Manual for army cooks

The three measures of water prescribed will usually be about the proper proportion. The shape of the utensil and the amount of evaporation allowed during the process of cooking are to be considered ; the aim should be to have the porridge somewhat thin — it should certainly not be hard and thick. The flavor is better when moderately thin. For oatmeal gruel use five measures of water. DRIED AND EVAPORATED FRUITS. Dried fruits are an excellent food when properly prepared for the table, but unfortunately they are usually cooked imperfectly, and cook-books give scant information concerning them; in fact, the majority of cook-books do not mention them. The following recipes for cooking dried prunes, apples, peaches, and apricots contain directions which may be applied with slight variations for cooking all kinds of dried fruits. STEWED PRUNES. Wash and pick over the prunes, rejecting imperfect ones ; put them to soak over night in the water (cold) they are to be cooked in, using only enough water to cover them. Put the prunes on the fire where they can just simmer during three hours (prunes require longer cooking than other dried fruits because of their thick skin). Do not let them boil, nor use a vessel of iron. Keep them closely covered. If carefully cooked they present a plump appearance and are not broken or burst (this defect gives them a slovenly look, the reverse of appetizing). As the prune contains much sugar, more should not be added ; the fruit taste is more prominent without additional sugar. If, however, increased sweetness is desired, the sugar should not be added till about five minutes before taking off the fire. STEWED DRIED AND EVAPORATED APPLES, APRI- COTS, AND PEACHES. Wash them thoroughly and soak them over night in the water (cold) they are to be cooked in, using only enough water to cover them. Put the fruit on the fire in a vessel not iron (an earthenware stone jar, well glazed, is very suitable) and simmer slowly (do not boil), closely covered, for two hours. Do not stir to break the fruit, and thus render it unsightly. When the fruit is cooked put in plenty of sugar; let it then cook five minutes. If sugar is added before the fruit is cooked it hardens it. Dried peaches require more washing and rubbing than any other fruit in order to free the skin from fuzz, but the rubbing should not be so hard as to take off the skin, which contains the principal flavor of the peach. The richest and best dried peaches are those dried with the skins on. The skins, however thick, entirely dissolve in cooking, and are imperceptible when the fruit is well stewed. Apricots require much sugar ; it should be supplied liberally. During hot weather fruit is liable to sour when put to soak over night ; to avoid this put it in the refrigerator while soaking. Flavoring should be used sparingly, and varied from day to day. Those especially recommended are allspice, cloves, cinnamon, mace, ginger, slices of lemon, or extract of lemon. If extract is used it should be added just before removing the fruit from the fire. Dried fruits are a convenient and wholesome vehicle for sugar as a food ; any kind of sugar may be used, but on account of the peculiar flavor it gives many persons prefer a brown sugar, grade extra C