The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1915-04-09
TO PREPARE AND
USE VEGETABLES
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT
EXPERTS GIVE RESULTS OF
STUDY AND EXPERIMENT..
NUTRITIVE VALUE IN SEEDS
One of Most Important Food Groups
Man Enjoys-Long Soaking of
Beans and Peas Necessary
Food Value of Peanut.

| prepared by the United States Depart
| ment or Agriculture.)
Seeds constitute one of the most i'm
portant food groups that man enjoys
Besides the cereal grains, there ere
such seeds as beans, peas and COW
peas, the oil-bearing peanut which is
closely related to the bean, such oil
bearing seeds as the cottonseed, rape
and sesame
| All these seeds, however, are not
always considered as vegetables, but
the bean, lentil, and pea are so consid
cred, and have been recognized in all
| lands as possible substitutes for both
bread and meat. The principal objec.
ton to the more general use of these
particular seed vegetables is that their
flavor does not appeal to all. There.
fore it is often wise to remove a por.
ton of the taste, even If this means a
loss of substance. By occasionally
changing the water in which the beans
are soaking or during the early stages
of cooking, their natural flavor may be
| toned down. A more desirable flavor
sometimes may be impaired in cook
ing by the use of mint, parsley, onion,
| tomato, peppers, bayleaf, nutmeg, or
other herbs, and spices. The spices,
however. must always be added spar
ingly.
The Importance of Long Soaking for
Beans and Peas.
The long. soaking of leguminous
seeds is an important factor in their
cookery. 1t took long time for the
seed to ripen and dry in the pod on
the vine and it loses rather than gains
water when kept in the store and
house. Therefore it is understandable
that considerable time will be required
to I'LL again with water The cells Of
such dense substance. Where there
is no danger of fermentation or sour
Ing, beans, etc., may be profitably
soaked for even forty-eight hours.
Pick over, wash well, add nearly one
quart of water for one cupful of beans,
and set in the refrigerator or other
cold place. The water may be
changed. if convenient, after IL or "a
hours. This serves to remove any
rank flavor. 1t is said that in eastern
countries lentils are soaked a long
time for this purpose
After this complete filling of the It's
sues with water the time required for
cooking will not be much longer than
for shelled beans fresh from the gar
den. True, there has been some loss
of substance, but a corresponding
gain in palatability. Soft water is pre-
ferable to hard, both for soaking and
cooking.
Sucn beans as the navy bean and
lima bean contain relatively little fat |
They do not grow rancid so easily |
as some grain products, but the old |
er they are the harder it is to make |
them palatable and soft and the longer
must be the processes of soaking and :
cooking.
Since the proper preparations of leg !
umes is long process, it is well to
cook enough to serve in two or more
fashions. Thus the baked beans often
are reheated or served cold, and the
remainder used in soup. So, too, the
dry limas or red kidney or any va
riety may appear first as plain but
tered beans, a further portion pre-
pared at the same time, may
be used for salad or croquettes, and
the left-overs tc be utilized as soup.
Leftover red kidney beans when
cooked like meat loaf with cheese.
bread crumbs and such seasoning Las
Is desired make very palatable meat
substitute. Cowpeas, a valuable leg
me better known in the southern
than the northern states, may be
cooked in the same ways az the navy
bean.
Lentils are not as generally used in
his country as they deserve to be.
rEey may be found in the markets of
Creign sections of large cities and in
he larger groceries. Their price is
about the same as that of dry beans
md peas. They may be served like
'eas or with seasoning of fried
'nions. They make a satisfactory
CUP or PURGE.
The use of fresh, young peas, beans 4,
nd cowpeas is extensive, the seeds
icing sometimes served alone. and +.
ften in the case of beans and cow.
eas with the succulent pod contai,-
ng them. The pods of peas are ord
arily discarded, out sometimes thew i.
re cooked for while, and then the r
7ater in which they were boiled is :
sed for cooking the peas themselves
here are also edible podded beans.
String or snap" beans, if Young
nd tender, may be cooked quickly
old and well grown they need long
r cooking. If overgrown they will .
e improved by parboiling for a few :
linutes in water to which soda has q
cen added, about one-fourth level =
of soda for two quarts of
ater. They should then be drained -
nd cooked in fresh water. To be at :.
le:r best in flavor, as well as color o.
ring beans should be cooked only
ms enough to make them tender -
hey are most delicate if cooked in -
llted water, drained. A combination :,
string and shell beans is pleasing =,
lange from either alone. String -
cans. 1t has been claimed, are less :,
kelly to cause digestive disturbance
cooked uncovered.
The large green pods of the red or
anberry beans remain tender nntil
H. -.