The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-01-04
A Few Culinary Facts.

The tea-kettle boils,' "Tne rice is
boiling ..boiled beef etc, are all
good illustrations of the rhetorical flo.
ure ''metonymy," but they are practi-
cally incorrect. In all cases, it is only
the liquid which boils; no solid can
boil until first changed to liquid. Sol.
ids become LIQUID at the melting point:
liquids take the form of steam or vapor
at the boiling point. Boiling is the
conversion of liquid into steam by
the application of heat sufficient to
cause ebullition or agitation of its sur
face. Boiling, therefore, as applied to
the cooking of solids. is heating or
cooking in a boiling liquid. 1t is one
of the most generally used and abused
forms of cooking. Boiling water, which
is really cooked water, is the liquid usu-
ally employed. Water. as it is heated
from below, expands into vapor. The
air of the water and the steam shoot
up in the form of bubbles. As they
come in contact with the cold water
near the surface, the bubbles collapse, the
steam is condensed and dcscends with
the cold water, making double set of
currents, which cause quite commo-
w" "AohS thO htliS.cS. iS tle
whole body of water becomes hotter,
these bubbles of steam r Sc higher and
higher before collapsing, and finally
rise and break the surface Water is
scalding hot at one hundred and fifty de-
grees, or when the hand can not be
borne in it. 1t SINNERS when the bub-
bles all collapse beneath the surface, or
at one hundred and siXty-five degrees.
Ii boils when the bubbles rise to the
surface and the steam is thrown off, or
at two hundred and twelve degrees.
When this boiling point is reached, the
heat escapes with the steam. and all the
| fire in the world can not make the water
| any hotter; it only lets the steam escape
more rapidly. With q few exceptions,
it is a waste of fuel, time and mate
rial to keep the water boiling at
Il galloping rate. A kettle should
never be quite full, as the water ex-
pands in heating; and in boiling
over, rs of course it will. makes need
less work and Injuries the stove. Water
will boil more quickly in 4 kettle with
rough surface than in one with a
smooth surface, as the water afhereS to
Il smooth surface with greater force,
and this must be overcome before boil
ing will take place. Wafer boils at a
higher temperature when there is sugar
or salt or anything in it to increase the
density. 1t takes longer for it to boil.
but it is hotter when that point is
reached. No one ever doubted that
who has been burned by boiling syrup.
Fresh water, as has been said. bois ut
tNrn hltnIrnl nd
water at two hundred and twcnty-four
degrees If we put salt with the water
in SOiOwer part of a double boiler. a
greater degree of heat is obtained by
which to cook articles in the top. Wa
ter, in boiling. loses the air or gases
which give it fresh taste and spark
ling appearance. 1t becomes fiat and
tasteless. If there is any impurity in
water boiling will destroy it. Then by
cooling and exposing it to pure
air again, it becomes aerated and
palatable. But wafer for cooking,
unless there are impurities to be re-
moved, should be used when freshly
boiled. This is especially important in
making tea and coffee. Soft water should
be used in boiling where the object is to
bic parts, as in soups, brOthS, tea and
coffee. Hard water, or soft water salt
ed. is better when it is desired to pre-
serve the articles whole and retain the
soluble and tlavOring principles, as in
most green vegetables. In cooking
meat. fish and vegetables in water, it
should be remembered the cold water
draws out the albuminous juices and
softens the tibers and gelatlnous por-
lions of meat and holds them in solution
1t draws out starch, but does not unite
with it. Boiling water hardens and
tOu"hens albumen and tibrine. bursts the
starch grains and is absorbed by the
swelling starch. Meat is cooked in
water for three distinct purposes: First,
to keep the nutriment within the meat,
as in what is usually called boiled meat.
To do this the meat is left whole. that
only a little surface MAY lie exposed.
Plunge it into boiling sailed water and
keep it there for tive or ten minutes.
This hardenS the albumen over the en-
tire surface and makes Il coating
through which the iu ces can not escape.
Then move tie kettle where the water
will simmer slowly. See that the cover
fits tightly. to keep in the steam. The
water should be saited to raise the boil
i'm point and increase the density of
the water. and thus prevent the escape
OF the juices. 4 small amount of albu-
men i'll the outer surface will be dis
SO.ved and will rise rs scum. This
should be removed, as it will settle on
the meat and render it uninvitng in APP
pearance- In turning the meat do not
pierce into it to let the juices escape.
1t will take Il longer time to cook in this
way. but the fibrine will be sOftened and
the meat made more tender and of bet
ter favor than when kept boiling flu
rOuSly. Second. meats are cooked in
water to have the nutriment wholly in
the liquid, rs in soups and meat-teas. !
Cut the meat in small pieces, soak in |
cold water. the longer the better, heat
gradually and keep hot, but not boiling. |
until all the goodness is extracted. |
Third, to have the nutriment partly in
the liquid and partly in the meat. as in
stews and fricassees. Put the meat in
cold water, let the water boil quickly, |
then skim and keep at the simmering
point The cold water will draw out |
enough of the juices to enrich the liquid;
then, as it reaches the boiling point, the |
meat hardens and retains the remainder. |
Boston Herald.