Food study

Besides the substances already mentioned, there is also a trace of solanin, a poisonous substance which may occur in greater or less amounts and which is said to give the characteristic flavor to the potato. This trace of solanin is supposed to be volatilized during the cooking of the vegetable, and so it is improbable that we ever eat it in any large amounts. If the potato is old and has been allowed to sprout, if it is unripe, or if it has been grown too near the surface and so has a decidedly green color, it may contain sufficient solanin to cause some digestive disturbance. Instances of this, however, are probably very rare. A fear of it makes us careful to cut away the flesh immediately around the sprout in an old potato. Care should also be taken to prevent sprouting, not only for this reason, but because the sprouts use up the food material in the tuber. Potatoes, then, should be stored in a dark, dry, cool place, and should be protected against freezing. A potato that has been frozen has a sweetish taste and is never so mealy as a good potato. Potatoes are distinguished as mealy, soggy, and waxy. Most people prefer a mealy potato. This quality in the vegetable is supposed to be due to the amount and distribution of the starch. If, however, in cooking, the steam in a potato is allowed to condense to water, the potato becomes soggy. For this reason potatoes should never be allowed to cease boiling while they are cooking; they should be dried out as completely as possible when they are done, and served in an uncovered dish. Baked potatoes should be pricked with a fork or opened at once when they are done. Some potatoes are naturally soggy, but a good potato can be made so by poor handling in its preparation for the table. New potatoes are much more waxy than older ones, owing, perhaps, to the larger amount of protein present. Potatoes are sold both by measure and by weight, but in many places dealers are now required to sell by weight, because that gives a more uniform amount to the customer. Potatoes should run fifteen pounds to a peck. In selecting, those of medium size and with a smooth skin should be chosen. A large potato is more liable to break up in cooking, and a small one means too much trouble in preparation if it is to be pared. In preparing potatoes for the table, they should first be washed and then scrubbed with a small brush. If they are to be boiled, they may or may not be pared before cooking. If they are pared and then exposed to the air for any length of time they will turn dark, owing to the action of oxygen, together with a ferment which is found in the potato. This can be prevented by dropping the potatoes into cold water, which excludes the air. Soaking, however, should be avoided, for it removes some of the food material, which means loss of nutriment, and is only permissible if the potato is rather old, wizened, or inferior. In that case, the product is so much improved by the soaking that we are justified, even though some food value is lost. Since the cortical layer contains a higher percentage of both the protein and mineral salts than the rest of the potato, unless paring is carefully done we lose a large