Foods and home making

Prunes. — Large, medium, and small prunes are found at the market. Large prunes cost more a pound than small ones. Should we then buy the smallest prunes we can find, if we want to get the most for our money? Let us see. Prunes contain large seeds, which are, of course, waste material. It takes 70 to 90 small prunes to weigh a pound ; in 70 to 90 prunes there are, of course, 70 to 90 seeds. There are 40 to 70 medium- sized prunes in a pound, while there are 20 to 40 large prunes in a pound. The larger the prune, the fewer there are in a pound and the fewer the seeds. We can determine which size of prunes is cheapest by the following experiment : Experiment 3 : To determine the differences in cost of the edible por- tions of large, medium, and small prunes. (a) Purchase a pound each of large, medium, and small prunes. Record the cost of each pound. ( b ) Count the number of prunes in each pound. Record the number of each. (c) With a sharp paring knife, carefully remove the seeds from the prunes. Then weigh the edible portion of each pound of prunes, noting the number of ounces. Record the weight in ounces of each. (See Figure 18.) (d) Find the cost a pound of the edible portion of each pound of prunes by the simple process of dividing and multiplying as follows : Cost a pound of whole prunes Weight in ounces of edible portion X 16 = Cost a pound of edible portion. That is, divide the cost a pound of the prunes by the weight in ounces of the edible portion. Then multiply the quotient by 16. (Why is the number 16 used?) The product is the cost a pound of the edible portion of the prunes. Tabulate your results as follows : Large Prunes Medium Prunes Small Prunes (a) Cost per pound .... ( b ) Number per pound . . . ( c ) Weight of edible part . . (d) Cost per pound of edible part 44 Breakfast There are factors other than the cost to be considered in buy- ing prunes. The flavor and the appearance of the fruit should claim your attention. Cook the three lots of prunes without adding sugar, as directed on page 46. After they are cooked, taste each. Note the sweetness of each and also the differences in flavor. Are the large prunes any sweeter or finer in flavor than the small or medium fruit? Whether the more pleasing appearance of the larger fruit is worth the added cost is a matter for the individual to decide. Prunes from Oregon usually have a tart flavor, while those from California are sweet flavored. Dried Apricots. — Dried fruits are generally sweet ; the apricot is an exception — it has a tart taste. If colorful foods appeal to you, the apricot should be one of your favorites. Because of their pleasing color and flavor, apricots are one of the most popular of the dried fruits. In preparing apricots for drying, the larger fruit is sometimes peeled. Most apricots, however, are dried with their skins on. Since dried-apricot skins become very tender when cooked, it is doubtful if it pays to buy the peeled dried fruit. The latter is more expensive than the unpeeled. Although dried apricots cost more a pound than some of the other dried fruits, they are less expensive than canned apricots.