Care in storage is important for nuts of
all kinds, both in the market and in the home.
The high fat content of nuts makes it neces¬
sary to keep them away from the air, in a
dry, cool, dark place. Shelled nuts should
be kept in closely covered containers, in the
refrigerator.
PREPARATION AND COOKERY OF
LEGUMES AND NUTS
Legumes are always cooked before serving.
Most nuts are preferred raw or lightly
browned; they may be added raw to dishes
in the process of cooking.
Legumes. The object in cooking dried
legumes is to replace water lost in drying and
to soften the cellulose hulls, cook the starch,
improve the flavor, and increase the richness
by the addition of fat.
When hard water is used in soaking and
cooking legumes the time required to soften
them is increased. The cooking time varies
with the amount of calcium in the water and,
to a certain extent, with the variety of
legume. This seems to be due to the presence
in the seed coat of a pectic acid which com¬
bines with any calcium in the water to form
a substance that gives the skin a tough tex-
*
ture. This prevents the absorption of water
and the softening of the bean. Some varie¬
ties, split peas for example, have this tough
outer coat removed before cooking.
As with other dried foods, soaking to
double in bulk, followed by long, slow cook-
[262]
ing, is the best method of replacing the water
lost in drying. Both in soaking and in cook¬
ing beans, soft water should be used if avail¬
able. When the water is only temporarily
hard, it should be boiled, the precipitate
allowed to settle, and the water decanted
from it used. If only permanently hard
water is available, baking soda teaspoon to
each pint of water) should be added to the
soaking water. Such water should be dis¬
carded before cooking, and fresh boiling
water added to prevent darkening and dis¬
integration of the outside before the beans
are tender. The use of soda in this way de¬
creases both soaking and cooking time and
has little or no effect upon vitamin and
mineral content.
Salt should be added when the legumes
are started to cook. The beans should be
covered while cooking. Fat in some form
improves the palatability and increases the
food value of legumes. When fat meat is
used it should be cooked with the beans.
Boiled Navy Beans. The beans should
be soaked and cooked in soft water. When
soft water is not available, temporarily hard
water may be softened by the method sug¬
gested above. When only permanently hard
water is available use soda as directed. The
beans should be washed carefully and soaked
in twice their measure of water until they
double in bulk. This takes overnight or
longer if cold water is used. The time may
be shortened somewhat by using hot water.
The beans then should be simmered gently
in the water in which they were soaked, un¬
less soda has been used. Add boiling water as
necessary to keep the beans just covered.
The lid should be left on during the cooking
and the water regulated in amount so that it
will be absorbed by the time the beans are
tender. Beans need salt and some kind of fat
such as salt pork, bacon, bacon drippings,
butter, or olive oil✪ Boiled Navy Beans. If a melted fat is used,
it can be added just before the beans are
Page 235 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1935. 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
Care in storage is important for nuts of all kinds, both in the market and in the home. The high fat content of nuts makes it neces¬ sary to keep them away from the air, in a dry, cool, dark place. Shelled nuts should be kept in closely covered containers, in the refrigerator.
LEGUMES AND NUTS
Legumes are always cooked before serving. Most nuts are preferred raw or lightly browned; they may be added raw to dishes in the process of cooking.
Legumes. The object in cooking dried legumes is to replace water lost in drying and to soften the cellulose hulls, cook the starch, improve the flavor, and increase the richness by the addition of fat.
When hard water is used in soaking and cooking legumes the time required to soften them is increased. The cooking time varies with the amount of calcium in the water and, to a certain extent, with the variety of legume. This seems to be due to the presence in the seed coat of a pectic acid which com¬ bines with any calcium in the water to form
a substance that gives the skin a tough tex-
*
ture. This prevents the absorption of water and the softening of the bean. Some varie¬ ties, split peas for example, have this tough outer coat removed before cooking.
As with other dried foods, soaking to double in bulk, followed by long, slow cook-
[262]
ing, is the best method of replacing the water lost in drying. Both in soaking and in cook¬ ing beans, soft water should be used if avail¬ able. When the water is only temporarily hard, it should be boiled, the precipitate allowed to settle, and the water decanted from it used. If only permanently hard water is available, baking soda (1 teaspoon to each pint of water) should be added to the soaking water. Such water should be dis¬ carded before cooking, and fresh boiling water added to prevent darkening and dis¬ integration of the outside before the beans are tender.) The use of soda in this way de¬ creases both soaking and cooking time and has little or no effect upon vitamin and mineral content.
Salt should be added when the legumes are started to cook. The beans should be covered while cooking. Fat in some form improves the palatability and increases the food value of legumes. When fat meat is used it should be cooked with the beans.
Boiled Navy Beans. The beans should be soaked and cooked in soft water. When soft water is not available, temporarily hard water may be softened by the method sug¬ gested above. When only permanently hard water is available use soda as directed. The beans should be washed carefully and soaked in twice their measure of water until they double in bulk. This takes overnight or longer if cold water is used. The time may be shortened somewhat by using hot water.
The beans then should be simmered gently in the water in which they were soaked, un¬ less soda has been used. Add boiling water as necessary to keep the beans just covered. The lid should be left on during the cooking and the water regulated in amount so that it will be absorbed by the time the beans are tender. Beans need salt and some kind of fat such as salt pork, bacon, bacon drippings, butter, or olive oil. If a melted fat is used, it can be added just before the beans are
Records on this page
Boiled Navy Beans