While water cannot in the usual sense be called a food it fills one of the most important offices in the nutrition of the body, and ranks next to oxygen as a supporter of life. We may go without food for several days, but only a short time with- out water. Water constitutes about three fourths of the whole body. It forms a large part of the muscular tissue, and is found even in the bones. It abounds in the blood and secretions, giving them the necessary fluidity, thus enabling them to dissolve the important materials they contain, carry them over the body, and clean away the used-up material. Water is the great regulator of animal heat, for by its evaporation in perspiration it prevents or reduces any exces- sive temperature of the body. We are constantly losing a large quantity of water through the lungs, skin, and kidneys. This loss must be supplied, or life cannot go on. A. large amount of water must be taken as a beverage, and care must be taken to have it free from any harmful substance. Although it is found in all kinds of solid food, yet there are many foods to which it must be added in cooking. When there is any question about its purity, boil the water before using it. Pour it back and forth in pitchers that it may become aerated, and cool before using. Water is the cheapest of the five food stuffs. As a beverage, and for all culinary purposes, water should be freshly drawn, and if from a faucet or pipe, it should run long enough to empty the pipe before drawing it for use. When it is desirable to have it very cold, draw it into bottles, cork it tightly and lay it on ice. This is better for most people 112 WATER 113 than to put ice into the water. Water from the hot water boiler should never be used for cooking. When boiling water is specified with food, it should be water that is actually in a state of ebullition and the water should be used at the first boil. Keep a small stew-pan with a lip purposely for cook- ing water as it can be cleaned more easily than anything with a long spout, like the ordinary tea-kettle, which is really only suitable for water to be used in cleaning. The flavor of all beverages, cereals, vegetables, etc., will be greatly im- proved by observing this simple rule. BOILING, OR COOKING IN WATER Cooking in a boiling liquid is the most common form of cooking, and water is the liquid usually employed. Nearly every kind of food needs the action of water, or some other liquid, combined with heat, to cook it in the best man- ner. Some seeds and grains, when fully grown, lose by the ripen- ing process nearly all the water that was in them, and become very hard. They need to absorb a large amount of water in cooking to replace that which they have lost. Other foods contain so much water that simply heating them cooks them sufficiently, while still others are improved by having the water they contain taken away. Some foods have flavors which are affected by the tempera- ture of the water and the length of time they remain in it. To understand the different effects of cold water and boiling water upon food, and also the time required for cooking in water, we need first to learn about boiling water. When we cook in boiling water, we really cook the water first ; that is, we heat or boil it.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

While water cannot in the usual sense be called a food it fills one of the most important offices in the nutrition of the body, and ranks next to oxygen as a supporter of life. We may go without food for several days, but only a short time without water. Water constitutes about three fourths of the whole body. It forms a large part of the muscular tissue, and is found even in the bones. It abounds in the blood and secretions, giving them the necessary fluidity, thus enabling them to dissolve the important materials they contain, carry them over the body, and clean away the used-up material. Water is the great regulator of animal heat, for by its evaporation in perspiration it prevents or reduces any excessive temperature of the body. We are constantly losing a large quantity of water through the lungs, skin, and kidneys. This loss must be supplied, or life cannot go on. A. large amount of water must be taken as a beverage, and care must be taken to have it free from any harmful substance. Although it is found in all kinds of solid food, yet there are many foods to which it must be added in cooking. When there is any question about its purity, boil the water before using it. Pour it back and forth in pitchers that it may become aerated, and cool before using. Water is the cheapest of the five food stuffs. As a beverage, and for all culinary purposes, water should be freshly drawn, and if from a faucet or pipe, it should run long enough to empty the pipe before drawing it for use. When it is desirable to have it very cold, draw it into bottles, cork it tightly and lay it on ice. This is better for most people WATER 113 than to put ice into the water. Water from the hot water boiler should never be used for cooking. When boiling water is specified with food, it should be water that is actually in a state of ebullition and the water should be used at the first boil. Keep a small stew-pan with a lip purposely for cooking water as it can be cleaned more easily than anything with a long spout, like the ordinary tea-kettle, which is really only suitable for water to be used in cleaning. The flavor of all beverages, cereals, vegetables, etc., will be greatly improved by observing this simple rule. BOILING, OR COOKING IN WATER Cooking in a boiling liquid is the most common form of cooking, and water is the liquid usually employed. Nearly every kind of food needs the action of water, or some other liquid, combined with heat, to cook it in the best manner. Some seeds and grains, when fully grown, lose by the ripening process nearly all the water that was in them, and become very hard. They need to absorb a large amount of water in cooking to replace that which they have lost. Other foods contain so much water that simply heating them cooks them sufficiently, while still others are improved by having the water they contain taken away. Some foods have flavors which are affected by the temperature of the water and the length of time they remain in it. To understand the different effects of cold water and boiling water upon food, and also the time required for cooking in water, we need first to learn about boiling water. When we cook in boiling water, we really cook the water first ; that is, we heat or boil it.

The school kitchen textbook