Foods and home making

How should a refriger- ator be cared for? 1. Keep it clean and dry. Wash it once a week with cold water containing washing soda — 1 table- spoon of washing soda to 1 gallon of water. Work quickly. Wipe with a dry cloth. If moisture collects on the walls or floor during the week, dry them. If food is spilled in the refrigerator, wipe it up immediately. Courtesy Frigidaire Figure 56. An Iceless Refrigerator In the freezing compartment (top center) ice cubes can be made and desserts frozen. Underneath and beside this freezing unit, foods requiring coldest temperatures to prevent spoilage should be stored. For the storage of meat there is a special com- partment underneath the freezing unit. Here meat may be kept at a uniform low temperature without alternate freezing and thawing. The two hydrators (bottom shelf) are convenient for storing vege- tables, especially salad vegetables. Refrigerators — Stoves and Firebuilding 175 Wash most foods that are placed in the refrigerator — although berries, cherries, and eggs should not be washed. Put only clean containers in the refrigerator. Wash the drain pipe once a week. A slender brush is good for this purpose. Washing soda solution may be poured down the pipe. 2. Keep the refrigerator well iced. Keep the ice compartment filled at least one half. If the refrigerator is filled and in less than twenty-four hours more than one half the ice melts away, the refriger- ator is not efficient. It is either too small or not well built. 3. Place neither paper nor food on top of the ice. Food should be placed on the shelves and floor and not in the ice compart- ment. If paper or food covers the surface of the ice, it interferes with the circulation of air. Also, the refrigerator does not reach as low a tempera- ture as if the ice were uncovered. 4. Keep the doors tightly closed. A refrigerator door should not be slammed to close it. Lift the latch with your hand to close the door. Slamming the door may weaken the latch so that in time it will fail to fasten the door securely. Do not open the door more often than is necessary. If sev- Iliivl frt fu- t. i ice 1 t 1 v 'A J. \ ^ ^ / A Household Refrigeration Bureau A B Figure 57. Circulation of Air in A. Top Icer, B. Side Icer Foods being chilled give up their warmth and also food odors to the air around them. The warmed odor-laden air rises, and comes in contact with the film of water on the sur- face of the ice. This water, or melted ice, together with the absorbed odors and gases from the food, is then carried away through the drain pipe. The chilled and washed air drops down to replace the warmed air. Thus air keeps circulating. iy6 Modern Housewifery eral things are to be removed from the refrigerator at one time, it is well to take a tray to the refrigerator before opening it and then quickly place the foods on the tray. 5. Place no hot foods in the refrigerator. If foods such as gelatin are to be chilled, let them cool before placing them in the refrigerator. What are some characteristics of a good gas range? Some points to consider in selecting a gas range are :