Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

149. Harvesting. — Wheat ripens in our Southern states in early summer, in the most Northern states in the autumn. When the ears are heavy and golden, it is cut down and bound into shocks. The grains are 82 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY threshed out of the husks and sent to market. Until recently this work was done mostly by hand, but now steam-reapers, binders, and threshers are common on the great farms in the wheat regions. Home-work. — Grow different kinds of grain at home in different ways ; make drawings of the seedlings in different stages of growth. CHAPTER III TISSUE-BUILDING FOODS: EGGS AND MILK The palate is the janitor; unless he be conciliated, the most nutri- tious food will find no welcome. Section 1. Eggs; Albumin 150. A hen's egg consists of shell, membrane, white, and yolk, the yolk being kept in place by two twisted cords of white. The little mass in the yolk is the embryo from which the chicken grows, just as the seed- ling grows from the embryo of the seed. The contents of the egg^ like the seed-contents, nourish the develop- ing embryo ; when ready to be hatched, the chick has absorbed all of these contents and part of the shell, the egg being a perfect food for an unhatched chicken, as starch is for a seedling. 151. Why eggs spoil. — If not brooded, an egg loses water by evaporation through the pores in its shell, air enters to take the place of this, and the egg spoils. We may keep eggs good by keeping air out of them. Can you suggest any ways of doing this ? Selecting and Testing Eggs^ 152. To tell whether an egg is fresh. — 1. Observe the shell. A fresh egg has a thick, rough shell. 2. Hold 1 As some eggs are larger and heavier than others, it would be fairer to sell them by weight than by number. 83 84 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY the egg between your eye and the light. If clear and translucent, it is fresh ; if cloudy, it is stale. By egg dealers this test is made in a dark room with a candle, and it is then called " candling " eggs. 3. Drop the egg into cold water. If it sinks, it is fresh ; if it floats, it is stale. 4. Shake the egg^ holding it near your ear. If the contents move, it is somewhat stale ; if they rattle, it is spoiled. Think out the explanation of these tests. Directions for the Care and Preservation OF Eggs 153. 1. Wash eggs with a damp cloth when they come into the house. The shells may be saved to clear coffee. 2. Keep eggs in a cool, dry place. 3. In spring or early summer, when eggs are plen- tiful and cheap, they may be preserved by packing them, small end down, in bran, sawdust, lime, or sand ; by immersing them in lime-Avater ; or by coating them with varnish or fat. Dealers sometimes keep eggs in cold storage several months. Preserved eggs may be combined with other materials in cooking, but only fresh ones are fit to serve plain, or in omelets and other egg dishes. 154. Experiment to find out the best temperature for cooking 6ggs. — Cook one egg (a) in boiling water for three minutes ; an- otiier (b) in boiling water for ten minutes ; put a third (c) into boiling water enough to cover it (about one pint in a small sauce- pan), remove the saucepan from the fire, and let it stand covered on TISSUE-BUILDING FOODS: EGGS AND MILK 85