Beef Tea? [Recipes]
2007 Apr 27
It IS from Beeton's - good eye FF. The book gives further insight into the nutritional value as well, by "Miss Nightingale" aka Florence, and someone named Dr. Christison:
MISS NIGHTINGALE says, one of the most common errors among nurses, with respect to sick diet, is the belief that beef tea is the most nutritive of all article. She says, “Just try and boil down a lb. of beef into beef tea; evaporate your beef tea, and see what is left of your beef: you will find that there is barely a teaspoonful of solid nourishment to 1/4 pint of water in beef tea. Nevertheless, there is a certain reparative quality in it,—we do not know what,—as there is in tea; but it maybe safely given in almost any inflammatory disease, and is as little to be depended upon with the healthy or convalescent, where much nourishment is required.”
DR. CHRISTISON says that “every one will be struck with the readiness with which certain classes of patients will often take diluted meat juice, or beef tea repeatedly, when they refuse all other kinds of food.” This is particularly remarkable in case of gastric fever, in which, he says, little or nothing else besides beef tea, or diluted meat juice, has been taken for weeks, or even months; and yet a pint of beef tea contains scarcely 1/4 oz. of anything but water. The result is so striking, that he asks, “What is its mode of action? Not simple nutriment; 1/4 oz. of the most nutritive material cannot nearly replace the daily wear and tear of the tissue in any circumstances.” Possibly, he says, it belongs to a new denomination of remedies.
MISS NIGHTINGALE says, one of the most common errors among nurses, with respect to sick diet, is the belief that beef tea is the most nutritive of all article. She says, “Just try and boil down a lb. of beef into beef tea; evaporate your beef tea, and see what is left of your beef: you will find that there is barely a teaspoonful of solid nourishment to 1/4 pint of water in beef tea. Nevertheless, there is a certain reparative quality in it,—we do not know what,—as there is in tea; but it maybe safely given in almost any inflammatory disease, and is as little to be depended upon with the healthy or convalescent, where much nourishment is required.”
DR. CHRISTISON says that “every one will be struck with the readiness with which certain classes of patients will often take diluted meat juice, or beef tea repeatedly, when they refuse all other kinds of food.” This is particularly remarkable in case of gastric fever, in which, he says, little or nothing else besides beef tea, or diluted meat juice, has been taken for weeks, or even months; and yet a pint of beef tea contains scarcely 1/4 oz. of anything but water. The result is so striking, that he asks, “What is its mode of action? Not simple nutriment; 1/4 oz. of the most nutritive material cannot nearly replace the daily wear and tear of the tissue in any circumstances.” Possibly, he says, it belongs to a new denomination of remedies.
2007 Apr 27
Wow, that's really interesting FiH! So they're both saying it's like a magic food that has no calories or nutrients yet somehow manages to keep people alive. ;-) Joking aside, that really *is* the reputation it has in literature.
I guess it makes sense that someone who is really sick and not interested in eating might still enjoy "beef tea." After all, consommés and bouillons are used as appetizers for good reason -- they really get the digestive juices flowing and make you ready to eat! You could say they are some of the most truly appetizing foods. (I refer you to this: ottawafoodies.com)
I'd be interested to hear some slightly more recent study on the nutritional/medicinal effects of beef tea or chicken soup.
I guess it makes sense that someone who is really sick and not interested in eating might still enjoy "beef tea." After all, consommés and bouillons are used as appetizers for good reason -- they really get the digestive juices flowing and make you ready to eat! You could say they are some of the most truly appetizing foods. (I refer you to this: ottawafoodies.com)
I'd be interested to hear some slightly more recent study on the nutritional/medicinal effects of beef tea or chicken soup.
2007 May 4
Ah, Mrs Beeton. (Did anybody read the new biography of her that came out relatively recently? Is it worth a look?)
From the "'Tried Favourites' Cookery Book" (17th edition, 1920) --
Beed tea must never boil. It is the juice of the meat that contains the nourishment. The juice is much the same as the white of an egg, and contains albumen. Everyone knows if the white of an egg is boiled hard it becomes indigestible. So is juice for beef tea. If one is strong and well it is all right, but when sick the stomach is not able nor strong enough to digest it. Salt is added to loosen the fibre, and so help the juices of the meat to leak out into the water. The meat is finely shred, so that the juices may more easily leak out. Cold water must be added; hot water would coagulate thw albuminous parts of the meat, and prevent juices getting out. Any fat on beef tea must be removed with kitchen paper. "The secret of success in making beef tea is not to cook it too fast."
From the start of the "Invalid Cookery" section, always a great place for gross in old cookbooks. There's "beef tea and eggs" and "beef tea with oatmeal," too. And "beef-tea pudding" -- 1 gill of beef tea, 2 tbsp bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 oz butter. A beef custard. A...oh, good, were they trying to make them more sick? I mean, I'm sure it's nourishing, but. There's even veal tea.
And, for vegetarians, mushroom tea.
"Wash and stew for 1/2 hour 4 oz. mushrooms in a breakfast-cup water. Strain. Dissolve a teaspoon Plasmon in a little water, and add to the liquid with seasoning. Boil up 3 minutes. Serve with toast."
PLASMON??
From the "'Tried Favourites' Cookery Book" (17th edition, 1920) --
Beed tea must never boil. It is the juice of the meat that contains the nourishment. The juice is much the same as the white of an egg, and contains albumen. Everyone knows if the white of an egg is boiled hard it becomes indigestible. So is juice for beef tea. If one is strong and well it is all right, but when sick the stomach is not able nor strong enough to digest it. Salt is added to loosen the fibre, and so help the juices of the meat to leak out into the water. The meat is finely shred, so that the juices may more easily leak out. Cold water must be added; hot water would coagulate thw albuminous parts of the meat, and prevent juices getting out. Any fat on beef tea must be removed with kitchen paper. "The secret of success in making beef tea is not to cook it too fast."
From the start of the "Invalid Cookery" section, always a great place for gross in old cookbooks. There's "beef tea and eggs" and "beef tea with oatmeal," too. And "beef-tea pudding" -- 1 gill of beef tea, 2 tbsp bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 oz butter. A beef custard. A...oh, good, were they trying to make them more sick? I mean, I'm sure it's nourishing, but. There's even veal tea.
And, for vegetarians, mushroom tea.
"Wash and stew for 1/2 hour 4 oz. mushrooms in a breakfast-cup water. Strain. Dissolve a teaspoon Plasmon in a little water, and add to the liquid with seasoning. Boil up 3 minutes. Serve with toast."
PLASMON??
2007 May 4
PLASMON - dictionary.com says:
"The aggregate of cytoplasmic or extranuclear genetic material in an organism."
OR
"The cytoplasm of a cell regarded as a system of hereditary extrachromosomal determinants."
And wikepedia spews:
"In physics, the plasmon is the quasiparticle resulting from the quantization of plasma oscillations the same way as for photon or phonon. They are a hybrid of the electron plasma (in a metal or semiconductor) and the photon. Thus, plasmons are collective oscillations of the free electron gas at optical frequencies.
A plasmon is basically just an oscillation of the conduction electrons in a metal."
I'm assuming that Plasmon is a brand name of something? None of these definitions seem to indicate that they would be good things to add by the teaspoon full...
"The aggregate of cytoplasmic or extranuclear genetic material in an organism."
OR
"The cytoplasm of a cell regarded as a system of hereditary extrachromosomal determinants."
And wikepedia spews:
"In physics, the plasmon is the quasiparticle resulting from the quantization of plasma oscillations the same way as for photon or phonon. They are a hybrid of the electron plasma (in a metal or semiconductor) and the photon. Thus, plasmons are collective oscillations of the free electron gas at optical frequencies.
A plasmon is basically just an oscillation of the conduction electrons in a metal."
I'm assuming that Plasmon is a brand name of something? None of these definitions seem to indicate that they would be good things to add by the teaspoon full...
FOOD is HOT!
I was re-reading The Secret Garden for the umpteenth time and they mention giving Colin and Mary "Beef Tea" at various intervals. I realized that I had no idea what it was so I looked it up. It sounds utterly revolting. Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone has ever TRIED beef tea, and if so, what is it like?
For those of you who are as clueless as me as to what it is, I have posted the classic recipe below:
1858. INGREDIENTS.—1 lb. of lean gravy-beef, 1 quart of water, 1 saltspoonful of salt.
Mode.—Have the meat cut without fat and bone, and choose a nice fleshy piece. Cut it into small pieces about the size of dice, and put it into a clean saucepan. Add the water cold to it; put it on the fire, and bring it to the boiling-point; then skim well. Put in the salt when the water boils, and simmer the beef tea gently from 1/2 to 3/4 hour, removing any more scum should it appear on the surface. Strain the tea through a hair sieve, and set it by in a cool place. When wanted for use, remove every particle of fat from the top; warm up as much as may be required, adding, if necessary, a little more salt. This preparation is simple beef tea, and is to be administered to those invalids to whom flavourings and seasonings are not allowed. When the patient is very low, use double the quantity of meat to the same proportion of water. Beef tea is always better when made the day before it is wanted, and then warmed up. It is a good plan to put the tea into a small cup or basin, and to place this basin in a saucepan of boiling water. When the tea is warm, it is ready to serve.
Time.—1/4 to 3/4 hour. Average cost, 6d. per pint.
Sufficient.—Allow 1 lb. of meat for a pint of good beef tea.