Household Hints From 1915

Indian Summer. The last warmth of the sun.
Chilly mornings and glorious warm afternoons.
The Harvest Moon. The Hunter's Moon. The
Rainy Season. Dry corn stalks clattering in the
wind. The touch of frost on grass and window
pane. The smell of burning leaves.
~Keith C. Heidorn



These tips are from the column Helps for Housekeepers in the October 1915 issue of Modern Priscilla:

Croutons for soup can easily be made in the corn popper! They will crisp in a moment. Cut the bread to desired size,place in the popper and toast over glowing coals.

A spoonful of flour added to a fruit filling for pie, or any other wet mixture will not become lumpy if mixed with the same amount of sugar before adding. The same is true of cornstarch in making desserts or gravies.

Aromatic Vinegars: Many a cook will serve mint sauce in the season when she can command the growing mint yet never think of preparing mint vinegar that will last all year. To prepare the vinegar, wash the mint leaves, shake them dry, and put into a large mouthed bottle. Fill the bottle with good cider vinegar and at the end of the month, strain off all the vinegar and seal it up in small bottles. For nasturtium vinegar proceed in the same manner, substituting the green nasturtium seeds for the mint leaves.

Preparing fresh coconut. Instead of using a grater, put the coconut through the meat chopper (grinder). It comes out light and fluffy and can be done in a few seconds.

Novel uses for the garden hose: Use the hose to rinse heavy articles. Blankets rinsed in this way are saved from wringing and dry without wrinkles, and so no ironing is required. The nap is uncrushed. Also rinse heavy counterpanes this way, and crochet and knitted spreads are especially soft and fluffy. Rug, scrubbed with a stiff brush moistened in diluted ammonia will look like new. Turn the hose on full force on garden shrubs every few days and all insects will disappear!

On OFL: Click here to learn the art of drying vegetables.