Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

368. Fresh fruit must be clean. — Fruit and vegetables exposed for sale on the streets and sidewalks gather dirt, besides decaying quicker than they would if kept protected and cool. A law requiring dealers to keep these foods indoors and covered would greatly benefit the public. If you find a dealer that does this, make it a rule to buy of him. Till we have such a law, fruit bought in the market must be rinsed or wiped clean. Rinse berries quickly in cold water and drain them at 230 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY once. Soaking hurts their flavor and softens them.^ Rinse grapes and other small fruits. Wipe larger fruits with a damp cloth. If you like apples polished, rub them with soft paper. Wipe the down from peaches. Use silver or wooden spoons, silver knives, and earthen or enamelled cooking dishes for fruit. What class of substances in fruit may form bad-tasting, and l^erhaps poisonous, compounds with iron, steel, or copper? (§ 105.) 369. Serving fruit. — Fruit, except when warm from tree or vine, should be served as cold as possible. Never leave fruit in the dining-room between meals ; keep it cool and out of the dust. Arrange it tastefully, grouping the colors harmoni- ously, if several kinds are placed on one dish. In ar- ranging one kind by itself, lay on the plate the leaves belonging to it, peach leaves under peaches, grape leaves under grapes, or use grape leaves with any fruit. Place finger bowls on the table when fruit is served. Fruit juice stains white napkins. 370. Sugaring fruits. — Cut and sugar sliced peaches just before serving, as they discolor quickly. Let sliced oranges, bananas, and pineapples stand sugared for half an hour. Sugar currants, crush them slightly, and let them stand till the sugar dissolves. Serve berries un- sweetened, and pass powdered sugar, or sugar and cream, with them. 1 Strawberries are never so good after washing. If free from sand and clean-looking, they need not be rinsed. ACID AND SALT SUPPLYING FOODS 231 371. Oranges. — For breakfast, oranges are served whole. Each person cuts his orange in halves across the sections, and eats the pulp from these with a spoon. To prepare sliced oranges, peel them, pick off the bit- ter, indigestible white skin, thrust a fork into the cen- tre of the orange, and, with a sharp steel knife, slice off the pulp, leaving the pith on the fork. Sprinkle with sugar. 372. Bananas. — Bananas peeled, scraped, and sliced may be served mixed with sliced oranges. Or serve them by themselves with sugar and a little lemon juice, or with sugar, a few grains of salt, and cream. 373. Muskmelons and grape-fruit, or shaddocks, are served as a first course at breakfast or lunch. Cut grape- fruit in two, loosen the pulp from the skin of the sec- tions with a knife, sprinkle with sugar, and eat from the peel with a spoon. Cut melons in two, remove the seeds, and put a piece of ice in each. 374. Pineapple. — To prepare pineapple for the table, cut off the skin and dig out the eyes ; then, holding the pineapple on one fork, with another tear the pulp into shreds, and cut or scrape the shreds off with a knife, leaving the woody core untouched. Sprinkle with sugar. HOW TO COOK FRUIT 375. What effect will cooking have upon the cellu- lose in fruit ? Upon the starch, if there is any ? Upon germs of disease or decay ?