I never really thought I’d need instructions on how to boil green vegetables, and honestly I think it rather funny that Maggie’s example is a cauliflower – which is not green at all! However, her notes do say that these instructions apply to all green vegetables except spinach. I find the addition of washing soda to the food somewhat off-putting. However, washing soda is relatively similar to baking soda and you could use that instead. Washing soda is more alkaline and thereby more caustic in large quantities. I think I would just use water to boil my veggies.

Boiling of Green Vegetables

Take a cauliflower, thoroughly wash it & free it from all clay & dirt, if possible let it be in cold water for at least 1/2 hour. On no account put salt in the water that it is steeping in. Have a saucepan of boiling water on the fire, add to it a good pinch salt & a tiny bit washing soda the size of a pea. Place the cauliflower into it with the flower down & boil it without a lid, from 15-20 min. Take it up, cut the coarse stalk from it, place it in a hot vegetable dish & serve it with white sauce. Note This applies to the boiling of all green vegetables with the exception of spinach.