The Pabsley is a hardy biennial plant, a native of
Eastern Europe. There are several varieties, the Ham-
burg parsley being grown for the sake of its roots which
are eaten like parsnips. The leaves of parsley are nutri-
tious and stimulating, and are used as a flavoring for
soups, etc., as well as for garnishing foods. The root is
diuretic. The fruit (seed) is a deadly poison to many
birds, especially jiarrots.
To keep parsley for the winter, use that which is freshly
gathered, wash it free from grit and dirt, and put it into
water which has been slightly salted and well skimmed,
and let it boil a or 3 minutes; then take it out, drain, and
lay it on a sieve before the fire and dry as quickly as
possible; store away in bottles in a dry place. When
wanted for use, pour a little warm water over it and let
litand about 5 minutes.
POTATOES.
Probably the best method of cooking jjotatoes, certainly from
September to June, is by steaming them in the skins; by this pro-
PEA.
hard water, the harder
**f*'
VEGETABLES 241
tjess the steam penetrates everywhere, and there is no loss ci mate-
rial or salts. If the skins are removed before boiling, a large amount
of salts will be lost. Dr. Letheby estimates the loss when the skins
are removed at 14%, and when not removed at only 3%. The
addition of common table salt to the water is advantageous, as
it modifies the extraction of the natural salts, and improves the
flavor. The boiling should be thorough, so that the starch grains
of which they are largely composed, may swell and burst the walls
of cellulose, which confine them; too often, however, the potatoes
are spoiled by allowing them to absorb water, and so become sod-
den after this stage is reached.
Old potatoes, towards the end of the season, are improved by
being peeled and put into cold water over night, by which process
they regain in a measure their natural color and consistency.
Put potatoes, into cold water as soon as peeled; they turn dark if
left exposed to the air.
Old potatoes are rendered more digestible by being finely
mashed; mash them very thoroughly indeed — you will hardly over=
do it. Roasted potatoes are more nutritious than boiled, and mealy
potatoes more nutritious than those which are waxy.
Potatoes are spoiled by germination or growing (which exhausts
the starch) and by frost; severe frost invariably kills them, so that
when the thaw comes the process of putrification almost immediately
sets in. The sweetness of potatoes which have been frozen and
thawed, arises from the fact that the starch then changes to sugar on
being exposed to warmth and air." Keep them frozen until wanted
for use, then thaw by letting them lie in cold water, and use at once.
Potatoes after being frozen decay very quickly, because in freezing
the water they contain bursts the cells. They can be jDut on to bake
without being thawed, when frozen.
Whenever the starch cells are intact, ripe potatoes can be
cooked so that they will be mealy. The starch cells have not matured
in unrij)e potatoes, so that when cooked they will not be so mealy,
but they need not be soggy. When potatoes sx)rout, the process of
germination ruptures the starch cells so that they will not afterwards
cook as mealy as before sprouting. If sprouts appear they should
be removed or killed at once, as they exhaust the starch as they
grow, and spoil the potato for food. ✪ Saratoga Potatoes
Page 185 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1902. 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
The Parsley is a hardy biennial plant, a native of Eastern Europe. There are several varieties, the Hamburg parsley being grown for the sake of its roots which are eaten like parsnips. The leaves of parsley are nutritious and stimulating, and are used as a flavoring for soups, etc., as well as for garnishing foods. The root is diuretic. The fruit (seed) is a deadly poison to many birds, especially parrots.
To keep parsley for the winter, use that which is freshly gathered, wash it free from grit and dirt, and put it into water which has been slightly salted and well skimmed, and let it boil 2 or 3 minutes; then take it out, drain, and lay it on a sieve before the fire and dry as quickly as possible; store away in bottles in a dry place. When wanted for use, pour a little warm water over it and let it stand about 5 minutes.
POTATOES.
Probably the best method of cooking potatoes, certainly from September to June, is by steaming them in the skins; by this pro-
PEA.
hard water, the harder
**f*'
cess the steam penetrates everywhere, and there is no loss ci material or salts. If the skins are removed before boiling, a large amount of salts will be lost. Dr. Letheby estimates the loss when the skins are removed at 14%, and when not removed at only 3%. The addition of common table salt to the water is advantageous, as it modifies the extraction of the natural salts, and improves the flavor. The boiling should be thorough, so that the starch grains of which they are largely composed, may swell and burst the walls of cellulose, which confine them; too often, however, the potatoes are spoiled by allowing them to absorb water, and so become sodden after this stage is reached.
Old potatoes, towards the end of the season, are improved by being peeled and put into cold water over night, by which process they regain in a measure their natural color and consistency.
Put potatoes, into cold water as soon as peeled; they turn dark if left exposed to the air.
Old potatoes are rendered more digestible by being finely mashed; mash them very thoroughly indeed — you will hardly overdo it. Roasted potatoes are more nutritious than boiled, and mealy potatoes more nutritious than those which are waxy.
Potatoes are spoiled by germination or growing (which exhausts the starch) and by frost; severe frost invariably kills them, so that when the thaw comes the process of putrification almost immediately sets in. The sweetness of potatoes which have been frozen and thawed, arises from the fact that the starch then changes to sugar on being exposed to warmth and air." Keep them frozen until wanted for use, then thaw by letting them lie in cold water, and use at once. Potatoes after being frozen decay very quickly, because in freezing the water they contain bursts the cells. They can be jDut on to bake without being thawed, when frozen.
Whenever the starch cells are intact, ripe potatoes can be cooked so that they will be mealy. The starch cells have not matured in unripe potatoes, so that when cooked they will not be so mealy, but they need not be soggy. When potatoes sprout, the process of germination ruptures the starch cells so that they will not afterwards cook as mealy as before sprouting. If sprouts appear they should be removed or killed at once, as they exhaust the starch as they grow, and spoil the potato for food.
Records on this page
Saratoga Potatoes