The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-03-11
WATER IN OUR SOLID FOOD
Every Article Consumed Contains a
Large Per Cent. of Liquid
Matter.

What we buy as solid food is not
solid. 1t is partly water; some of the
commonest foods are almost entirely
composed of water.
Bought as food, water is a tolerably
expensive luxury. In several instances
1t costs something like $3.50 a glass.
says Pearson's Magazine.
Let us begin with breakfast.
Look at that loaf of bread. To all
appearances it is solid enough But il
is not. When it came into the hands
Of the baker as wheat flour it contained
water only to the extent of II per cent.
IN working up the materials into
dough, by ~kneading and other manip-
uiatlon, and in baking, a great change
takes place, n the quantity OF water
has more tina doubled. The wheat
f1our loaf contains nearly 40 per cent.
OF water. Curiously enough. it's value
as a food is Increased thereby. The
percentage of water in the crust is
about half that in the soft inside.
cured pork does not contain a
larSe proportion of water; in fact
Wherever there is a good deal of fatty
matter. there is also a scarcity of mois-
lure so the man who ENJOYS his slice
of breakfast bacon may comfort him
self with the reflection that he is get
ting fairly solid value for his money
because bacon contains only % ner
cent OF water.
Fresh eggs, on the other hand. are
composed of no less than 65 per cent
Of water.
Inc best dairy-made butter. no mat
ter how carefully prepared. contains q
comparatively regal percentage of wa
ter. Out of 1900 samples of butter az
ahmed by well-known authorities. 2
small lumber contained over 16 nor
cent. of water; the larger number con-
tanned betWeen IL and 10 per cent
CarelesSly manufactured Or adulter-
ated butter often contains much more |
water tina is permissible by law. and |
the breakfast table may include a SIM
ply of butter containing as much as 20
per cent. of water. |
it is only to be expected that milk,
owing to its origin, should vary con
S~lderably in its composition. Much &c.
Ponds on the health and surroundings
Of the animal yielding it.
1t is interesting to know that morn.
ing milk, as it comes from the row is ,
by no means as nourishing as the even
ing supply: there is more water in the
former. The daily quart of milk even
IN Its purest state contains an average
OF SIS per cent. of water.
The choicest fish contain the largest
percentage of water. Thus, turbot and
are credited with IS per cent
IS per cent; while the com.
inhabitants of the deem bl,,e
sea are content with from 40 to &C
per cent. as in the case of the homely
herring.
AS cool as a cucumber" is a house.
hold term. The GOODNESS is easily ex-
planned. C~ucumbers are almost entire.
~ composed of water-that is. e5 per
cent. or over IA per cent. more than is
in milk, which is itself a
liquid. Lettuce must not be forgotten
here IS a further instance of how LITTLE
substance may be in an apparent solid
Tor the cabbage lettuce holds 80 per cent
Of water.
1t Will be seen that most of the good
thlngs OF life are largely of
but it is better for us that this
IS SO. Nature knows more about orr
powers than we know our.
selves, and she has designed her prod
lcts-hsh, flesh, fowl and fruit-with SC
cunning a hand that the water contained
n each is essential. /,
ROOD containing very little water in
is composition is not. as a rule. good
10 eat until a suitable process of cook
mas rendered it safe by adding a fur
-her upply Of water to it, and boiling
Is is we'll known, is the process that rem
1ers our o most wholesome and easy
If digestion.
AkPa6inrnn., &c a.