To Make Essence of Coffee
Origin: London, England
Source: Isabella Beeton, 1861
Ingredients
- To every 1/4 lb. of ground coffee
- 1 small teaspoonful of powdered chicory
- 3 small teacupfuls, or 1 pint
- of water
Instructions
- Let the coffee be freshly ground, and, if possible, freshly roasted;
- put it into a percolater, or filter, with the chicory, and pour _slowly_ over it the above proportion of boiling water.
- When it has all filtered through, warm the coffee sufficiently to bring it to the simmering-point, but do not allow it to boil;
- then filter it a second time, put it into a clean and dry bottle, cork it well, and it will remain good for several days.
- Two tablespoonfuls of this essence are quite sufficient for a breakfast-cupful of hot milk.
- This essence will be found particularly useful to those persons who have to rise extremely early; and having only the milk to make boiling, is very easily and quickly prepared.
- When the essence is bottled, pour another 3 tea-cupfuls of _boiling_ water slowly on the grounds, which, when filtered through, will be a very weak coffee.
- The next time there is essence to be prepared, make this weak coffee boiling, and pour it on the ground coffee instead of plain water: by this means a better coffee will be obtained.
- Never throw away the grounds without having made use of them in this manner; and always cork the bottle well that contains this preparation, until the day that it is wanted for making the fresh essence.