For Father’s Day

 

I just wanted to share a few recipes that keep the father here, in a good mood. 

Here is a recipe for Rhubarb Sherbet that utilizes a base that can be frozen during times of abundance and then made up as needed.  This is a popular recipe at our house, on Father’s Day. 

RHUBARB SHERBET from Cooking from Quilt Country – Marcia Adams

Makes 6 cups.
Note:  the puree keeps indefinitely; the sherbet can only be made 1 week in advance; it tends to separate after that.

2# fresh rhubarb
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
speck of salt
1 T light corn syrup
                                                                1 cup heavy cream
                                                                2 egg whites

Wash rhubarb and cut into 1-inch pieces; you will have approximately 6 cups.  In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat until fruit is very tender, about 10 minutes.  Cool to lukewarm, about 1 1/2 hours.

Puree cooled mixture in a blender or food processor; there should be 4 cups of puree.  Stir in corn syrup and pour into shallow containers. (If you are freezing for future use, pour into 1 quart plastic containers.)  Freeze the puree until it is hard around the edges, but still soft in the center.

Turn the rhubarb mixture into a large chilled mixer bowl and beat thoroughly and quickly.  Whip the cream until stiff.  Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream, then the beaten egg whites into the rhubarb.  Return to the freezer and chill until firm, several hours or overnight.

 

The Circle of Useful Knowledge for Farmers, Mechanics, Merchants, etc.  1890  This was my grandmother’s go to book.  It is full of useful information and hilarious recipes and cures.

 

Here is a recipe for shaving soap from this book.  I cut the recipe down to try it out, and I used homemade soap that I had on hand.  DH liked the scent of the original recipe, but any combination of fragrances that pleases the father in your life would do.  This was a soap that my daughter could make for Daddy, when she was too little to help with the lye soap.  I don’t think the earthen vessel is necessary, melting in a double boiler like the calendula salve works the best.

SHAVING SOAP recipe in original form:

3 # good white soap in fine shavings
1 # palm soap in fine shavings
3/4 # soft water
1 ounce soda ash
Melt carefully over a slow fire in an earthen vessel, then add oil of lavender 60 drops, oil of lemon 40 drops, bergamot 50 drops; mix well, and make it into forms.

 

My changes in quantity: 

This makes a few round bars that will fit in a shaving mug.  This stuff lasts forever!

3/4 # white soap
1/4 # palm soap
3 ounces water
1/4 ounce soda ash or washing soda
15 drops lavender oil
10 drops lemon oil
12 drops bergamot 

 

Just for fun from the Medical Department chapter:

To Cure Deafness.
Obtain pure pickerel oil, and apply 4 drops morning and evening to the ear.  Great care should be taken to obtain oil that is perfectly pure!

I wonder if this would work on “selective hearing?”