Evening journal., 1909-06-17
:-:WOMANKIND:-:
POINTS TO KNOW WHEN
COOKING VEGETABLES

good general rule to remember Is !
that green vegetables should be cooked
in hard water. while dry vegetables
and many root vegetables should be
cooked in soft water.
When water has been boiling in the
kettle for some time it has parted with
its gases and becomes hard; hence the
importance of using water which has
been freshly boiled. A teaspoonful of
salt added to a gallon of water will
make it hard. while a half of a level
teaspoonful Of baking soda added to
the same quantity renders it SOFT
The term green vegetables in
cludes all those varieties which grow
above the ground while IN a fresh
state.
y Dried vegetables take in all manner
Of dried beans. peas and lentils, also
such derivatives of corn as hominy
and samp; rice and macaroni are also
meant when 10 be served as an accom-
paniment to meat or fish.
All vegetables which are young and
green should be cooked in boiling, salt
ed water So should potatoes, rice
and onions; if the latter are boiled in
soft water they will be quite tasteless,
and no amount of sailing when cooked
will restore their original flavor.
Root vegetables. which are largely
made up of fibrous. cellular material,
must be cooked in solft (unsalted)
water until they are tender, after
which salt can be added.
All dried vegetables Csuch as beans,
peas. etc) must have their original
amount of moisture restored to them
before cooking else they cannot be
made uniformly tender and melting.
To do this. they should. after picking
over and washing to remove dust and
dirt, be covered with cold water and
be allowed to soak for several hours,
or, better still, over night.
ANY water remaining on them should
be drained off and fresh water added
and heat gradually applied.
They should be cooked very slowly
and for a long time to insure tender
ness without being broken or reduced
to a mush.
Fresh green vegetables win retain
their bright color best if cooked un-
covered. The steam confined beneath
the cover of the kettle deadens any
fresh coloring.
Greens. such as spinach, will be
much improved in color If they are
rapidly boiled in salted water until
barely tender. then drained and drop
ped quickly into a pan of cold water
until chilled.
They should then be thoroughly
drained and pressed. after which they
are ready to be finished in any way
desired.
Rice should be picked over and b'
repeatedly washed in cold water, rub
bing the grain between the hands ant
renewing the water until it remains
clear when drained off.
This removes all loose starch an'
will lessen the tendency to pastiness
The water in which it is cooked should
be kept at a galloping boil that Tn
grains may have no chance to adhere
It is done when the grain feel tende
TO the center on pressure.
To keep the tubes of macaroDi fron
sticking together the water must b
kept at a galloping boil, as with rice
When done it should be turned int
a colander and thoroughly rinse
under the Gold water to remove tn
loose pastrJ starch on the outside o
the tubes.
After draining II can be creamed q
finished in any desired way. Macaron
SO finished, will be found much bel
ter than when this rinsing is omit
ted