" Of cultivated plants the nut-producing trees are among
the most promising. Nuts have a higher nutritive value
generally than have those • fruits which are made up of
fleshy coverings of the seed, as in the apple, peach, etc.
They are rather in the nature of staple articles of diet
and approach the grains in food value. They are, more-
over, not of the perishable class and are easily handled
with little waste and risk."
The European and Japanese chestnuts are larger but
146 THE FAT OF THE LAND.
less fine in flavor than the American. Those sold on the
street corners in the cities are from Italy and Spain.
Chestnuts vs. Worms. An authority on chestnut cult-
ure states that worms in chestnuts may be prevented by
pouring boiling water over them as soon as gathered and
allowing them to stand fifteen minutes. Stir them to
equalize the heat, when those already wormy will float
and those remaining will keep sound as the scalding kills
all germs and they are softer and nicer than if dried
without the scalding. Care must be taken to dry them
thoroughly or they will mold.
Pine Nuts. The pine nut has a rich, marrowy kernel
in a shell that varies in thickness from that of a chestnut
to that of a hard-shelled hazelnut. In form and size
different species vary greatly. The several species of
pine yielding edible nuts are found on the Pacific slope
of the United States and in Colorado, New Mexico,
Arizona and Mexico.
These nuts are little known, though they are marketed
in large quantities in some of the cities of California.
Some of them are of good size and in quality and flavor
are so delicate their general introduction will doubtless
make them very popular. The pine nuts are generally
harvested by Indians, whose method is to heat the cones
until they open, when the nuts are easily rattled out,
having been roasted in the process. This accounts for
the fact that few piiions can be secured in the market in
the raw state. Some of the nuts are shipped to the larger
markets of the cities on the Pacific coast, but rarely to
eastern cities. In the latter they are only used in the
manufacture of candy and cakes, hence inquiry for them
at grocers invariably resulted in a negative answer, but at
NUTS AND THEIR CULTURE. 1 477
last they were found at the wholesale store of Daniel S.
Dengler in Philadelphia, and later, in Boston, in the con-
fectionery department of Cobb & Aldrich. These nuts-
were bought under the name of pegnolias. Just on going
to press it is learned that in Boston, McLellan & Brigham,
wholesale dealers, keep these nuts in stock.
The Indians and Mexicans have learned their value and
of the twenty-four species of pine found on the Pacific-
slope, including Arizona, half of them afford seeds that,
are used by them as food.
The Cocoanut. The cocoanut was known to the inhab-
itants of Ceylon i6i B. C, and its milk was then used in
the making of cement. The tree grows quite straight to
the height of 40 to 50 feet and about one foot in diameter. .
It is without branches, but has ten or a dozen leaves,
springing from the top. It grows in nearly all tropical
countries and is largely grown in Florida, there being
thousands of trees in bearing condition. They will only
thrive near the shore, and from the sea nothing can be
more picturesque and graceful than the soft yellowish
green leaves of the cocoanut groves as they wave in the
wind, many of these leaves being from 10 to 20 feet long
and as perfect in every particular as an ostrich plume. .
Every portion of the tree serves some useful purpose,
roots, trunk, leaf, sap and nut being made to yield tribute
to man in almost innumerable ways. The small green
nuts are grated for medicinal use ; the jelly which lines .
the shell of more mature nuts furnishes a delicate and
nutritious food.
Page 59
Presented as published in 1896. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
" Of cultivated plants the nut-producing trees are among the most promising. Nuts have a higher nutritive value generally than have those • fruits which are made up of fleshy coverings of the seed, as in the apple, peach, etc. They are rather in the nature of staple articles of diet and approach the grains in food value. They are, moreover, not of the perishable class and are easily handled with little waste and risk."
The European and Japanese chestnuts are larger but
less fine in flavor than the American. Those sold on the street corners in the cities are from Italy and Spain.
Chestnuts vs. Worms. An authority on chestnut culture states that worms in chestnuts may be prevented by pouring boiling water over them as soon as gathered and allowing them to stand fifteen minutes. Stir them to equalize the heat, when those already wormy will float and those remaining will keep sound as the scalding kills all germs and they are softer and nicer than if dried without the scalding. Care must be taken to dry them thoroughly or they will mold.
Pine Nuts. The pine nut has a rich, marrowy kernel in a shell that varies in thickness from that of a chestnut to that of a hard-shelled hazelnut. In form and size different species vary greatly. The several species of pine yielding edible nuts are found on the Pacific slope of the United States and in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Mexico.
These nuts are little known, though they are marketed in large quantities in some of the cities of California. Some of them are of good size and in quality and flavor are so delicate their general introduction will doubtless make them very popular. The pine nuts are generally harvested by Indians, whose method is to heat the cones until they open, when the nuts are easily rattled out, having been roasted in the process. This accounts for the fact that few pinions can be secured in the market in the raw state. Some of the nuts are shipped to the larger markets of the cities on the Pacific coast, but rarely to eastern cities. In the latter they are only used in the manufacture of candy and cakes, hence inquiry for them at grocers invariably resulted in a negative answer, but at
last they were found at the wholesale store of Daniel S. Dengler in Philadelphia, and later, in Boston, in the confectionery department of Cobb & Aldrich. These nutswere bought under the name of pegnolias. Just on going to press it is learned that in Boston, McLellan & Brigham, wholesale dealers, keep these nuts in stock.
The Indians and Mexicans have learned their value and of the twenty-four species of pine found on the Pacificslope, including Arizona, half of them afford seeds that, are used by them as food.
The Cocoanut. The cocoanut was known to the inhabitants of Ceylon i6i B. C, and its milk was then used in the making of cement. The tree grows quite straight to the height of 40 to 50 feet and about one foot in diameter. . It is without branches, but has ten or a dozen leaves, springing from the top. It grows in nearly all tropical countries and is largely grown in Florida, there being thousands of trees in bearing condition. They will only thrive near the shore, and from the sea nothing can be more picturesque and graceful than the soft yellowish green leaves of the cocoanut groves as they wave in the wind, many of these leaves being from 10 to 20 feet long and as perfect in every particular as an ostrich plume. . Every portion of the tree serves some useful purpose, roots, trunk, leaf, sap and nut being made to yield tribute to man in almost innumerable ways. The small green nuts are grated for medicinal use ; the jelly which lines . the shell of more mature nuts furnishes a delicate and nutritious food.