Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26
THE VALUE OF FRUITS.
BY MARY Il. WILLIAMS.

BIZ MAEf Is. WILLIAMS.
The subject OF cereals. treated in the
last article. gives opportunity to cook
different cereals by the two methods mem
toned straining and boiling. In the Sec
ond cereal lesson the serving of fruits with
breakfast cereals is introduced the prac-
tical work, consisting of preparing farina
with prunes and cornmeal mush with dates
or figs. The girls in class work have proved
with the iodine test that cereals are starchy
FOODS. and they know starchy foods are
oigested by the saliva in the mouth. These
fruits served with cereals will not inter-
fere with the digestion OF the cereals. and
viii be beneficial because, needing to be
chewed, the mush will also be held In the
mouth for a time. and the saliva will have
chance to work Mastication of starchv
foods, as 1 have said before. Is most i'm
portant. and the finer cereals, like farina
cornmeal mush, hominy, etc. are too often
swallowed Immediately after being taken
into the mouth.
Fruits served with cereals Will also sup
ply all the sweetening needed. Other
fruits suitable to serve In this way are
berries, apple sauce, sliced peaches and
sliced well ripened bananas. Acid fruits
sometimes interfere with the digestion of
the starch by stopping the action of the
saliva, which is alkaline. Besides being
treated In the two lessons on cereals the
cooking OF fruits is given more attention
in the next lesson. First we will consider
the preparation and serving of fresh fruit
Select fruit that Is sound and ripe. Tn
ripe fruit Is dangerously indigestible and
over ripe or partly spoiled fruit Is poison
Gus on account OF the bacteria Il contains
and the chemical changes in its composition
which these bacteria have caused. Fruit
not quite ripe and that kept a little too
long may be made safe to eat by thorough
cooking. We endeavor to emphasize this
fact In our classes in the crowded sections
of the city. Much of the sickness among
children during the summer is caused by
Ignorance in allowing them to eat freely
! of the cheap fruit hawked about the streets
and fit only to be thrown away.
In preparing fresh fruit for the table It
must first of all be clean. Exposed for sale
on the streets. 1t gathers dust and decays
much more quickly than when protected
and cool Until we have a law requiring
dealers to keep fruits and vegetables in
doors and covered. that bought In the
market must be rinsed or wiped clean.
Rinse berries quickly in cold water before
hulling and drain at once. Soaking hurts
their flavor and softens them. and they
would be much better If the washing were
not necessary Rinse grapes and other
small fruits Wipe large ones with damp
cloth. Apples can be polished by rubbing
with soft paper. Wipe the down from
peaches. Use silver or wooden spoons,
silver knives and earthen or enameled
dishes in preparing fruit. The acid In fruits
| may form bad tasting and perhaps poison
Gus compounds with iron, steel or other
metals
when warm from the tree or vine. Never
| leave fruit in the dining room between
meals; keep 1t cool and out of the dust.
Arrange 1t tastefully. grouping the colors
tremendously If several kinds are served
together Fruit leaves help much In ar
| ranging fruit attractively. Place finger
bowls on the table when fruit is served.
because fruit juice stains white napkins
Sometimes 1t is desirable to serve fruits
sugared Cut and sugar sliced peaches
just before serving as they discolor quick
ly. Let sliced oranges bananas and pine
apples stand sugared for half an hour.
Sugar currants crush them slightly and
let them stand till the sugar dssoives.
Serve berries unsweetened and pass pow
dered sugar or sugar and cream with them.
AS rule cooked fruit is less likely to
cause sickness than raw fruit Eat mod
erately of raw fruit. especially in hot
weather. Fruits improved by cooking are
those which are under-rpe, like green ap-
pies. bananas ETC.. those which have start
| ed to get soft and threaten to spoil, and
the dried apples. peaches. apricots. etc.
The following directions are given for
stewing fruit:
Cut pears. apples or ounces in pieces.
Slice or shred pineappes. Cook small
fruits whole Put into a saucepan half
| much water as you have fruit and for
| each pint of fruit one-f fourth to one-half
cupful of sugar, according to the acdity
Of the fruit. When the sugar and water
boil. put in the fruit. If enough juice does
not flow to make the syrup cover the fruit
add boiling water until 1t does When the
fruit is soft. but not mushy. taste it: add
more sugar If needed: stir until this dis
solves: then take out the fruit If the syrup
is waterly boil it down before pouring over
the fruit. Fruit not quite ripe, or hard fruit,
like ounce. should be cooked in clear water
till soft, and then sweetened. Fruit loses
some of its sweetness in cooking. All
fruits, except the sweetest, require, when
stewed, the addition of sugar Figs and
prunes are so sweet that a little lemon
juice improves them.
Lastly come the canned fruits In using
these empty them from the can as soon as
opened. If allowed to stand in can the acid
acts on the tin and the substance formed
may be poisonous. The canning of fruit
will be treated in a later lesson.
Excepting bananas, fresh fruits have lit
tie food value We eat them for their de-
licious taste, their refreshing, thirst
quenching juices, their organic salts and
mineral compounds. These last supply
sodium, calcium, PHOSPHORUS and other
elements essential to pure blood and sound
tissues. Dried fruits are nutritious Ba-
nanas contain more starch and sugar than
other fruits do. The bananas I'm our mar
kets. however. picked green need cooking
to develop their food value and flavor