As commercial baking-powders are required by law to state their ingredients on their labels, no one need therefore use a rising-agent containing deleterious or doubtful residue. Through only ignorance, negligence or indifference will this happen.

It is possible and economical to make excellent baking-powder at home, as follows:

Soda (baking), 2 oz., mixed with starch, 1-1 1/2 oz. (or 1 1/2 - 2 1/2). Shake well. Cream of tartar, 4 oz. (from reliable druggist), added, and all well-shaken.

The smaller amount of starch makes a more quickly active powder; the larger a better-keeping powder. Both need to be made of perfectly dry ingredients and to be kept dry in covered glass or tin. Why?

In home cooking artificial leavens may be varied according to the effect of ingredients upon leavens themselves. With non-acid ingredients an acid-element is essential in baking-powder so that chemical action will liberate the gas that does the leavening of the mass. If any ingredients are themselves acid, as are sour milk and molasses, soda alone serves. The acid present then frees the gas from the soda. This method is a home practice that is sometimes used as a convenience or economy. It may improve a food; for were a baking-powder used in acid foods the action would be too quick and a residue unnecessarily introduced.

The time and way of mixing in rising-agents determines their effectiveness. They need to be active throughout a mixture and not to become active before the mixture is formed. Hence the usual sifting of these with flour and no moistening of them until action is advisable. Beaten eggs used to catch and retain air to leaven mixtures are folded in with care at the end of the mixing-process, that they may be effective in this.

Interest in food-quality grows with knowledge about it and experience in endeavoring to secure a pure food-supply.

A NORWEGIAN WOMAN BAKING FLAT BREAD OUT-OF-DOORS.

Copyright, B. L. Singley By courtesy of Keystone View Co.

This bread is made of coarse barley-meal and water, then rolled thin and baked on a flat stone heated by a fagot-fire underneath. When baked this bread is kept in a dry place for winter use. It is said to be clean and palatable.