces, let it hang down through the bung hole into the wine, by a piece of twine, let it stay there for two days, then take that out, and put in another in the same manner, and repeat until the wine is perfectly restored.
53. – To preserve good wine to the last.
Take the bulk of your two fists of the inside bark of the alder tree, which is green, pour on it one pint of the best spirits of wine, let this infuse for three days, then strain it off through a linen cloth, then pour this infusion into a hogshead of wine, this wine will keep for twelve years, or longer, if wanted.
54. – To recover a person from intoxication.
Make the person that is intoxicated drink a glass of vinegar, or a cup of strong coffee without milk or sugar, or a glass of hot wine. Any of those articles are a most safe and quick remedy to recover person from intoxication.
55. – To make raspberry, strawberry, cherry, and all kinds of waters.
Take any quantity of the ripest raspberries, squeeze them through a linen cloth, to extract the juice from them, put this in a glass bottle uncorked placed in the sun or on a stove until it is cleared down, then pour it gently into another bottle without disturbing the sediment, to half a pint of this put one quart of water, and sugar to your taste, pour it from one vessel to the other, strain it, and put it in ice to cool, this will be a most delicious cool drink in hot weather, and extremely safe in perspirations.
56. – Lemonade water of a delicious flavour.
Dissolve one pound of loaf sugar in two quarts of water, grate over it the yellow of five large lemons, then mix in twelve drops of essential oil of sulfur, when going to mix your liquid, cut thin some slices of lemons, and keep it cool and it will be most excellent.
57. – Another excellent lemonade by R. R., the author of this book.
Take one gallon of water, put to it the juice of ten good lemons, and the zeasts of six of them likewise, then add to this one pound of sugar, and mix it well together, strain it through a fine strainer, and put it in ice to cool ; this will be a most delicious and fine lemonade.
58. – To whiten ivory that has been spoiled.
Take some soft water, dissolve in it a sufficient quantity of rock alum. so as to render the water quite milky, then boil this liquor, then soak the handles of your knives, forks, &c. for one hour, then take an old tooth brush and brush them well over, after which wrap them in a wet linen cloth to dry leisurely, otherwise it is apt to split. This is an excellent plan to whiten ivory.
59. – A cooling cinnamon water in hot weather.
Boil one gallon of water, pour it into a gallon demijohn, set this before the fire, then put into it twelve cloves, two ounces of whole cinnamon, then stop up your bottle and put it in a cool place ; when you want to mix your liquor, put half a pint into two quarts of water, with one quarter of a pound of sugar ; cool it in ice before you serve it, and it is a most wholesome and delicious drink as you can take in hot weather.
60. – An excellent good ratifia by F.N.
Into one quart of brandy pour half a pint of cherry juice, as much of currant juice, as much of raspberry juice, add a few cloves, and some white pepper in grains, two grains of green coriander, and a stick or two of cinnamon, then pound the stones of the cherries, and put them in, wood and all. Add about twenty five or thirty kernels of apricots. Stop your demijohn close, and let it infuse for one month in the shade, shaking it five or six times in that time, at the end of which strain it through a flannel bag, then through a filtering paper, and then bottle it and cork close for use ; you can make any quantity you choose only by adding or increasing more brandy or other ingredients, &c.
61. – A strong anise-seed water.
Take half a pint of the best essential spirits of anise seeds, put this into three quarts of the best brandy, with one quart of boiled water ; if not sweet enough, add some clarified sugar, and strain through a jelly bag, this is a most delicious and wholesome water, and a fine stomachic.
62. – To take out spots of any sort, from any kind of cloth.
Take half a pound of crude honey, the yoke of a new laid egg, and the bulk of a nut of aromatic salt, then mix all well together, then put some on the spots ; having left it there a while, then wash it off with clean water, and the spot will immediately disappear. This receipt is of great importance to servants that have the care of their master’s wardrobe, and in many other similar cases.
63. – A secret against oil spots, &c.
Take a piece of white soap, shaving very fine, put it into a junk bottle with rather a wide neck and mouth, half fill it with ley, then add to this the bulk of a nut of ammoniac salt, and two yolks of fresh eggs, cabbage juice and bullock’s gall, of each half an ounce weight, and one ounce of salt of tartar in fine powder ; cork your bottle close, and lay it in the sun for four days, after which it will be fit for use. You must apply this to the oil spot with a piece of white flannel, rub hard and quick, let it stand five or ten minutes afterwards, then rinse off with clean soft water, and hang out to dry.
64. – To restore carpets to their first bloom.
Beat your carpets with your carpet rods until perfectly clean from dust, then if there be any ink spots take it out with a lemon, and if oil spots, take out as in the foregoing receipt, observing to rinse with clean water ; then take a hot loaf of white bread, split down the centre, having the top and bottom crust one on each half, with this rub your carpet extremely well over, then hang it out on or across a line with the right side out ; should the night be fine, leave it out all night, and if the weather be clear, leave it out for two or three such nights, then sweep it with a clean corn broom, and it will look as when first new.
65. – To restore tapestries to their former brightness.
Shake and dust your tapestries extremely well, then rub them well and even all over with white chalk, which you must leave on them for 24 hours ; then take a hair brush and brush off all the chalk, then apply all your chalk as before, and let them stand as before, after which, beat them well with a light rod, and afterwards brush them well and even with a soft clothes-brush, and this operation will make them look as bright and clear as if quite new.
66. – To revive the colour of cloth.
Pour one quart of soft water on one pound of burnt pot-ashes, and twelve hours after pour it off in another vessel, then put in a handful of marsh mallow leaves, with two bullocks’ galls ; boil these altogether until the leaves go to the bottom, then set this decoction in the sun for four days, afterwards take whatever colour you want, boil it with the cloth in the liquor, and let it soak in the liquor for twelve days, and the colour of the cloth will be restored, as prime as ever.
67. – To take spots out of white clothes.
Boil in one pint of soft water for half an hour two ounces of alum, then put in two ounces of white soap scraped fine, and one pound of alum, let it boil for five minutes longer, then take it up and let it stand in the cool for four days, then bottle it, and with this composition you can take out any kind of spots whatever from white cloth. Apply this with a piece of white flannel, rubbing the spots hard and quick, afterwards rinse with clean soft water, let the garment or piece of cloth hang out in the air one or two clear days and nights.
68. – A composition of soap that will take out all kinds of spots.
Take one pound of Venetian white soap, six yolks of eggs, and one dessert-spoonful of salt in fine powder ; incorporate these all well together, then add a sufficient quantity of the juice of the leaves of white beet ; then make up this composition into small cakes, which dry in the shade. To apply these, first wet the spot over with clean soft water, then rub it over on both sides with the soap, then let it be rinsed in clean water, and the spots will disappear, hang out to dry, and afterwards brush it.
69. – Turkey cement for joining metals, glass, &c.
Dissolve six pieces of mastick as large as common sized peas, in as much spirits of wine as is sufficient to make it into a liquid ; in another vessel dissolve as much isinglass which has previously soaked in soft water until soft, in brandy, as will make two ounces in weight of strong glue, then add two small pieces of ammonium which must be rubbed until dissolved, then heat all up together ; when cool put it into a phial and stop it close, when you want to use it put the phial into warm water not boiling, apply it with a thin piece of stick formed as a knife, for that purpose.
70. – To preserve the brightness of arms, &c.
Take some strong vinegar, that of Montpelier is best, dissolve in this some alum finely powdered, then rub the arms with this composition, keep them in a dry place, and they will keep bright for years. This an excellent thing to preserve the brightness of polished steel grates, or fire irons, &c.
71. – To remove ink stains from cloth, plaid, silk or worsted, &c.
Take one pint of rain or other soft water, dissolve it in half an ounce of oxalic, citric, or tartaric acid ; the half ounce will be sufficient to mix the pint strong enough, cork it very close and shake it well ; to use it lay the part affected over a bowl of hot water, but not to touch the water, and let the steam evaporate through, then shake up the solution and dip a sponge into it, and rub well the part affected until the stain disappears, then hang it out in the sun, and this solution will not hurt the finest fabric.
72. – To preserve milk for sea, to keep six months.
Take as many bottles as you wish to fill, wash and dry them very clean, then fill them right from the cows’ teats ; after you have them all full, take some new corks which you have previously soaked in water, drive them as tight as possible, have the bottle so full that there may be no vacancy between the cork and milk, then tie them with pack-thread or wire, as you would porter ; when you pack them by, put the bottles with their neck down, and bottoms upwards.
N.B. When you first cork them, put some straw on the bottom of the boiler, then place your bottles on their bottoms on it, and fill up with cold water, make a fire, and when it begins to boil, take the fire from under the boiler, and let it cool down. When cool, take them out, and pack as above, in straw, or saw dust. I have frequently kept milk for six months, and it was as fresh as when first bottled.
73.—To preserve apples for the year round.
Put them in casks in layers of dry sand ; let the sand be perfectly dry, and each layer being covered keeps them from the air, from moisture, from frost, and from perishing, as the sand absorbs their moisture, which generally perishes them ; pippins have often been kept in this manner until mid-summer, and were is fresh then as when put in.
74. – To loosen stoppers of decanters that are congealed.
Put two or three drops of sweet oil around the stopper close to the mouth of the decanter, then lay it a little distance from the fire, with the mouth of the bottle towards the heat, when the decanter gets warm, and the oil soaked in, take a piece of wood with a thick cloth wrapped around the heavy end of it for this purpose, then strike at one side, and then at the other, but not very hard, by this process you will soon take it out ; or instead of putting the decanters before the fire, put them in some boiling water, and pound them as above.
75. – Taking stains out of black cloth, crape, or silk.
Boil a large handful of fig leaves, in two quarts of rain or soft water, until reduced to one pint, then squeeze the leaves, and put the liquor into a bottle, cork it tight. The way to apply this is to rub the article with a piece of sponge dipped in the liquor, and the stain will immediately disappear.
76. – To know whether a bed is damp or not, when traveling.
After the bed is warmed, put a glass tumbler between the sheets, and if the bed is damp, the tumbler will show drops of wet on the inside. This rule ought to be properly attended to, and especially when you are travelling with a family, as it is your duty to be as attentive to them as possible.
77. – To make the best ginger beer.
Take one ounce of powdered ginger, half an ounce of cream tartar, one large lemon cut in slices, two pounds of loaf sugar, and one gallon of soft water, let them be well mixed together, let them simmer over the fire for half an hour, then put in one table-spoonful of yeast, and let it stand to ferment, and when done, bottle it and tie the corks with twine, put it in a cool place, and it will be fit for use in five or six days. This is delicious in hot weather.
78.- To make excellent spruce beer.
Take eight gallons boiling water, add to it eight gallons of cold, mix with this sixteen pounds of molasses, and six table-spoonsful of best essence of spruce, and half a pint of good yeast ; keep your keg in a temperate place, let the bung-hole remain open for two days, after which stop it uptight, or bottle it off. It will be fit for use in a few days ; you can make any quantity you choose, by either adding or diminishing the ingredients, &c.
79. – To make a beautiful flavoured punch.
Take one dessert-spoonful of acid salt of lemon, half a pound of good white sugar, two quarts of real boiling water, one pint of Jamaica rum, and half a pint of brandy, add some lemon peel or some essence of lemon, if agreeable, four drops of the essence is enough ; then pour it from one pitcher to another twice or thrice to mix it well. This will be a most delicious and fine flavored punch.
80. – To cement any kind of broken glass.
Take some isinglass, dissolve it in a sufficient quantity of spirits of wine, this will form a transparent glue that will unite glass so that the fracture will scarcely be perceived ; be very careful in handling the spirits of wine, for fear that it might boil into the fire, for this would be very dangerous.
81. – A black varnish for straw or chip hats.
Take half an ounce of best black varnish sealing wax, rectified spirits of wine two ounces, powder the sealing wax and put it into a 4 ounce phial, digest them in a sand heat, or near a fire, until the wax is quite dissolved ; lay it on the hat when warm, with a soft paintbrush, be careful to lay it on very even. This gives straw or chip hats a fine stiffness and a beautiful glaze which will resist all wet and storm.
82. – Blacking for harness that will not injure the leather.
Take two pounds of hog’s fat, one pound of best ivory black, mix them well together, then add spirits of turpentine to bring it to the consistence of paint, apply it on your harness with a brush, in the same manner as blacking a boot, then polish off with another, and it will produce a beautiful jet black, and is a great preservation to the leather ; almost all other compositions are injurious.
83.- To make a strong paste for paper.
Take two table-spoonsful of flour, stir itbwell together to make it free from lumps, then add as much strong beer as will make it to a due consistency ; boil slow for twenty minutes, let it be cold before you use it.
N.B. common paste may be made of flour, water, and a little alum. To preserve paste from souring, rats, &c. add a little spirits of turpentine.
84. – A water that gilds copper and bronze.
Dissolve equal quantities of green vitriol and ammoniac salt, in good double distilled vinegar, then evaporate the vinegar and put it in the retort to distill ; if in the product of your distillation you steep your metal, and after you have polished and made hot, it will come out perfectly well gilt.
85. – A wash for gold, silver, silk, or any other kind of embroidery or stuff whatever.
Take bullock’s galls one pound, soft soap and honey of each three ounces, Florentine orris of the same quantity, in subtile powder, put all into a glass or china vessel, in which mix well to a paste, and let it be exposed to the heat of the sun for the space of twelve days ; when you want to use it, make an infusion of bran boiled in soft water, and strain through a cloth, then smear the work above with the paste, wherever it is soiled or dirty, and wash afterwards in this bran water, still renewing the above, until there is no alteration in its colour, then wipe the places with a clean cloth, and wrap them in a clean napkin and place in the sun to dry ; after which you may pass it through the polish press and the work will appear as when new.
86.- To make iron as beautiful and white as silver.
Take ammoniac salt and quick lime in equal quantities, mix them well together, and dilute them in equal quantities of soft cold water, then take whatever piece of iron that you choose to make bright, heat it red hot, then steep it in the liquor prepared, and it will come out as beautiful and bright as silver.
87. – To preserve furs or woollen clothes from moths.
Let the former be combed often while in use, and the latter be brushed and shaken, and when not wanted let them be dried and cool, then among them mix bitter apples, which you can buy at the apothecaries, put them in small muslin bags, and carefully wrap them in several folds of linen, turning them up carefully at the ends and edges ; put them by in a dry place.
88 – To dye gloves to look like york tan
Put into half or one pint of soft water, half an ounce of best saffron, let the water be boiling, let this infuse all night ; the next morning wet the gloves well and even all over with a brush, you must sew up the tops to prevent the colour from getting inside ; if the first colour don’t suit, give them another coat.
89. – To cure those that are given to drink.
Put, in a sufficient quantity of rum, brandy, gin, or whatever liquor the person is in the habit of drinking, three large live eels, which leave until quite dead, give this liquor unawares to those you wish to reform, and they will get so disgusted against it, that, though they formally liked it, they will now have quite an aversion to it afterward ; this I have seen tried and have the good effect on the person who drank it.
90. – To prevent the breath from smelling after drink.
Chew a bit of the root of iris-troglotida and no person can discover by your breath whether you have been drinking or not.
91 - A wash to give lustre to the face.
Infuse half a pound of wheat bran in one quart of best white wine vinegar, for the space of four hours ; add to it the yolks of five eggs well beaten, and two grains of ambergris, distil the whole, and bottle it for use ; cork it very close, let it stand for fourteen days before use ; this must be applied at night and in the morning, mixed in soft water.
92. – A wash for the hair most superb.
Beat up the yolks of six eggs into a froth, and with this anoint the head well over, rub it well into the roots of the hair, leave it on until dry, then take equal quantities of rum and rosewater, and wash the head well over, this is a beautiful cleanser and brightener to the head and hair ; this should be applied in the morning.
93. – Excellent paste for the skin.
This can be highly recommended in cases when the skin gets too loosely attached to the muscles ; boil the whites of eggs in rosewater, add to this a sufficiently good quantity of alum in fine powder, beat all well up together, to form a paste ; this will give a great firmness to the skin when properly applied.
94. – A beautiful corn poultice, by RR the author.
Take equal parts of roasted onions and soft soap, beat them well up together, and apply it hot to the corn ; this I have known to assuage the raging pain of a corn.
95. – To make the best corn plaster. By J. W.
Take one ounce of Venice turpentine, half an ounce of red lead, one ounce of frankincense, half a pound of white rosin, one pint of Florence oil ; boil these in a pipkin over a slow fire, stir with a stick until they turn black, then turn it out to harden, this must be applied by spreading it on a piece of leather, that is oiled all over, then put it on the corn, wearing it constantly, and in a short time it will eradicate the corn.
96. – A safe liquid to turn red hair black.
Take black lead finely powdered, one ounce, ebony shavings one ounce ; mix these ingredients in one pint of soft water, boil for one hour ; let it stand until fine, then bottle it for use. To apply this, wet the comb often, and the hair must be frequently combed ; if a fine glossy black be required, you must add two ounces of camphor.
97. – To refine cider for one barrel.
Take one pint of brandy, four ounces of rock alum, the whites of six eggs, half a pint of coarse sand, and two pounds of coarse sugar.
98. – To clarify strong or table beer
Take a piece of chalk as big as a common tumbler glass, and cut it in two pieces of equal size, put it into your beer through the bung hole, this will answer for one barrel, and will cause the liquor to foment and become perfectly clear and fine.
99. – A cheap and wholesome beer.
Boil two ounces of hops, two ounces of pounded ginger, eight pounds of molasses, in four gallons of water, when it is cooled down to milk warm, add some yeast to ferment it. This makes a very wholesome and agreeable beer, and is not only cheaper, but will keep much longer than common beer.
100.- Excellent jumble beer.
Take four table-spoonsful of ground ginger, one quart of molasses, ten gallons of water. N.B. First mix the ingredients in a little warm water, then add the whole complement of water, and shake it briskly, and in eight hours it will be sufficiently fermented, and is a wholesome and pleasant beer.
101. – To make ginger beer for ten gallons.
Take ten gallons of water, one quart of molasses, ten good lemons cut in slices, ten ounces of bruised ginger, the whites of eight eggs well beaten, mix all well together, boil it for half an hour, skim it before it boils, add half an ounce of isinglass, and one pint of yeast ; add the yeast when milk warm, leave the bung open for it to ferment ; when done, stop it tight to keep, or you may bottle it after six days. You must tie the corks with twine, and put it in a cool place.
102. – A wash to give a brilliant lustre to plate.
Take one quart of rain or soft water, dissolve it in four ounces of good alum, when the alum is perfectly dissolved take it off the coals and skim it very clean, then bottle and cork it close. When you want to use it, dip a soft sponge into some of this liquor, which you must pour out into a bowl, and mix with it a little soft soap, say a teaspoonful ; rub it well and even over your plate, dry with warm towels, and polish with leather.
103. – Water proof varnish of the best quality.
Take linseed oil of the best quality, but any quantity you please into a well glazed pipkin over some red hot charcoal, in a chafingdish, then add to the oil, when warming, the fourth part of its weight in fine powder of rosin, dissolve them well together ; when you want to try it, take a little of the oil, and if it draws like thread, you may take it off the fire ; if it proves too thin, add some more rosin, and continue to boil ; when it comes as it should be, take whatever article that you have to varnish, and when finished, put it in the sun to dry, or put it before the fire, as this varnish will not dry itself.
104. – Chinese varnish for miniature painting.
Take one ounce of white karabe or amber, and one drachm of camphor reduced into subtile powder, put them into a matrass with five ounces of spirits of wine, and put it in the sun for twelve or fourteen days in the hottest weather, after which place the matrass on hot ashes with the space of one hour, then strain it through a linen cloth, and bottle and cork it tight for use.
105. – To make bottle cement.
Half a pound of black rosin, same quantity of red sealing wax, quarter of an ounce of bees wax, melted in an earthen or iron pot ; when it froths up, before all is melted and likely to boil over, stir it with a tallow candle, which will settle the froth till all is melted and fit for use.
I have now set down all the receipts that I thought were the best. I might have given a hundred more, for I have hundreds written off, but all these that I have put down I have tried myself, and find them all genuine ; I shall now give you some directions for putting dishes, &c. on table.
House Servants Directory | Index | Intro | Section One | Section Two and Three | Section Four and Five | Section Six | Section Seven and Eight | Section Nine and Ten | Glossary
