Foods and home making

1. Cook vegetables in a small amount of water so that only a spoonful or two of liquid is left after cooking. Serve this liquid with the vegetable. 2. Do not pare vegetables before cooking in water. Cook them whole and with their skins on. 3. Cook pared vegetables in water, but use every bit of the water left after cooking in making a sauce to serve with the vegetables or in making a soup. When vegetables are pared, leave them in as large pieces as possible. The smaller the pieces, the more nutrients will be lost. 4. Do not add baking soda to the water in which vegetables are cooked. The soda destroys some of the vitamins. How long should vegetables cook in water? No doubt the dislike that some people have for vegetables is due to the fact that they have too often tasted overcooked vegetables. Sweet corn and many other vegetables may be ruined by too long cooking in water. It has been said that vegetables should be cooked in water long enough to remove their hardness, but leave something of their crispness. If vegetables become limp, they are usually overcooked. Overcooking vegetables usually causes them to lose more of their color than necessary. On the other hand, vegetables which are undercooked are hard and tough and generally unpleasant to eat. Because vegetables vary in kind, in size, and in age, it is dif- ficult to state just how long they should be cooked. Usually the older a vegetable, the longer the time required for cooking. For those who are cooking vegetables for the first time, it is usually a help to refer to a time table. One should not depend, however, entirely on the table. In judging when to remove 418 Dinner vegetables from a fire, test them for tenderness by using a fork, a knitting needle, or a paring knife. When you pierce the vege- table, consider how soft it should be to make the vegetable pleasant to eat. TIME TABLE FOR COOKING VEGETABLES AT BOILING TEMPERATURE Asparagus . . . Beans, lima (fresh) Beans, string . . Beets, young . . Beets, old . . . Cabbage . . . . Carrots . . . . Cauliflower . . . Celery 10-25 minutes 20-40 minutes 30-35 minutes 45-60 minutes 1-2 hours 5-7 minutes 1 20-40 minutes 8-10 minutes 1 20-45 minutes Corn, green . . Onions . . . Parsnips . . . Peas (fresh) . . Potatoes, sweet Potatoes, white Spinach . . . Squash, summer Turnips . . . IN WATER . 5-10 minutes . 20-35 minutes . 25-30 minutes . 20-30 minutes . 20-25 minutes . 25-30 minutes . 5-10 minutes . 15-30 minutes . 20-25 minutes How are vegetables cooked in water? Potatoes prepared as directed in the following may be cooked in a short time. This is often convenient. Also, nutrients are saved, for no moisture is drained away. STEWED POTATOES 1 quart sliced uncooked potatoes 1 cup water | cup milk, preferably top milk 2 teaspoons salt | teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons butter Scrub the potatoes. Pare them thin. Cut in thin slices. Put the potatoes and water in a covered saucepan. Boil gently for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. The water should be almost entirely evaporated. It is sometimes necessary to add a little more water while cooking to prevent scorching. Add the milk, salt, pepper, and butter. Allow the mixture to reach the boiling point. Serve at once. If desired, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley may be added when the butter is added. Yield: 6 servings.