Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-07-22
LESSONS IN
n~zAzzssHHz@mA M@s
DOMESTIC SCIENCE
Prepared by the
Agricultural Department
WASHINGTON, o. c.
MEAT SUBSTITUTES.


diet for her family. She knows that
meat is important in supplying them
with the protein necessary for the re-
pair and growth of their bodies and
with fat contributes it's share of en-
ergy for muscular work as well as
work within the body. Perhaps, how
ever, she is missing an opportunity
for variety and economy in relying
too little on the other foodstuffs which
will supply the necessary protein.
Poultry and fish are the most obvi-
GUS substitutes for meat. OF the vari-
Gus kinds Of poultry, chicken is by
far the most common, and in many
parts of the country, especially on
farms, they can be SO easily and
cheaply produced that they should be
used literally on the table. Turkeys,
ducks and geese are more difficult to
raise, while other varieties as capons,
squads, guinea fowls, pheasants and
quail are used more as Injuries.
1t Is well not to feed the fowl for
IL hours before it is killed, thus rem
dering the crop and internal organs
as free as possible from undesirable
matter. A knife not more than two
inches long, one-quarter inch wide,
with thin, fiat handle, sharp point
and straight cutting edge is better
than the old fashioned axe. The bird
should be grasped by the bony part OF
the skull, care being taken not to
touch the neck with the fingers, and
a small cut made on the right side OF
the roof of the mouth, just where the
bones of the skull end. 1t is then
hung up, head down, to allow the
blood to run out from the body. I'M
mediately after the bird is dead and
before the animal heat has left the
body the feathers should be plucked
out, dry picking being much superior
to the common method of plunging the
fowl into boiling water. By thrusting
the knife through the groove which
runs along the middle line of the roof
Of the mouth until Il touches the skull
midway between the eyes, the feather
muscles are paralyzed, and the feath-
ers may be readily pulled out with
out resorting to the unpleasant pro-
cess Of scaIding. Unless the bird Is
to lie cooked at once it should be hung
up for twelve hours or more, In a cool
place, before being used.
The methods of cooking poultry are
in general the same as those for other
kinds OF meat. Boiling, roasting and
broiling are employed when the meat
alone is to be used, and stewing when
the juices are to be extracted, as for
broth. In making fried chicken,
very popular dish, care must be TAX
en- that the fat in which it is fried
does not soak through the meat, as
it will unless sufficiently hot; it is
also important to avoid burning the
fat. Young and tender poultry Is bet
ter adapted for roasting, broillng and
frying, while old tough fowls may be
made tender by long boiling and stew
Ing. Poultry dishes, supplemented by
stuf1ng and gravy, as well as chicken
pies and croquettes, are generally
liked.
The theory that poultry is more nu-
tritious and digestible than other
meats. and the light meat than the
dark, owes it's existence to the fact
| that protein is more easily and thor
| oughly digested than fat, and poul-
try has a higher percentage of protein
and a smaller percentage of fat than
meat from the animals ordinarily USED
| as food. Light meat also contains less
| fat than the dark meat of poultry.
| The difference in digestibility is, how
ever, unimportant for the average per-
son. and the difference in the nutri-
| tive value of light and dark meat is
! too small to affect any save POSSIBLY
/ the very weakest digestions. Wheth-
! er or not it is actually more readily
/ digested. the meat of poultry, espe-
| cially of the white-fleshed varieties,
| is so delicate and appetizing that 1t
often has for convalescents and in
valids a value far beyond its cost
Another very important source OF
protein, is fish, the value OF which is
frequently overlooked. In a country
like ours. Astounding in streams and
lakes and equipped with splendid
methods of refrigeration and trans
portation, it would seem that almost
every section should be well provided
with some kind of fish.
In general, it may be said that t1sh
from clear, cold. or deep water are
preferable to those from shallow or
warm water, while those taken in wa
tiers with rocky or sandy bottom
are better than those from water with
| muddy bottom. Some fish, for In
stance shad, are at their best in the
spawning season; others should not
be eaten during this period. The
mode of capture also affects the quail
fly. the flesh or fish which Is killed
Immediately upon being caught being
firmer than where the fish is allowed
to die slowly.
Oysters and CLAIMS, though not eco
nomical dishes in themselves in most
regions remote from the coast, give
a pleasing variety to the diet and
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