LESSON IV. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Food Value and Use of Fruits. Reasons and Rules for Canning. How to Can and Use such Vegetables as Beets, Beans, Tomatoes, and Carrots, and such Fruits as Figs, Grapes, Muscadines, Apples, and Peaches. The Drying of Fruits and Vegetables.

SUBJECT MATTER.

Fruits impart palatability and flavor to other foods and exercise a favorable influence upon the digestive organs, though their food value is low. They contain a high percentage of water and only a small percentage of nutrients. Most fruits are eaten raw. Raw fruits are exceedingly valuable to the body because of the fresh acids they contain. Cooking softens the cellulose of the fruit and, therefore, renders some fruits more easy of digestion. The cooking of fruit is of value chiefly for the purpose of preservation.

The drying of fruits.-Fruits are dried so that they may be preserved for use. Bacteria and molds, which cause the decay of fruits, need moisture for development and growth. If the moisture in fruits is evaporated, the fruits will keep indefinitely. Dried fruits and vegetables can be easily and inexpensively prepared, therefore the practice of drying is feasible if one is so situated that the fruit or vegetable can be exposed to the hot sun in a clean, dry place. When dried fruits are to be used, they must be washed thoroughly and soaked for several hours, or overnight, in water, so as to restore as much water as possible. They should be cooked until soft in the same water in which they are soaked.

Canning and preserving.-Simple methods of preservation are desirable in order that vegetables and fruits be made of value for a longer period of time than through their ripening season. Canning is one of the methods most commonly employed in the home, for it is easily done, and canned fruits will keep indefinitely. Fruit which is to be canned is first sterilized by boiling or steaming, in order to destroy all germs and spores. This can be adequately accomplished by boiling 20 minutes, but a shorter time is sometimes sufficient All germs must also be destroyed on the cans and on everything which comes in contact with the food in order to insure complete success. This will likewise require 20 minutes boiling or steaming. Jars, tops, dipper, and funnel should all be placed in cold water, heated until water comes to the boiling point, and left in the water until just before sealing. It will be sufficient to dip the rubbers into the boiling water. After the fruit has been put into the can, it must be sealed so that it is perfectly air-tight. In order to do this, it is necessary to have good tops, with new, pliable rubbers, and to fit them tightly.

When the jar is to be filled, it should be placed on a board or wooden table, or on a cloth wrung out of hot water, and filled to overflowing.

Sugar is not essential to sterilization and is used only to improve the flavor. Both fruits and vegetables can be canned without sugar. However, fruits canned with a large amount of sugar do not spoil readily, for germs develop slowly in a thick sirup.

Methods of canning.-The simplest method of canning is the openkettle method employed for small, watery fruits, such as berries, grapes, tomatoes, etc. The fruit is boiled in an open kettle (which permits of the evaporation of some of the water in the fruit) and transferred at once to a sterilized jar which is immediately sealed. The open-kettle method of canning is not satisfactory for those vegetables containing only a small amount of acid, nor is it satisfactory for all fruits. A safer method and one that secures more complete sterilization without serious change of flavor in the fruit is that known as the cold-pack method. After being transferred to the cans the vegetable or fruit is subjected to an additional period of heating of considerable length, or to three periods of briefer length on three successive days. If the three periods of sterilization are used, the process is known as the intermittent method.

The single process method is described in the recipe for canned beets. The intermittent process proves more satisfactory for canned beans.

PRELIMINARY PLAN.

The teacher should ascertain what fruits and vegetables are most abundant and select those that the class can provide for canning. Each girl should be asked to bring some vegetable or fruit, some granulated sugar, and a jar in which to can her fruit. If the school does not possess enough kettles or saucepans in which to do the cooking, kettles or saucepans may be borrowed from the homes.

Only one fruit or one vegetable should be taken up at a time, for the preparation necessarily varies slightly and the different methods will prove confusing. It is not necessary to confine the choice of fruits and vegetables to those mentioned in the recipes included. The teacher will find it necessary to base her instruction on the products of the particular time and place of the lesson. The principles of canning should be taken up at some other period, if possible, that the cooking lesson may be devoted entirely to practical work.

RECIPES.

Canned Tomatoes. (Open-kettle method.)

Scald and peel the tomatoes. Boil 20 minutes. Sterilize the jars, covers, and rubbers. Stand jars on a cloth in a pan of hot water. Fill jars with hot tomatoes, being careful to fill to overflowing, and to expel all air bubbles from the jar. Adjust rubber and cover. Seal. Allow to cool. Test, label, and set away in cool, dry, dark place.

Canned Grapes.

(Open-kettle method.)

1 quart of sugar.

1 gill of water.

6 quarts of grapes. Squeeze the pulp of the grapes out of the skins. Cook the pulp 5 minutes and then rub through a sieve that is fine enough to hold back the seeds. Put the water, skins, and pulp into the preserving kettle and heat slowly to the boiling point. Skim the fruit and then add the sugar. Boil 15 minutes. Put into jars as directed.

Sweet grapec may be canned with less sugar; very sour grapes may require more sugar.

Canned Peaches.

(Intermittent process.)

Use firm, solid fruit. Peel and cut in half. If cling-stone peaches are used, they may be canned whole. Fill each jar as the peaches are peeled and add water so that they will not discolor. When the jar is entirely filled, put on the rubber and the lid, but do no fasten the lid down. Then place the jar on a rack or folded cloth in a large kettle that can be closely covered. Put in enough water to reach up several inches on the jars, cover the kettle, and bring the water to the boiling point. When hot, lift the lids and add sugar, if it is to be used, from one-fourth cup to one cup of sugar for each quart of fruit. When the boiling point is again reached, boil for 10 minutes. Fasten down the lids and boil for 10 minutes longer. Set in a place free from drafts. On two successive days return the jars to the kettle and boil for 20 minutes. Do not loosen the lids after the jars have been sealed.

Canned Beets.

(Single process.)

Boil the beets until they are three-fourths done and the skins come off easily. Remove the skins and pack the beets in a jar carefully. Cover with boiling water, to which one tablespoon of salt is added for each quart, put the top on the jar, but do not fasten it down. Place the jar on a rack or a folded cloth in a large kettle that can be closely covered. Pour enough water into the kettle to reach within 2 inches of the top of the jar, cover the kettle, bring to the boiling point, and boil 15 minutes, then fasten the lid on securely and boil for one and one-half hours or two hours. Put aside to cool in a place that is free from drafts. As the water around the jar boils down replenish with boiling water, never with cold.

Canned String Beans.

(Intermittent process.)

Wash and string fresh, tender beans. Put into a sack or wire basket and dip into boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and pack in jars, within 1 inch of the top. Add one-fourth teaspoonful of salt to each pint jar and fill with cold water. Put on the rubbers and lids, but do not fasten the lids down. Then place the jars on a rack or folded cloth in a large kettle that can be closely covered. Pour enough water into the kettle to reach up within 2 inches of the top of the jars, cover the kettle, bring to the boiling point, and boil for 15 minutes. Then fasten on the lids and boil for 45 minutes. As the water around the jars boils down replenish it with boiling water, never with cold water. Put to cool in a place that is free from drafts. On two successive days return the jars to the kettle without opening the lids and boil for one hour.

Farmers' Bulletins: No. 203, Canned fruits, preserves, and jellies; No. 256, Preparation of vegetables for the table; No. 359, Canning vegetables in the home; No. 521, Canning tomatoes at home in club work; United States Department of Agriculture Bulletin 123, Professional Paper. Extension course in vegetable foods. Supt. of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. Price 10 cents.

Dried Corn.

Pick the corn early in the morning. Immediately husk, silk, and cut the corn from the cob. Spread in a very thin layer on a board, cover with mosquito netting which is kept sufficiently elevated so that it will not come in contact with the corn, place in the hot sun and leave all day. Before the dew begins to fall take into the house and place in an oven that is slightly warm. Leave in the oven over night and place out in the sun again the next day. Repeat this process until absolutely dry. String Beans.

String beans are hung up to dry and kept for winter use.

METHOD OF WORK.

If possible, let each girl can a jar of vegetables or fruit for her own home. If the class is large, let girls work in groups of two or three. Begin the lesson with a very brief discussion of how to prepare fruit for canning.

Let the girls proceed with the practical work as quickly as possible. Demonstrate the method of filling and sealing the jars.

Assign the care of the jars and the intermittent canning on succeeding days to members of the class and hold them responsible for the completion of the work.

The drying of some vegetables can be undertaken at school and carefully followed from day to day. It will give the girls an interesting problem.

LESSON V. FATS AND OILS. VEGETABLES (continued).

Preparation of White Sauce to Serve with Vegetables. How to Boil, Season, and Serve such Vegetables as Lima or Butter Beans, String Beans, Cowpeas, Onions, Okra, Cabbage, Collards, Corn, Beets, Turnips, or Carrots.

SUBJECT MATTER.

Fats and oils.-Butter and cottonseed oil belong to the class of foodstuffs known as fats and oils. They increase the fuel value of those dishes to which they are added.

Fats supply heat and energy to the body in concentrated form. For this reason they should be used in limited quantity. Fats undergo several changes during the process of digestion, and the excessive use of fat interferes with the digestion of other foods and throws a large amount of work upon the digestive organs. Cooked fats are more difficult for the digestive organs to use than uncooked fats. Other foods cooked with the hot fat are rendered difficult of

digestion.

Vegetables. Vegetables should be used when in season, as they are always cheapest and at their best then. They keep best if in a cold, dry, and dark place.

It is necessary to cook most vegetables, because they contain cellulose and raw starch, which are indigestible. In old or exceedingly large vegetables the cellulose may be very tough; hence long

cooking is necessary. They should be cooked only until they are tender. Longer cooking may destroy the flavor, render the vegetable difficult of digestion, and cause the color to change. In very young vegetables the cellulose is delicate, and if young vegetables do not contain much starch they may be eaten raw.

When cooked vegetables are served they are usually seasoned and dressed with butter or oil (for one cup vegetables use teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and tablespoon fat or oil), or a sauce is prepared to serve them.

PRELIMINARY PLAN.

It may be well to have a preliminary lesson devoted to the simple experiments with flour, liquid, and fat, in order to determine the best method of combining white sauce. However, if the lesson period is of sufficient length a few of these experiments can be performed in connection with the lesson.

There should be provided for the lesson some vegetable that is improved by serving with white sauce, and sufficient milk, butter, or other fat, flour, and salt for the sauce and the experiments. Discuss with the children the fat that is used in their homes in order to know what is available.

The recipes should be written on the blackboard before the lesson hour.

RECIPES.

Cowpeas.

Cowpeas should be cooked soon after gathering, in order to preserve their fine flavor. Cook the green cowpeas (in pod or shelled) in boiling salted water until tender. Season and serve. Dried cowpeas should be soaked over night (seven or eight hours), then boiled till tender. After absorbing water the dried cowpeas will have increased in size until each cup makes nearly two and one-half cups of cooked peas.

Okra.

The young pods of okra should be boiled in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes), drained, and seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. Cream can be added if desired.

Collards.

After washing collards thoroughly, add to a large amount of rapidly boiling water, and boil for 15 or 20 minutes or until perfectly tender.. Season with salt, pepper, and butter or serve with white sauce.

Stewed Onions.

1 quart onions. cup milk.

White pepper.

2 tablespoons butter.
teaspoon salt.

Peel onions under cold water. Cook until tender in boiling water (45 to 60 minutes), changing the water at the end of 5 minutes and again in 10 minutes. Do not cover the kettle while the onions are boiling. Drain, and serve with one cup white sauce, or add milk, butter, and pepper, cook 15 minutes, and just before serving add salt. Serves six.