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Marketing

Too little attention is paid in this country to the art of marketing. There is not one English lady in twenty who can tell the names of the various joints of beef and mutton that are exposed for sale in butchers' shops, and not one in fifty who can go out and do her own marketing with discrimination and economy. Ladies who will spend hours in shopping when lace and furs and ribbons are concerned, think it entirely beneath them to visit the fishmonger's or the butcher's in order to select a fresh fish or a prime joint for dinner. Consequently, the tradesmen send in pretty well just what they please, the weights are rarely checked, and the prices are a penny or twopence a pound more than the same articles could be purchased for in the various shops. There is no country in the world that has such a plentiful supply of good material for food as our own. There is no beef like that of Aberdeenshire, no mutton like the Southdown, no fruit so luscious as that from English orchards, no vegetables so succulent as those of our market gardens, and no fish with the flavour of those of our seas; but it requires practice and experience to select the best of these good things, and to purchase with judgment and discretion. To be able to discriminate between good food and bad, and between prime meat and inferior, is a duty which every chatelaine owes to herself, to her cook, and to her household; to herself, in order that she may not be taken advantage of by dishonest tradesmen; to her cook, that full justice may be done to her culinary skill; and to her household, that their bodies may be nourished and their palates gratified with well-flavoured, succulent food. We will proceed, therefore, to give a few practical directions regarding the choosing of the various articles of food in general use. FISH.--As an article of food fish deserves to be held in high esteem. Owing to the quantity of phosphorus and nitrogen contained in it, it forms a valuable diet for brain-workers, while its digestibility renders it specially suitable for invalids and persons of sedentary habits. Fish may be divided broadly into three classes--white, oily, and shell fish. The first class includes whiting, soles, turbot, brill, plaice, flounders, haddock, and cod in the order of digestibility. In the oily class of fish are salmon, mackerel, eels, and herring; these are highly nutritious when they can be digested easily, but with many people they disagree. Mackerel decompose very rapidly, and should never be eaten unless they are absolutely fresh. There are two classes of shell-fish, known as the crustacean and the mollusc. Familiar examples of the former are the crab, lobster, shrimp, prawn, and crayfish, while the latter is represented by the oyster, mussel, cockle, and scallop. In choosing fish the purchaser should be guided by the following rules:--Bright eyes, red gills, flesh firm to the touch, and scales not easily rubbed off, are a sure sign of freshness. A short, plump fish, thick about the shoulders, is much to be preferred to a long, thin one. The sole is, perhaps, the most generally esteemed fish, and it has the advantage of being obtainable all the year round. Soles vary considerably both in size and price, but are never what might be called a cheap fish, being seldom obtainable under a shilling a pound. Do not buy a sole in roe, as the flavour is insipid, and always select a large-sized fish in preference to two or more smaller ones. The best cod-fish are those that are plump and round at the tail, the sides having a slightly ribbed appearance, with yellow spots on a clear skin. Cod is at its best about Christmas time. From the middle of January to March it is not so good nor so abundant; in May, again, it is generally very fine. The flesh of the salmon is rich and delicious in flavour. When perfectly fresh there will be found between the flakes a creamy white curd, which is much valued by epicures. The highly-esteemed smelt, when fresh, has an odour like a newly-cut cucumber, which passes away in about twelve hours after it has been caught. Turbot should be moist, the skin not blistered, and the colour of the light side very pale cream. Plaice is in good condition when the body is thick and firm, the eyes bright, and the pale side tinged with pink.

When choosing unboiled lobsters, press them between the eyes; if they are alive they will move their claws. To test boiled lobsters, take the tail between the finger and thumb, and draw it out from the body. If it springs back the fish is fresh; if devoid of elasticity it is stale. Lobsters and crabs should be chosen by weight, those of medium size having the best flavour. "Native" oysters have small, smooth shells, and are the best for eating raw, but large rough-shelled oysters, which can be purchased for a shilling a dozen, are quite good enough for sauces, stews, and steak puddings. BEEF is best during the winter months, and it can then be hung for several days to ensure its being tender. The meat should be red, of a good colour, neither too bright nor too pale, and the fat should be slightly tinged with yellow. Ox beef is considered the choicest. Heifer beef has a closer grain, paler colour, and whiter fat than ox beef. Bull beef is dark-coloured, lean, coarse-grained, and strong smelling. Beef in prime condition should have little streaks of fat running through the lean, and the flesh should rise quickly when pressed with the finger. When a line of horny substance lies between the fat and the lean, or when a thick layer of gristle is under the fat, it shows that the animal was aged.

VEAL.--Veal is considered to be specially in season from May to September, although it may be obtained all the year round. The marks of good veal are: Pale pink flesh of good colour, firm fat of a pinkish white, and a small kidney. The flesh of the bull-calf is usually preferred for joints on account of its being firmer in grain and fuller in flavour, but for many dishes that of the cow-calf is chosen because of its superior whiteness. Veal is at its best when the animal is about three months old. It should be used soon after being killed, as the flesh rapidly decomposes.

MUTTON.--Mutton stands next in order to beef for its nutritious qualities, and as regards digestibility it is superior to any other kind of butcher meat. A sheep should not be killed for food until it is three years old, nor when it is more than six. Younger mutton is flabby and flavourless, and older is strong and stringy. The flesh of a five-year-old is preferred by an epicure. At that age it should be firm, succulent, and juicy. Good mutton is finely grained, the lean of a darker colour than beef, and the fat white rather than yellow, the latter colour indicating poor quality. On an old animal the skin when pinched remains wrinkled. The flavour and colour of the flesh are affected to a considerable degree by the herbage and other food of the sheep. Scotch and Welsh mountain mutton are darker than Lowland mutton, and have a slight gamy flavour. Southdown mutton is much prized on account of the delicacy of its flavour. Wether mutton is the best, and should be chosen for roasting. Ewe mutton, which is cheaper, is quite enough for boiling or stewing. Mutton should be well hung before being cooked, the length of time depending upon the state of the weather and the quality of the meat. The leg will keep for a much longer time than the loin or the shoulder. A leg should always be hung with the cut side up, in order to retain the juices. LAMB.--The flesh of lamb should be firm and of a light colour; the fat should also be firm and light. Avoid lamb which has yellow fat and flabby red flesh. Lamb born in the winter time, brought up under shelter, and fed principally upon milk, is considered the best, but is rather an expensive luxury. Grass lamb--that is, lamb fed upon pasturage--comes into season in April. The quality of lamb can be easily tested by the appearance of the veins of the neck, which should be of a ruddy or bluish colour; if green, it is not good. PORK.--The pig is peculiarly liable to disease, and if its flesh is in a diseased condition when eaten evil results are sure to follow. For this reason pork should be chosen with the greatest care, and only during the winter months. The fat should be white and firm, the lean finely grained, and the rind thin and smooth. Pork from which the rind has been already pared should not be bought, as this indicates that it has been taken from a heavy, coarsely-fed animal. Discolorations in the fat prove an unhealthy condition at the time of killing. Pork that has been dairy-fed is the best. In order to avoid inferior qualities it should always be purchased from a dealer of standing and reputation.

VENSION.--There are three kinds of deer indigenous to this country--red deer, roe-buck, and fallow deer. The last-named is the commonest. Buck venison, considered the finest, is in season from June to the end of September, and doe venison from October to December. Venison should be hung from fourteen to twenty-one days in a dry larder, and well wiped with a dry cloth each day. Powdered ginger and pepper should be dusted over it to keep off flies. In order to ascertain its condition, run a skewer close to the bone, and judge from the smell whether it is sweet or not. If musty, it should be washed first in lukewarm water, and afterwards in tepid milk and water, and then dried very thoroughly. The lean should be fine-grained and dark; the fat plentiful, firm, white, and clear. The age may be told by the cleft of the hoof; if smooth and small, the animal is young; if rough and large, it is old. POULTRY AND GAME.--The weight of fowls and chickens should be great in proportion to their size, but an over-fat bird is not economical. A young fowl can be recognised by its feet. The claws should bend backwards without cracking, and there should be two spur upon the legs; the spur does not begin to grow until the bird is a year old. The skin should be soft and silky, and the breast full and plump. Ducks should have a full breast, supple feet, and a clear skin. Geese should be eaten when young. The breast should be plump, the skin white, and the feet yellow and pliable. Red feet and bill denote an old bird. A good test is to squeeze the windpipe close to the body. If it yield easily to the pressure, the goose is tender; if it resist, it is tough. When purchasing a turkey choose one of moderate size. In young birds the skin is soft and even; in old ones it is coarse and wrinkled. The legs should be smooth; a long spur with rough, pale legs denotes age. Hen turkeys are considered the best, especially for boiling. Pheasants and partridges should be hung for some days before cooking, the time depending upon individual taste, as what is offensive to some is pleasing to others. An old bird may be known by the length of its spurs, which in young birds are short and blunt. A young grouse may be known by the tenderness of its beak, which will break if the bird is held up by it. Snipe, when old, have thick, hard feet; when the feet are soft and tender, the birds are young. Woodcock should be fat, and should never be drawn, as the trail is considered a delicacy. A young hare has smooth, sharp claws, and the cleft in the lip is not much spread. A hare should hang for at least a week--longer if the weather permits.