St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-10-11
Domestic ChemIstry-BoiIing.

All articles of food are derived from
che vegetable and animal Kingdoms,
and the ultimate elments of all of them
may DO reduced to four-carbon. hy-
drogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The
reason of the infinite variety in vegeta-
bio and animal substances is found in
the fact that the above elements, two
or more, combine in different proper
tons, or are arranged among them
selves in different ways. These sub
stances are comprised in four classes,
she first substance composed Of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen, the two latter
being in the proportion to form water.
Those are called hydrates of carbon,
gum, starch, and woody tibers being
examples. Second. substances COM
posed of the same clements as last
Rentioned, but in which hydrogen is in
excess, fats, oils, resins, and other
eOmbusible bodies being examples.
Third, substances in which oxygen is
in excess, such as tho greatest number
Of vegetable acids. Substances COM
posed Of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen
and nitrogen. This class includes
macy animal and vegetable substances.
The prOximate principles of animal
flesh which is presented to Us IN form
q food may be reduced to three, fat,
@elatino and aisumen. The various
processes Of cooking extract the princi-
pies Of the substances in widely differ
emit manner. Flesh is nothing mors
than the meAt or muscle of an animal
So when we eat heef-steak we eat a
portion of The muscle Of steer. It is
N$ a nh hV1f I'D
repeatedly m cold and afterwards in
hot water, it becomes nearly white, in
which state 1t is called fbrine, and the
RutrimeAt is gone, If the water in
which the meat has been washed were
beiled for sometime, strained, and
boiled again. it will be found on cool
ing to DO in the state of jelly, or in fact
in form Of gelatine, which is one Of
ths proxitnate clements of bone. The
object of the straining is to separate the
albumen, which sets or solidifes by
Boiling. Albumen is substance liEs
the white of an egg, and it exists large
~ in the blood OF all animals. The
savoring principle of animal food is
ozmazome- It is the source of it's odoF
AND taste, and is very nutritious. In .
separate state it is thick liquid, some
thing like sirup, but does not coagula+e
as do gelatine and albumen. From
all that has been said, it will be seen
how unwise it Is wash meat before
cooking, which. l am sorry to
say, a great many housekeepers
do. The fat of animal substance IS
remarkable as containing no nitrogen,
and it is similar to all animal and vege-
table ellis When we boil meat, as in
the process OF making broth, the fat b
dissolved and separated, and floats on
the surface of the water. from which
Il may be skinned of, or if allowed to
remain or to cool, becomes solid. When
firm and digestible, and acquires sA~
worry taste and smell; but if boiling is
too long continued the meat becomes
indisestible, and loses much of its taste
and nutritive qualities. If the boiling
be violent the muscular portions of the
meat lose their gelatine and become
tough and fibrinous, while the inside
will be scarcely affected, as much Of
the nutritive juices of the meat escapes
into the water in the act OF boiling.
The meat should not be cut into small
pieces except for the purpose of max
king broth, that is, if the nutriment 10
wanted to be kept in the meat. A
large Joint is preferable to small joint
and is cheaper in the end, but if the wa
ter is to keep the nutriment, small joints
or pieces are preferable. BY the above
is demonstrated the important service
boiling water renders us in the prepa-
ration of animal flesh for food. It
proves, too, that the most expensive
Joints of meat arc not more nutritious
than the cheaper joints when properly
cooked Cleveland Leader.