Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

4. Cautions. — Always loiver food gently into hot fat; if dropped in, the fat, splashing up, will burn your hand, and may fall on to the stove and catch fire. If this happens, or if the fat in the kettle takes fire, throw sand or ashes on it. With care about spattering the fat, or spilling water into it, which causes a sudden burst of steam, there need be no accidents. 5. When the frying is done, set the fat in a cooler place at once. Do not strain it immediately, as it may be hot enough to melt the strainer. 6. When fat has become dark from repeated using, FAT FROM ANIMALS AND OIL FROM PLANTS 225 reclarify it with potato, or pour into it, when cold, three or four times its bulk of boiling water, stir well, and let it cool. Kemove the cake of fat, and scrape off the sediment that will be found on its under side. Fat too dark for croquettes may be used for fish. From overheating, or many times reheating, it becomes unfit for cooking purposes. When you find it does not brown the food well, use it for soap-grease, or throw it away. Suggestions for reading. — In Foods and Beverages read "Fat from Trees," p. 87; in Food Products of the World, Chapter XIV, "Butter"; Chapter XVII, "Vegetable Fats and Oils" (inclndes cocoanut oil and others not mentioned in this text-book), pp. 233- 237 on nuts. CHAPTER VIII ACID AND SALT SUPPLYING POODS: FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Section 1. Fruits Purple grapes with autumn sunshine hot, The fragrant peach, the juicy bergamot. — Longfellow. A Study of an Apple 362. Apples may be said to be to other fruits what potatoes are to other vegetables. But what do we know about apples? For instance, what makes them hard? Grate and squeeze one as you did the potato, and you will know. So much juice must mean that the apple is full of water. Test it for starch (§ 121 D). Taste it. It tastes both sour and sweet. What two substances must it contain ? In talking of the pulp of the apple, as the mass of juice-filled cells is called, we must not forget that this grows simply as a covering for the seeds. Some fruits have stones enclosing their seeds. How many stone fruits can you name? In some others the seeds are scattered through the pulp. This is true of some foods not commonly called fruits — for example, the tomato, the squash, the cocoa bean. 226 ACID AND SALT SUPPLYING FOODS 227 363. Definition of fruit; popular use of the term. — In the broad sense, all seed-vessels are fruits. This defini- tion covers nuts, grains, and many vegetables ; but we commonly class as fruits those seed-vessels eaten with sugar, or as a dessert ; and as vegetables, those served with meat or in salads. Fifty years ago, when it was the custom to eat tomatoes with cream and sugar, they were doubtless considered fruit. 364. Composition and food value of fruits ; fresh fruits.