D. Test any or all of the following substances for starch : ^ —
flour, milk, fish, white of egg, cabbage, meat (in order to see the
color, use cooked chicken, lamb, or veal), apple, turnip. Do any
of the animal foods contain starch? Do all the vegetable foods
contain starch ? Explain why flour is used to thicken white sauce.
E. Pour off the water in test-tube a and dry the powder
found at the bottom. Can you distinguish it in appearance and
feeling from potato starch ?
122. Starch (oat, potato, or any other kind) is a fine
white glistening powder, insoluble in cold water, but
partially soluble in hot water, with which it forms a
jellylike paste. It is turned intensely blue by iodine.
Starch is formed and stored up by many growing plants
as food for the young shoots, collecting in autumn to
be used in spring. Laundry starch is made from corn.
1 Simply test with iodine without adding water or heating.
FUEL FOODS: SOME STARCHY PLANTS 69
A Study of Starch
123. Starch under the microscope. — Under the micro-
scope starch is seen to consist of irregularly shaped
granules formed of layers folded around a central point.
Starches from different plants differ from one another,
granules of potato starch being larger than those of
any other kind, and something like oyster shells in
shape and marking, while rice starch granules are angu-
lar and very small. When cooked the granules lose
their distinctive appearance.
A. Examine potato starch, rice starch, cornstarch, and other
starches under the microscope. Do the different kinds of starch
granules look aUke ? Are they all the same size? Which kind
is largest? Which smallest? Make memory drawings of two or
more kinds of starch granules as they appear under the microscope.
B. Examine samples of starch paste under the microscope.
Can you tell which is made from rice starch, which from potato
starch, and so on ?
124. Experiments showing how to prevent starch from lumping
while cooking. — A. Pour about two tablespoonf uls of boiling
water upon one teaspoonful of dry cornstarch, stirring as you pour.
What happens? Break open one of the lumps. What do you find
inside ? Would pouring boiling water upon starch be a good way
to cook it? Why not?
When boiling water is poured upon dry starch, lumps
form, because the starch first touched by the hot water
swells suddenly, forming a sticky envelope around the
rest, thus keeping it from swelling.
B. Repeat Experiment A, mixing one-half tablespoonful of
granulated sugar with the starch before stirring in water. Result?
70 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
Explanation. — The grains of sugar, by separating the starch gran-
ules, give the latter room to swell and thicken the liquid smoothly.
C. Repeat Experiment A, mixing one-half tablespoonful of
cold water with the starch. Note result and explain.
D. Mix one-half tablespoonful of starch with one-half table-
spoonful of butter or other fat, add two tablespoonfuls of cold
water, and cook, stirring until the mixture thickens. Result ?
125. Starch used to thicken sauces. — Starch is used to
thicken liquid in making sauces and gravies. In what
three ways may lumping be avoided ? Which of these
ways is used in making white sauce ?
Page 34
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
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D. Test any or all of the following substances for starch : ^ —
flour, milk, fish, white of egg, cabbage, meat (in order to see the
color, use cooked chicken, lamb, or veal), apple, turnip. Do any
of the animal foods contain starch? Do all the vegetable foods
contain starch ? Explain why flour is used to thicken white sauce.
E. Pour off the water in test-tube a and dry the powder
found at the bottom. Can you distinguish it in appearance and
feeling from potato starch ?
122. Starch (oat, potato, or any other kind) is a fine
white glistening powder, insoluble in cold water, but
partially soluble in hot water, with which it forms a
jellylike paste. It is turned intensely blue by iodine.
Starch is formed and stored up by many growing plants
as food for the young shoots, collecting in autumn to
be used in spring. Laundry starch is made from corn.
1 Simply test with iodine without adding water or heating.
FUEL FOODS: SOME STARCHY PLANTS 69
A Study of Starch
123. Starch under the microscope. — Under the micro-
scope starch is seen to consist of irregularly shaped
granules formed of layers folded around a central point.
Starches from different plants differ from one another,
granules of potato starch being larger than those of
any other kind, and something like oyster shells in
shape and marking, while rice starch granules are angu-
lar and very small. When cooked the granules lose
their distinctive appearance.
A. Examine potato starch, rice starch, cornstarch, and other
starches under the microscope. Do the different kinds of starch
granules look aUke ? Are they all the same size? Which kind
is largest? Which smallest? Make memory drawings of two or
more kinds of starch granules as they appear under the microscope.
B. Examine samples of starch paste under the microscope.
Can you tell which is made from rice starch, which from potato
starch, and so on ?
124. Experiments showing how to prevent starch from lumping
while cooking. — A. Pour about two tablespoonf uls of boiling
water upon one teaspoonful of dry cornstarch, stirring as you pour.
What happens? Break open one of the lumps. What do you find
inside ? Would pouring boiling water upon starch be a good way
to cook it? Why not?
When boiling water is poured upon dry starch, lumps
form, because the starch first touched by the hot water
swells suddenly, forming a sticky envelope around the
rest, thus keeping it from swelling.
B. Repeat Experiment A, mixing one-half tablespoonful of
granulated sugar with the starch before stirring in water. Result?
70 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
Explanation. — The grains of sugar, by separating the starch gran-
ules, give the latter room to swell and thicken the liquid smoothly.
C. Repeat Experiment A, mixing one-half tablespoonful of
cold water with the starch. Note result and explain.
D. Mix one-half tablespoonful of starch with one-half table-
spoonful of butter or other fat, add two tablespoonfuls of cold
water, and cook, stirring until the mixture thickens. Result ?
125. Starch used to thicken sauces. — Starch is used to
thicken liquid in making sauces and gravies. In what
three ways may lumping be avoided ? Which of these
ways is used in making white sauce ?