be either boiled, stewed, or baked, but
whatever the method employed, it must be very slow and prolonged. Beans
to be baked should first be parboiled until tender. We mention this as a
precautionary measure lest some amateur cook, misled by the term "bake,"
should repeat the experiment of the little English maid whom we employed
as cook while living in London, a few years ago. In ordering our dinner,
we had quite overlooked the fact that baked beans are almost wholly an
American dish, and failed to give any suggestions as to the best manner
of preparing it. Left to her own resources, the poor girl did the best
she knew how, but her face was full of perplexity as she placed the
beans upon the table at dinner, with, "Well, ma'am, here are the beans,
but I don't see how you are going to eat them." Nor did we, for she had
actually baked the dry beans, and they lay there in the dish, as brown
as roasted coffee berries, and as hard as bullets.

Beans to be boiled or stewed do not need parboiling, although many cooks
prefer to parboil them, to lessen the strong flavor which to some
persons is quite objectionable.

From one to eight hours are required to cook beans, varying with the age
and variety of the seed, whether it has been soaked, and the rapidity of
the cooking process.

_RECIPES._

BAKED BEANS.--Pick over a quart of best white beans and soak in
cold water over night. Put them to cook in fresh water, and simmer
gently till they are tender, but not broken. Let them be quite juicy
when taken from the kettle. Season with salt and a teaspoonful of
molasses. Put them in a deep crock in a slow oven. Let them bake two or
three hours, or until they assume a reddish brown tinge, adding boiling
water occasionally to prevent their becoming dry. Turn, into a shallow
dish, and brown nicely before sending to the table.

BOILED BEANS.--Pick over some fresh, dry beans carefully, and wash
thoroughly. Put into boiling water and cook gently and slowly until
tender, but not broken. They should be moderately juicy when done. Serve
with lemon juice, or season with salt and a little cream as preferred.

The colored varieties, which are usually quite strong in flavor, are
made less so by parboiling for fifteen or twenty minutes and then
pouring the water off, adding more of boiling temperature, and cooking
slowly until tender.

BEANS BOILED IN A BAG.--Soak a pint of white beans over night. When
ready to cook, put them into a clean