Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-24
ableI and Kitchen.
Some Facts. About the Potatoes.

Some Facts About the Potatoes.
the commonest and in many respects the
most importSpt }f our vegetable foods is
the white potato. Like many other useful
foods as little understood. and as badly
treated in thu hanks Of the philistine. it has
been greatly traduced. All attempt to os-
tracise the potato has met with failure; and
for three hundred years this tuber has con-
tinued to increase fits popularity until now
It IL regarded one Of the most important of
our staple articles of diet.
The value Efsthe potato as q foodstuff
lies in its starch, and herein also Hes its
Vulnerable point of attack from those who
see no good in 1t, but regard it as one of
the constant sources of evil that endanger
health. To- understand this constituent
part OF the potato and know how to put it
to available food use Is so simple that all
VINO run may read 1t in one short lesson II
they WILL andssyet the most jealous de-
fender OF the potato Is generally its worst
foe. for by careless and wretched modes Of
cooking they are made what their enemies
claim, unfit tor human food"
Putting individual experiences and re-
suits from its use; as food aside. let us learn
IT'S true value ta mankind in general under
the favorable condition Of good cooking,
which is, OF course, synonymous with
proper methods.
From the best authorities we have the
statement, frsty that owing to the high
percentage Of starch potatoes stand in the
front rank of food plants that produce the
greatest amount of food to the acre. This
circumstance, coupled with the fact that
they are garden as well as field plant,
and may be successfully grown in the poor
mans patch, makes them well worth con-
s1der1ng as universal food, supplying
starch In convenient and very palatable
FORM
The Composition Of the Potato.
q
into two parts, the solid substance and the
juice. -e
Every housewife can obtain very SIM
pie, clear object lesson in her own home II
she will but follow this explicit demonstra-
ton: Select a well-developed but not over
grown potato; one that is firm and hard
and rather heavy for its size. With a sharp
knife cut this across and closely examine
the cut surface She will notice three dis
tinct layers; the first, the outer skin, which
contains a poisonous substance (solanine).
which Is destroyed in cooking in a we'll
conditioned potato. But 1t Is the presence
of this poison in the water In which pota-
toes have been boiled that renders it I'M
wholesome and useless for any culinary
purpose. Young pota toes and potatoes that
have been exposed to light and rain until
they become green and bitter are great Of
tenders In this respect, and, while much of
the mischief may be removed from the
young potatoes by keeping them in cold wa
ter for some time the long-exposed potato
Is not so easily reclaimed and is most I'M
wholesome. The second layer, directly in
side the skin, is quite broad. This is the
''fibro-vascular layer" In this band or zone
is found the small amount Of pigment"
which turns green when exposed to light
and rain, and gives the potato the color and
bitter taste we have already described.
This layer constitutes 81 per cent of the
entire tuber. The skin, or outer rind, forms
2h per cent Of the whole, while the third
part, or core. or flesh, makes UP the rest Of
the bulk, which is SO per cent. While space
will not permit Of too much detail, 1t must
be clearly understood that In the second or
fbro-vascular- layer We have considerably
more proteid and mineral matter than in
the flesh, or core, and when the potatoes
are pared ever So carefully and intelligent
ly we lose a large percentage OF these valu
able substances. And this also makes plain,
even to the nnlearned, the willful waste
practiced In nine kitchens out of every ten.
The scavenger who picks out the potato
sparings from the average waste pail is the
gamer thereby, cbat better feed the Iowly
by more elevating method. In fact. best
give him the whole potatoes.
When the flesh ~ the potato is submitted
to sufficient pressure to separate the solid
part and juice you have practically starch
and water, as, the. flesh is chiefly composed
Of starch. having only Is, per cent of the
heterogeneous matter. The juice is composed
of water holding In solution n1trogenous
Of the total amount of heterogeneous matter
contained in the potato.
As a Tissue Builder.
While the potato is rated as a tissue
builder, its value for this purpose must not
be overestimated for the reason that all
the heterogeneous matter present is not in
the form Of proteid. Less than so per cent
Of the whole amount Of the heterogeneous
matter Of the potato Is contained in the
proteids; the remainder being present in
the form of ammonia compounds and salts.
The potato that is "waxy" when cooked
Is richer in proteids, for the coagulated pro-
ted holds together. Young potatoes are
noticeably more waxy and solid. as they
contain more Juice and less starch. The
uniformed starch and immature cell tissue
Of the new potato make them rather I'M
safe If eaten Unfortunately. The richness
of the potato in starch-it contains from IS
to 10 per eent-makes 1t Of great CONNER
cial value for many purposes other than
food. While potatoes are no more deserv-
ing Of condemnation than other food SUBJ
stances, they must be avoided in certain