7. Method of cooking dried products. (See Unit II, Lesson 2.) METHOD OF DEVICLOPIXG LABORATOKY WORK. If a homemade or commercial drier can be obtained, the students should dry a vegetable and a fruit, using the directions in Farmers' Bulletin 841. Choose for this work a fruit and a vegetable not com- monly dried in the communit3\ Ask the students to list the products which are dried in their homes and to make a second list of products which might be dried advantageously. Discuss with them the comparative advantages of canning and drying and the products which are especially suited to each method. If time is available, a dried fruit and a dried vegetable should be cooked and compared with the canned product as to (1) cost, (2) ease of preparation, (3) flavor, and (4) food value. Lesson 9. Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables; Preservation OF Eggs. aims. {a) To give directions for the successful home storing of fruits and vegetables. (6) To show the jnethods of preserving eggs in waterglass. POINTS TO BE brought OUT. 1. Storage of fruits and vegetables : A. Fruits and some vegetables, if properly stored, may be kept for weeks or months, and may be used in the fresh state as an economical and healthful source of food. B. The main requisites for proper storage are : (1) A suitable temperature. — This varies with the type of fruit or vegetables, some requiring considerable warmth, others keeping best at a temperature just above freezing. (2) Circulation of air. (3) Control of moisture conditions. — Sufficient moisture should be present to prevent shrinkage, but not enough to cause USE AND PREPARATION OF FOOD. 193 mold. A few types of fruit and vegetables require dry atmos- phere. C. Types of storage: (1) Basement cellars. — Suitable if cool and well ventilated. A furnace in the room will make the air too warm and dry unless a partition is put in. Windows or a ventilator will provide cir- culation of air. Barrels, crates, boxes, or bins may be used for containers. (2) Outdoor cellars or caves. — Inexpensive, but verj^ satisfac- tory. May be built entirely or partially below the ground or above the ground, according to the severity of the climate. May be kept at a uniform temperature for a long period. The door and a ventilator will provide for circulation of air. If floor is of earth, sufficient moisture will be present to prevent shrinkage of vegetables. (3) Outdoor pits. — May be made by choosing a well-drained location, digging a shallow pit 6 to 8 inches deep, and lining it with straw or leaves. The vegetables are placed on the litter in a cone-shaped or long A-shaped pile, covered with straw and then with a few inches of dirt, the depth varying with the severity of the climate. In a small pit the strav^ should extend through the dirt at the top, thus furnishing a space for ventilation. In a large pit a small board flue should be placed in the center for this purpose. If several kinds of vegetables are to be stored at the same time they may be stored in layers, so that when the side of the pit is opened any vegetable may be reached with no difficulty. (4) Attic or other dry, warm room. — This is satisfactory for a few types of vegetables which are very susceptible to cold or moisture. D. Method of storage used for different types of fruit and vege- tables:

AI-modernized reading of the original text

7. Method of cooking dried products. (See Unit II, Lesson 2.) If a homemade or commercial drier can be obtained, the students should dry a vegetable and a fruit, using the directions in Farmers' Bulletin 841. Choose for this work a fruit and a vegetable not commonly dried in the community. Ask the students to list the products which are dried in their homes and to make a second list of products which might be dried advantageously. Discuss with them the comparative advantages of canning and drying and the products which are especially suited to each method. If time is available, a dried fruit and a dried vegetable should be cooked and compared with the canned product as to (1) cost, (2) ease of preparation, (3) flavor, and (4) food value. Lesson 9. Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables; Preservation OF Eggs. aims. {a) To give directions for the successful home storing of fruits and vegetables. (6) To show the methods of preserving eggs in waterglass. POINTS TO BE brought OUT. 1. Storage of fruits and vegetables : A. Fruits and some vegetables, if properly stored, may be kept for weeks or months, and may be used in the fresh state as an economical and healthful source of food. B. The main requisites for proper storage are : (1) A suitable temperature. — This varies with the type of fruit or vegetables, some requiring considerable warmth, others keeping best at a temperature just above freezing. (2) Circulation of air. (3) Control of moisture conditions. — Sufficient moisture should be present to prevent shrinkage, but not enough to cause mold. A few types of fruit and vegetables require dry atmosphere. C. Types of storage: (1) Basement cellars. — Suitable if cool and well ventilated. A furnace in the room will make the air too warm and dry unless a partition is put in. Windows or a ventilator will provide circulation of air. Barrels, crates, boxes, or bins may be used for containers. (2) Outdoor cellars or caves. — Inexpensive, but very satisfactory. May be built entirely or partially below the ground or above the ground, according to the severity of the climate. May be kept at a uniform temperature for a long period. The door and a ventilator will provide for circulation of air. If floor is of earth, sufficient moisture will be present to prevent shrinkage of vegetables. (3) Outdoor pits. — May be made by choosing a well-drained location, digging a shallow pit 6 to 8 inches deep, and lining it with straw or leaves. The vegetables are placed on the litter in a cone-shaped or long A-shaped pile, covered with straw and then with a few inches of dirt, the depth varying with the severity of the climate. In a small pit the straw should extend through the dirt at the top, thus furnishing a space for ventilation. In a large pit a small board flue should be placed in the center for this purpose. If several kinds of vegetables are to be stored at the same time they may be stored in layers, so that when the side of the pit is opened any vegetable may be reached with no difficulty. (4) Attic or other dry, warm room. — This is satisfactory for a few types of vegetables which are very susceptible to cold or moisture. D. Method of storage used for different types of fruit and vegetables:

Use and preparation of food