Weekly wisdom
HANDY LIFE HACKS FROM MORE THAN 60 YEARS AGO
Back in 1956, the Weekly was famed for our usefulness amongst the housewives of New Zealand. Our “Here’s a Hint” page, where readers would share their best tips and tricks for around the home, was one of the most popular. Take a trip down memory lane with these hints from December 1956 – and do let us know if you’re still using any of them today!
To give a delicious flavour and improve the appearance of boiled ham, skin the ham while hot. Place on a large plate and sprinkle the fat liberally with sugar and burn with a red-hot poker. Repeat until all the fat is golden brown. Have a second poker heating while using one. Do it on a bench beside an open window as it smokes. If not convenient to do when hot, it can be done later. – Jane
When transplanting young plants in hot water, use sprigs of macrocarpa, manuka or anything else available to provide shade and prevent the young plants becoming shrivelled with the sun. – Dahlia
If you have moved to a new house, don’t miss out on your friends’ company while they mill about looking for your new abode. Draw a simple map, colour it if you have time and use this as an invitation card to your housewarming party. − Welcome
To get a true black when dyeing clothes, dye in the usual way, then hang outside on a hanger, straight from the dye-bath, and allow to drip till dry, then take in and rinse in several lots of water until water is clear. – Tilly
Try bananas this way for a children’s party. Dip firm but ripe, peeled bananas in milk, then roll them in honey. Have ready some flaky pastry rolled thin. Roll each banana in pastry, press edges together, then brush with a little sugar and milk. Bake in moderately hot oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot or cold. – KM
If you have a frock with a hemline that dips and drops all over the place, put it on a hanger, place another frock with an even hem over the top and run a tacking thread around the uneven one while hanging up. To take them down, use the tacking thread as your guide to turn up the hem.
It is especially recommended for a flared frock. − LEM
When making pastry, each time it is rolled, before folding, sprinkle on a little baking powder, then fold and roll again the required three times. It’s so flaky and it helps to brown nicely too. − Blondie
You may like to keep your copies of the Weekly for reference. If so, stack up the parts in their proper order and then thread a piece of tape through the wire stitches. When the stack is made, tie the two ends of the tape in a bow so that it can easily be undone next week when the subsequent part is to be added to the stack. It is a good idea to paste a sheet of brown paper along the edge of the top copy to serve as a cover and keep the first part clean. − Mock
When hanging children’s socks on the clothesline, peg them in pairs by the toes and when dry, pull one top over the other corresponding top. They are much easier to put away as they don’t have to be sorted out when brought inside. – Duckie
When making strawberry jam it can be made much thicker by cutting a couple of green strawberries into the basin with the ripe fruit. Also use the juice of an orange instead of the usual juice of a lemon. – LLC
Baked ham has a finer flavour than the usual boiled ham. Soak overnight, make a paste of flour and water, roll out a quarter inch thick, and wrap ham up in it. Close paste very carefully so that none of the juices can escape. Bake ham in a steady oven for four hours.
Peel off the crust and garnish as usual. − Eirrod
To prevent corned beef from going hard and dry after your first meal, return it to the water in which it has been cooked. Keep in a basin at the bottom of the refrigerator until needed for the next meal. – Evalyall
Chrome can be cleaned easily and without damaging it by using plain flour on a dry cloth. This is also good for stainless-steel sink tops. – GHP
Balls of soft cheese rolled in finely chopped parsley or grated raw carrot make an attractive garnish. –E
When serving cold lamb or veal mix two tablespoonfuls chopped mint with an equal quantity of red currant jelly. It is delicious. – Cicely