Use and preparation of food

(2) Trim excess fat from meat before cooking. It is liable to become overheated during the cooking process and will not be so good. (3) Meat skins, bacon rind, or trimmings of ham may be used in seasoning turnips, greens, cabbage, or beans. (4) Use only the necessary amount of fat in making gravies for meat. Excess fat should be poured off and used for other things instead of being left to float on top of the gravy. (5) Keep a covered jar in the kitchen into which may be drained small amounts of fat from cooking pans which would otherwise go into the dishwater. (6) The use of a small brush or bit of paper in oiling pans ■will spread the fat evenly with no excess. (7) Cover fats in an opaque dish and place in a cool, dark place to keep them fresh and sweet. (8) Use less fat in cooking; less pastry, less fried food, less fat in any recipe. (9) Watch the meals to see that an unnecessary amount of fat is not supplied. If a fat meat or a rich gravy is served, butter can be omitted. (10) Check up on the amount of fat used in the family and compare it with the safe minimum allowance. (Unit X, Lesson 2.) If necessary, reduce the family allowance of fat. Note. — The teacher may ask the class for other suggestions as to practical economies in the use of fats. Have on exhibit as many as possible of the following kinds of fat : Beef kidney, beef flank, lamb or mutton, pork, and chicken. Theso will illustrate the difference in color and hardness between the fat of different animals and even of different parts of the same animal. These may later be used by the class to illustrate the rendering of fat. Each member may render one kind of suet. The suet should bo weighed before rendering, and the fat and cracklings obtained should be weighed separately. Have the women calculate the cost of the fat, and discuss with them the economy of buying suet to be rendered and also of trimming meats before cooking. The blending or merging of butter may be demonstrated by the teacher. Omit this entirely if the class is familiar with the process. RENDERING FAT. Put the suet or meat trimmings tlirougii a meat cliopper or cliop it fine with a knife. If it has a strong odor, soak it awhile in salt water before rendering, and add a pinch of soda during the rendering process. Render in a double boiler or in a pan set in the oven or on the back of the stove until the fat can be pressed from the tissue or cracklings. Strain off the clear fat, squeezing out as much as possible from the cracklings. Fat keeps better if it has not been heated to too high a temperature. Store in clean tin pails or crocks, tightly covered, in a cool place. REDUCING THE FLAVOR OF FATS. Mutton or beef fat may have the characteristic flavor reduced by rendering with one-half as much sweet milk (by measure). The flavor of mutton fat may be satisfactorily disguised by browning in it slices of apple. The apple is palatable enough to be served as fried apple. CLARIFYING FATS. Rendered fats may be clarified by mixing with cold water, allowing to heat up slowly to boiling, stirring frequently, then set aside to cool. Lift off the cake of clarified fat from the top and reheat to drive off any moisture so that it will keep. SAVORY FAT.