Girl's home manual of cookery, home management, home nursing and laundry

Value in Diet. Fruits are chiefly valuable on account of their mineral matter combined with acids, which helps to keep the blood pure and the skin clear. The sugar and water in them are useful foods. The cellulose, or framework of fruits, helps to prevent constipation. Fruits stimulate the appetite and so aid digestion. Digestibility. Fruits (nuts excepted) are fairly easy to digest, if ripe, but unripe fruits are very difficult to digest. The peel of fruits should always be removed, as it is indigestible. Uncooked pineapple contains a ferment which digests proteins. Effect of Cooking Fruit. Cooking softens the cellulose of fruit and makes it more digestible. Cooking also develops the pectin. Fruit, if fully ripe, is best eaten raw, and may be eaten with advantage before breakfast or between meals. General Rules for Cooking Fruit. (1.) Wash all fruit before serving. Remove stalks and bruised parts from fruit to be cooked. (2.) Wash and then soak dried fruit in cold water overnight, and cook in the water used for soaking. (3.) Put prepared fruit in stewpan with water to prevent burning; cover and cook slowly in oven or on the stove until fruit is nearly tender, then sweeten. (4.) To fruit juice add white or brown sugar, one part sugar to three parts of juice, but the acidity of the fruit must be remembered. Stir until sugar dissolves, boil the syrup and cook fruit a few minutes longer. Serve with juice on a deep glass or china dish. Sugar loses one-third of its sweetness if cooked for long with acid fruits. If fruit is preferred cooked in syrup, make syrup first by bringing to a boil and boiling for five minutes; 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water for sour fruits and less sugar for sweet fruits. [illustration: Sewers] NUTS Nuts really belong to the fruits. Nuts are a very valuable food and contain much nutrition in a small compass. General Composition of Nuts. Nuts contain only from 4 to 5 per cent. of water and are rich in all food nutrients. They contain as much protein as meat and more fat than any food except oils, butter, and fat of meat. They also contain some carbohydrates, mineral matter and cellulose. Food Value. Nuts are rich in protein, and contain large quantities of vegetable fat; they are, therefore, used as a substitute for meat in a vegetarian diet. The chestnut is probably the most valuable, and almonds and walnuts rank next. Digestion of Nuts. Nuts are somewhat difficult to digest owing to their close, firm texture and large proportion of fat. Nuts should be well masticated, or they may be put through a nut or meat chopper. They should always have .the tough brown skin next to the flesh removed. Nut butters are a valuable food. FRUIT RECIPES Baked Apples. (a.) To each large apple allow: 1 or 2 tbsp. sugar according to the acidity of the apple. Flavour if necessary with: 3 drops of lemon juice and a little grated lemon rind, or a little grated nutmeg, cinnamon or 1 clove. 4 cup water. Wipe and core apples, peel after coring if preferred pared. Put apples in a baking dish, fill centres with sugar and flavouring, pour over the water. Bake in a hot oven until tender. This takes from 30 to 45 minutes. Baste frequently with the syrup. Serve either hot or cold. : (b.) Apples are sometimes wiped and placed on a baking tin without sugar, water or flavouring. Bake in a moderate oven and serve dusted with castor sugar. The core gives flavour to the apple. Compote of Apples. 7 medium sized apples. juice of %4 lemon. 1 cup sugar. yellow rind, in thin strips, of 14 lemon. 1 cup water.