FoodNet

Public school household science

1905

Page 7

Presented as published in 1905. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
After the fire is laid, and before lighting, if at all greasy wash the top of the range with warm soap-suds, wipe dry and with a dauber apply the stove polish. Rub slightly, then light the fire, and, as the iron heats, polish with a brush or stove mitten. When necessary to rub off the stove during the day use soft paper. The Qas Ranqe. A gas range should have : — 1. At least four top burners (six are better). 2. One or two sets of oven burners, for heating tlie OVOD. TO CLEAN THE RANGE. 11 3. A baking oven. 4. A broiling oven. 5. Gas-cocks, one to each top burner, two to the oven burner so as to regulate the supply of gas. 6. An oven lighter, or pilot light, at the right-hand side of the oven for lighting the oven burners. 7. A stove-pipe connected with the chimney so as to carry off gases and odors. Study the arrangement of each gas-cock, how to light, etc. When the burners are not in use see that all gas-cocks are closed. If the gas is turned off at the connecting pipe, and not at each gas-cock, when next turned on it will escape, and if allowed to escape into the oven a dangerous explosion is likely to occur when the oven burner is lighted. To light a gas range, or to light a top burner, open the cock in the connecting pipe, then the one in the pipe supplying the burner, and apply a lighted match. If a double burner the first one when lighted will light the other when the cock is turned. To light the oven, first see that all the stop-cocks which control the supply of gas to the oven burners are closed, and both oven doors open. Open the pilot-light cock and light from the outside through the hole made for the purpose. Then open first one oven cock, then the other; one set will light the other. If the gas burns with a roaring noise turn off at once and re-light. 12 DOMESTIC SCIENCE. For baking, light the oven burners and close the door ten or fifteen minutes before using. For broiling or toasting, light oven burners at least five minutes before required. Place the rack and pan close under the burners. To save gas. As soon as the contents of a kettle or saucepan come to the boiling point, turn down the gas as a much smaller flame will keep the pot boiling. The Effect of Heat upon Food-Stuffs. . As our food-stuffs contain in almost all cases such considerable amounts of water, the heat to which they are exposed in cooking, is, in almost all cases, a moist heat. As was noted above the higher proteids are coagulated by boiling (212° F.), and many of them at lower temperatures, the chief proteid of beef at 133° F., for example. Proteids coagulated by heat are less easily digested than before being coagulated. The albuminoids on heating, and especially on boiling, yield gelatin, and this is readily soluble in hot water. Water containing much gelatin (5/^) sets to jelly when cooled. The connective tissue which contains much albuminoid serves to bind meat together. Owing to the change in the albuminoid in cooking, the meat is held less firmly together, is more easily broken up in the process of digestion, and the higher proteids more readily got at and digested. Cooking thus probably helps rather than hinders the digestion of meat, but not of eggs where there is little or no albuminoid. Starch is dissolved by boiling water, and in the pro- cess becomes changed so that it remains in solution