Break the bones of a shin of beef, a small knuckle of veal, and a couple of cow heels, put them into a soup-pot that will hold four gallons of water, just cover your meat with water and set it on the fire to heat gradually till it nearly boils; watch it, and skim it attentively while any scum rises, pour in a quart of cold water, to make it throw up all the scum that may remain, let it come to a boil again, and again skim it carefully: when no more scum rises, and the broth appears clear, put in what herbs or spice you please, but no salt; let it boil very gently for eight hours, strain it through a hair sieve into a large brown stone-pan; skim off" all the grease before you put it by, and set it where it will cool quickly; next day pour it as quietly as possible into a three gallon stewpan, (taking care not to let any of the settlings at the bottom of the stone-pan go into the stewpan; this answers better than straining it;) let it boil as fast as possible, in the uncovered stewpan, on a quick fire: pour it into a three quart stewpan; if any scum rises, take it off with a skimmer; now watch it all the time till it is reduced to the thickness of a very thick syrup; take the utmost care that it does not burn; a moment's inattention now will lose you all your labour, and the soup will be spoiled: take a little of it out in a spoon and let it cool; if it sets into strong jelly, it is done enough; if it does not, boil it a little longer, and try it again till it does; have ready some little preserving pots, let them be quite dry, pour the soup into them*, and let it stand till the next day. Set a large flat bot-tommed stewpan, one third part filled with boiling water, over a very slow fire, place the pots-of soup in this, taking care that the water does not reach the rims of them within a couple of inches; let the pots stand (uncovered) in this hot water (without boiling) for six or seven hours. This is the only way of bringing the soup to a proper thickness; it was before boiled up as high as it could be, over the naked fire, without burning; but that was not enough, without the aid of this water-bath it could not be reduced to the thickness of a stiff glue, whilst hot, which is the only way to be sure of its being perfectly firm when cold. It will now be of the consistence of a thick hard glue, and will keep good for many months, if it is put in a cool dry place.

* You will get a pint of excellent broth by washing out the stewpan with a pint of boiling water.

Observations

The uses of this concentrated essence of meat are numerous. As a general keeping stock, it is the most convenient basis for making extempore broths, soups, gravies, and sauces. To make a pint of broth, pour a pint of boiling water on apiece of the soup, about as big as a small walnut, stir it till it is melted, add a little salt, and the broth is ready: if you have time and opportunity, as there is no seasoning in the soup, either of herbs or spice, it will be a great improvement to boil a bit of parsley and thyme, and half a dozen corns of black pepper, in the water you melt the soup in: this will produce you as good a broth as need be.

An ounce of soup, melted in a quart of gravy, is just the same as the quart of gravy was before it was so boiled away.