FoodNet

A manual of home-making

1919

Page 333

Presented as published in 1919. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
After being cleaned and prepared, the vegetables should be blancheil as for canning (pages 005 and 612 to 614) but not dipped in cold water. Tliis removes t he strong odor and flavor from cer- tain kinds of vegetaliles, and softens and loosens the fiber, which allows the moisture in the vegetables to evaporate more quickly and unifonnly. Moreover, it quickly coagulates the {protein and thus helps to ret^an the natural flavors. After being blanched for the required number of minutes, the vegetables should be drained and either placed between two towels or exposed to the san and air for a short time to remove the surface moistiu^e. Slorage of dried foods, Dric*l foods should always be stored in containers that will exclude hght and iii;sects and in a warm dry place, such as an 592 A MANUAL OF HOME-MAKING airy attic. The \w^\ container is a tin box, bucket, or with a reasonably tight cover. Perhaps the most con veoiefit wbA cheapest container is the small paper bag. Stuall amotnits 4 food should l>e put in each ha^. This will prev^ont tiie of any dried product that cannot be consumed in a short The up|>er |3art of the bag is twisted to fomi a nc^ck, TV neck is Ix^nt over and tied with a string. The entire bog ■ then paintc*d with a coat of melted paraffin by means of a 0iill linish or a frazzled end of a piece of rojie. This makes llmbii practically prrK)f against insects. To pnitect tfiem furthur Crooi insect ravai^es, the ba|^ should lie labeled and paekcxl in % tin container with a tisht-fitting cover, A lar^Kc number erf bags can be stored in an ordinary lartl can. ParaiTifi-roatcii paper containers of various sizes can lie found on the tnarioili If such containers are used, they should \yQ stored aa are thft paper bags. Whtai vegetables are first taken from the drier, if compleldT dried they are very brittle. They are more easily handled and are in better condition for storing if allowed to stand frtmi <xm to three houi-s to absorb enough moisture to make them pliahk before they are put into bags or stored otherwise. If it ift imh convenient to store products inmiediately and they are allowed to stand for several days, they should be heated to 180* F. to destroy any insect eggs that may l>e on them, Care ahoiUd be taken not to heat the vegetables higlier than 180*^ F. Apples, which absorb moisture Rnidily, should \m stored tight box or barrel lined with paper in preference to cloth fl«cka. SALTING ^^GETABLES* Equipmefd, A supply of clean wooden kegs or stone crocks is the requisite. For home use the smaller sizes are preferable M a rule, because the contents will then be used up more quicU3r anti there will be less chance of molding from standing too Icxng after the kegs or crocks are opened. Wooden kegs holdiiig & • Hnund, L. A., and Xmxx^, II. L. Prcson'ation of vti^tiibleB by Uua and B&ltiug. Farmers^ Bull. 8Sb U- B. Dept. of Agr. I FOOD PRESERVATION.