The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-25
Some Facts About the Potatoes

some EacLS ABOUT the ECLatOSG-
The commonest and in many respects
the most important Of our Vegetd Ole
foods is the white potato. Like many
other useful foods as little understood,
and as badly treated in the hands of the
phllstine it has been greatly traduceu-
All attempt TO Ostracize the potato has
met with failure. and for 300 years this
tuber has continued 70 increase its pop
uiarity until now Il Is regarded one of
the most important Of our staple articles
of diet
The value Of the potato as Z fOodstuff
lies in its starch. and herein also lies
its vulnerable point of attack from
those who see no EOOd IN It. 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 nut it to available food
use is so simple that al who run may
read il IN one short lesson II they VIII,
and yet the most Jealous defender OF
the potato is generally its worst foe, for
by careless and wretched modes Of
cooking they ara made what their enc
mics claim, unfit for human rood
Putting individual experiences and re-
suits from its use as food aside. let US
learn its true value to mankind II gen
eraI under the favorable condition OF
good cooking, which is, Of course, syn
onymous with proper methods.
From the best authorities we have
the statement. erst. that owing to he
high percentage Of starch potatoes stand
in the front rank of food plants that
produce the greatest amount CT food 10
the acre This cireumstapee, coupled
with the fact that they are garden as
well as field plant. and may be sue
cessfuIIy grown il the poor mans Patch
makes them well worth considering as
universal food, supplying starch in
convenient and very palata Die form
THE COMPOSITION OFTHE POTA
Generally speaking we divide the pc
tato into two parts, the solid substance
and the juice
Every housewife can obtain a very
simple. clear OBJECT lesson iii her own
home. if she viii but follow this explicit
demonstration. Select a well developed
but not ove-srowl potatos one that IS
firm and hard and rather heavy for its
size. With sharp knife cut this across
and closely examine the cut surface. She
viii notice three distinct layerS. the
first. the outer skin which contains a
poisonous substance (soldnlnel- which is
toned potato. But it is the presence Ct
this poison III -he water n which 20
tatoes have been boiled that renders it
unwholeS0ue aud useless for any cult
nary purpose. Young potatoes ard To-
fatoRS that have Deen exposed to light
and rain until they become green a~1
bitter, are great offenders in this re-
sDecf. and while much of the mischief
may be removed from the young Iota-
toes by keeping them IN cold water for
not 50 easily reclaimed and IS most un-
wholesome. TIE second lave- directly
inside the skin is quite broaC- This Is
the --6brO-vascuiar layer" In this band
or zone IS found the small amount of
pigment which turns green when ex-
posed to light and rain and gives the
potato the color and bitter taste we
have already described This layer con-
stitutes So per cent of the entire tuber.
The skin or QUEER rind forms pig per
cent of the whole, while the third part
or core or flesh makes uo the rest OF
the bulk, which IS SO per cent. While
space viii not permit of too much de-
tail il must be dearly understood that
( in the second, or 1ibro-vascular layer we
have considerably more proteid and
mineral matter than in the aesh or core,
and when the potatoes are pared ever
so carefully and lntelngentlv we lose A
+ large percentage Of these valuable sub
! stances. And .ais also makes plain. even
to the unlearned. the wilfuI waste prac-
ticed IN nine kitchens out of every ten.
Z The scavenger who picks out the potato
parings from the average waste pail is
+ the gamer thereby, but better feed the
/ l0wlv by a more eleva tlls method n
( fact. best give MN the whole potatoes.
When the flesh OF the potato Is sub
nitted to sufficient pressure to separate
I the solid part and juice you have prac
I tfcalIy starch and water. as the flesh is
/ chiefly composed of starch. having only
( Is per cent Of the heterogeneous matter
& The 1uiee Is composed u water HUt4AAlS
in solution heterogeneous matter and salts
and containing IS per cent of the total
amount Of heterogeneous matter contained
/ IN the 1OtatC.
As A TISSUE BUILDER.
While ttss potato IS rated as tissue
/ builder. its value for this purpose mus
not be over-estimated. for the reason
that all the heterogeneous matter present
( is not in the form Of pr0teid- Less thar
50 per cent. Of the whole amount Of the
| heterogeneous matter OF the potato Is