Salted meats, such as ham, corned-beef, salt tongue, etc., should be put on the fire to boil in cold water, to draw out the salt, and should be gently brought to the boiling point and kept there, rapid boiling being carefully avoided, as it hardens and ruins the meat. All other meats should be plunged in boiling water at the first, and when the water boils again (it will be cooled somewhat when the meat is put in) skim it and keep it at the boiling point for fifteen minutes ; then draw the kettle away from the fire, where it will be kept at just the bubbling point, care being taken that the water never gets below this heat while the meat is cooking. If these directions are followed, every piece of boiled meat will be found tender and juicy when done and will cut smoothly, while meat that has been boiled rapidly will break into long shreds when cut, and will be hard and tasteless.

Fish that is to be boiled should first be wrapped in cheese-cloth, the cloth being pinned or tied together at the lapping places; the fish can thus be easily kept from breaking. When done it should be lifted out by the cloth and drained thoroughly before being placed on the serving dish.

Boiling Time-Table

Asparagus, 20 min.

Beef, corned, 3 to 4 hrs.

Beets (young), 30 to 45 min.

Cabbage, 45 to 60 min.

Clams, 3 to 5 min.

Corn (green), 15 to 20 min.

Celery, 20 to 30 min.

Carrots, 30 to 45 min.

Cauliflower, 30 to 45 min.

Chickens, 1 to 2 hrs.

Coffee, 3 to 5 min.

Cod, per lb., 6 min.

Eggs (soft), 3 to 5 min.

Eggs (hard), 15 to 20 min.

Fowls, per lb., 25 min.

Fish (small), per lb., 6 min.

Fish, blue, per lb., 10 min.

Fish, bass, 10 min.

Ham, 4 to 5 hrs.

Haddock, per lb., 6 min.

Halibut, per lb., 15 min.

Hominy, 1 to 2 hrs.

Lamb, 1 to 2 hrs.

Macaroni, 30 to 45 min.

Oysters, 3 to 5 min.

Onions, 30 to 45 min.

Oatmeal, 1 to 2 hrs.

Potatoes, 20 to 30 min.

Peas, 15 to 20 min.

Parsnips, 30 to 45 min.

Rice, 15 to 20 min.

Squash, 20 to 30 min.

Spinach, 20 to 30 min.

Salsify, 45 to 60 min.

Salmon, per lb., 15 min.

Sweetbreads, 20 to 30 min.

Tomatoes, 15 to 20 min.

Turnips, 30 to 45 min.

Turkey, per lb., 25 min.

Tongue, smoked, 3 to 4 hrs.

Vegetables (Winter), 1 to 2 hrs.

Veal, per lb., 25 min.

Wheat-mush, 1 to 2 hrs.