Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-26
THE GREAT AMERICAN SIN
By MRS CHRISTINE. FREDERICK
Author The New Housekeeping

I are composed of fbrous cellulosc, starch
grains and mineral salts. The celulose
is Just tn" network to hold together the
starch and salts. which are really held
in solution in the vegetable or plant
body.
Now, with this idea clearly In mind,
think of boiling a vegetable in guam
tity Of water-say. three quarts. The
"oiling bursts the starch granules as
we'll as cooks them, sottens the celu-
lose and releases the mineral salts, which
pass off into the water
If we drain" our vegetables in the
common matter we throw away these
three quarts Of water in which are dis
solved the most valuable constituents of
any fruit or vegetable. What we have
left Is a residue Of starch with the cellu-
lose tibres. It is true that the fibres
serve as ''brooms' to the system or as
n securing soap of nature, and the
starch represents certain amount Of
definite food material
But the salts, the acids, the minerals,
the phosphates these are all wasted
when we commit the great American sin
Of throwing away water in which vege-
tables have boiled.
We can get the same amount of starch
from other foods like grain. and the
fibres of the vegetables are the least inn
portant part. The main function OF the
vegetable Is to furnish 10 the body those
chemical constituents which are partle-
ularly needed to adequately develop
heat, other bones and to purify the blood.
Now, this practice is not necessary. 1t
is simply due 10 carelessness, haphazard
methods Of ignorant workers who never
measure the amount NJ water on a veg
etabIe, and who would Just as soon
havo two quarts left at the end of boil
ing as one pint The proper way is TO
cook the vegetable in Just sufficient wa
ter to keep It from burning. and TO use
this small quantity in some kind of sauce
so as tn conserve it. Others may utilize
vegetable water in soups. as is commonly
done abroad and as a basis for stock.
But even more preferable than any
boiling method for a vegetable Is the
steamlng method. This cooks and bursts
the starch cells even more satisfa actoriIy
and positively conserves the maximum
amount Of mineral substances in the veg
etable. There Is Just as much difference
between steaming and boiling vegetables
as there is between a baked and boiled
potato.
Possibly not all know that in the best
hotels all vegetables are steam cooked.
This accounts for the fact that vegeta-
bles under the hands OF competent chef
are much more appetizing and havorful
than they are when they emerge from
the hands Of the average cook.
Peelins vegetables carelessly also re-
moves those layers In which the salts
are most packed. It has been proved
by experiment that the greatest pro-
portion OF salt in the potato Is in the
outside skin. Similarly with other veg
etables, and 1t IS very unfortunate 70
have a thick peeling so that valuable
parts are removed. II Is the same sit
uation as with brown versus white rice
In the former the outer coating and min
eral materials are retained, while in the
white polished rice not only are the same
materials entirely removed. but the grain
is covered with the same substance that
we use on our toilet table-talc.
Are We cooking 10 nourlsh our bodies
or merely to consume certain quantity
Of bulk matter? Do We wonder Why
our children's teeth decay OF why We are
so often subject TO this and that all
ment? Possibly the great American sin
may bear some Of the blame. m
-a.gaalt. EIl. ~ So 49, 'Fg Ia.