The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-08-13
THE BEST METHOD OF FRYING FOOD.
Some Valuable Suggestions and How to
Get Satisfactory Results. No Need
of Having Dyspepsia.


Most physicians, especially in the
northern United States, say that fried
food is responsible for most of the dys-
pepsia, especially in the south, where
frying is most prevalent.
This is no doubt true, in broad and
average way, but it is not necessary
that it should be true. Too much grease
of any kind. and in any way, is GER
tainly bad for the digestion; but the
conclusion must not be too hastily
reached that fried food is necessarily
greasy. Grease for cooking should be
locked upon merely as as a medium for
communicating high degree of heat.
1t is not usually possible TO cook things
in water to q higher temperature than
2l2 degrees, and hence in many cases
it is necessary to cook meats, etc, 4
long while at this temperature to get
them done. But it is easily possible 20
cook things equally we'll done in grease
in much shorter time, on account Of
the higher temperature that may be
reachcd-sOmetimes 500 to 400 degrees.
The true way to cook in grease is to
get it very hot before introducing the
meat or other article. When it is
dropped in the higher degree of heat
Immediately chars the outer surface
aud closes the pores, so that the grease
cannot get inside. It is important to
keep the heat up, and not to put the
articles into the grease so last as TO
lower the temperature. When done,
they should be Immediately removed
and laid on a cloth TO absorb the ad-
herring grease. Many cooks take
frying pan off the fire with the eggs
or meat in it, all cooked, and leave it
so until served. This is the next best
way to let the grease soak through to
the centre. The very best way to soak
the grease in. and the very best way
to promote dyspepsia is to put the ar
t;ces in the frying pan to cook when
the grease is not hot enough.
Frying is generally most Wasteful
manner of cooking, for the reason that
so much of the grease is thrown away
after the article is cooked. This is gen
orally unnecessary. If the frying has
been properly done, the grease has not
taken up much from the article cooked
The grease MAJ be poured from the
frying pan into a vessel OF not water,
when most of the foreign matter will
settle and the pure grease will float,
after somewhat washing itself in Ihe
water 1t may then be used again and
again with the best results.
There is naturally a smell from any
frying grease. In Europe, where many
kinds of grease and oils are used for
the different smells, and do not mind
them. In this country all are accus-
toned to the smell of frying hog lard.
When it was first proposed to COOK
with cotton oil the new smell was OBJ
jectiona BILE, especially the smell OF
badly refined oil. and thus there grew
q prejudice against its use. Another
cause for bad results with the oil was
the fact that often times the COOK
hn fN
enough before putting it in the articles.
When using lard, the cook would natur-
ally wait for it to melt, and it would
get hot without provoking impatience.
But the oil looks ready when 1t is first
put in the frying pan, and there IS a,
temptation to use it too soon. Ihere
has been much steady work done by
those who make cooking compounds
from cotton oil. with view to reducing
or Disgusting the smell. The result has
been most gratifying. There are sew.
eral concerns making a speciality OF
oil refined for use in cooking, without
further manipulation. The Wesson Pro-
cess company of Savannah, Ga, has
been very successful in this line and
will be glad to mail cook books.
There are also a number of highly
satisfactory cooking greases MADE
from cotton oil and beef fat, such as
"Palmatena" and Snow Drift" both
of which products are extensively
manufactured by the Southern Cotton
Oil Company of the Carolinas and
Georgia at their works in Savannah.
They are both high class and reliable
products in which the pure cotton seed
oil is used and they resemble lard in
appearance and results, but are more
satisfactory and healthy, and which are
superior to hog lard from every point OF
view. That they are much more
healthful there can be no doubt. g., a