Muskmelons or Cantaloupes. — Muskmelons are like “ the
little girl with a curl right in the middle of her forehead.”
When they are “ good ” they are “ very, very good,” and when
they are “ bad ” they are “ horrid.” Muskmelons are not
good unless they are ripe. The cantaloupe is a variety of
muskmelon with rough, scaly, hard rind. However, the name
cantaloupe is often applied to all kinds of muskmelons. The
honeydew melon is large and has a smooth, light yellow rind.
The following tests for ripeness do not apply to this kind of
melon. Cantaloupes are in season from May to October.
The edible part or meat of some muskmelons is green, while
that of others is pink. For this reason these fruits are some-
times called green meats and pink meats. To test the rough-rind
melons for ripeness :
1. Notice the netting or veins on the outside of the rind.
a. In ripe green meats, the veins are heavy, well raised, and rounded ;
in the unripe fruit, the veins are flat.
b. In ripe pink meats, the veins are not heavy except at the blossom
end.
2. Note the color of the rind underneath the veins.
a. In ripe green meats, the color is light green or yellowish green ;
in the unripe fruit, the color is darker green.
b. In ripe pink meats, the color is yellowish ; in the unripe fruit, the
color is green.
3. Examine the stem end. Notice whether the stem end is smooth or
ragged. If the melon is ripe when picked, the stem will break
clean from the fruit, leaving no ragged edges. Melons should
ripen before picking. Pressing the blossom end of the fruit is not
a satisfactory test. Repeated pressing bruises the fruit. When
the spot is bruised, the test is unreliable.
4. Note carefully the odor. When melons are ripe they have a fragrant
odor. Experience in judging melons will help you to know how
to recognize the odor of a good melon.
12
Breakfast
Apples. — Some apples fall from the tree. These are known
as windfalls. Others are picked from the tree. These are
known as hand-picked. The windfalls are usually sold only in
local markets. Being less sound and often bruised, they should
sell for less than the hand-picked fruit. Such apples should be
bought in quantity only for immediate use.
When apples are shipped in barrels, they may become bruised
even though they have been carefully picked. Very fine apples
are often packed in boxes. These apples are usually sold by the
piece or dozen for eating raw. Less select apples are sold by the
pound or measure.
There are many varieties of apples. Some apples ripen in the
summer. These apples do not keep well. Others ripen in the
fall. Some of the fall apples may be kept the entire winter.
Certain varieties of apples are suitable for cooking only. Other
varieties are suitable for eating uncooked only. A third group
is suitable for both eating raw and cooking.
Some varieties of cooking apples are : i. Greening — firm, with acid
flavor. 2. Baldwin — firm, less acid than Greening, of pleasing red
color. 3. Rome Beauty — large, pleasing in appearance, fine for
baking.
Some varieties of eating apples are : 1. Delicious — large, of pleasing
appearance, with mild flavor. 2. Jonathan — of beautiful color, with
fine flavor (only fair for cooking).
Some varieties of apples of fine flavor, good for both eating and cooking
are: 1. McIntosh — early fall variety. 2. Winesap — late winter
Page 11
Presented as published in 1928. 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
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Muskmelons or Cantaloupes. — Muskmelons are like “ the
little girl with a curl right in the middle of her forehead.”
When they are “ good ” they are “ very, very good,” and when
they are “ bad ” they are “ horrid.” Muskmelons are not
good unless they are ripe. The cantaloupe is a variety of
muskmelon with rough, scaly, hard rind. However, the name
cantaloupe is often applied to all kinds of muskmelons. The
honeydew melon is large and has a smooth, light yellow rind.
The following tests for ripeness do not apply to this kind of
melon. Cantaloupes are in season from May to October.
The edible part or meat of some muskmelons is green, while
that of others is pink. For this reason these fruits are some-
times called green meats and pink meats. To test the rough-rind
melons for ripeness :
1. Notice the netting or veins on the outside of the rind.
a. In ripe green meats, the veins are heavy, well raised, and rounded ;
in the unripe fruit, the veins are flat.
b. In ripe pink meats, the veins are not heavy except at the blossom
end.
2. Note the color of the rind underneath the veins.
a. In ripe green meats, the color is light green or yellowish green ;
in the unripe fruit, the color is darker green.
b. In ripe pink meats, the color is yellowish ; in the unripe fruit, the
color is green.
3. Examine the stem end. Notice whether the stem end is smooth or
ragged. If the melon is ripe when picked, the stem will break
clean from the fruit, leaving no ragged edges. Melons should
ripen before picking. Pressing the blossom end of the fruit is not
a satisfactory test. Repeated pressing bruises the fruit. When
the spot is bruised, the test is unreliable.
4. Note carefully the odor. When melons are ripe they have a fragrant
odor. Experience in judging melons will help you to know how
to recognize the odor of a good melon.
12
Breakfast
Apples. — Some apples fall from the tree. These are known
as windfalls. Others are picked from the tree. These are
known as hand-picked. The windfalls are usually sold only in
local markets. Being less sound and often bruised, they should
sell for less than the hand-picked fruit. Such apples should be
bought in quantity only for immediate use.
When apples are shipped in barrels, they may become bruised
even though they have been carefully picked. Very fine apples
are often packed in boxes. These apples are usually sold by the
piece or dozen for eating raw. Less select apples are sold by the
pound or measure.
There are many varieties of apples. Some apples ripen in the
summer. These apples do not keep well. Others ripen in the
fall. Some of the fall apples may be kept the entire winter.
Certain varieties of apples are suitable for cooking only. Other
varieties are suitable for eating uncooked only. A third group
is suitable for both eating raw and cooking.
Some varieties of cooking apples are : i. Greening — firm, with acid
flavor. 2. Baldwin — firm, less acid than Greening, of pleasing red
color. 3. Rome Beauty — large, pleasing in appearance, fine for
baking.
Some varieties of eating apples are : 1. Delicious — large, of pleasing
appearance, with mild flavor. 2. Jonathan — of beautiful color, with
fine flavor (only fair for cooking).
Some varieties of apples of fine flavor, good for both eating and cooking
are: 1. McIntosh — early fall variety. 2. Winesap — late winter