American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-08-31
WOMANS COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
Recipes for Canning and Drying Garden Vegetables.

and green peppers decorate the space
between the kitchn rafters. Thrifty
housewives dry cherries and raspber-
ries on bits of bark for winter use in
place of raisins In fact, a survey Of
our fruit products shows that drying
is by no means an unusual method Of
preservation. Prunes, figs, dates, raj
sins, apples and apricots are staples
in the food markets Of the world
Turning to the vegetables, we find
that dried beans Of many varieties.
peas and other legumes, tea coffee
and cocoa are familiar articles of food
while various manufactured products
like starch, tapioca and macarOni, are
dried either in the sun or wind, or in
specially constructed driers.
While the modern methods of can
ming on vast commercial scale caused
the drying processes of two genera
tiOn ago to become one of the lost
arts of the home the present food
situation seems destined to revive it
with splendid economic results. The
country is producing at the present
time larger quantities of perishable
foodstuffs than at any other period in
its history owing to the effective edu-
cational campaign which has stimu-
lated the cultivation of individual gar
dens in waste places.
Drying will help to conserve the sur
plus yield of these gardens. But can
ming and preserving should not under
any circumstances be abandoned All
processes have their place in the
economy of food conservation.
One of the chief advantages of dry
ing vegetables and fruits lies in the
practicability of the process for the
city housewife. The farmers wife
has her root cellars and other places
for storing vegetables; but in the city
home. where space is a primary con-
sideration, the drying method fur
nishes a practical solution of an i'm
portant problem.
For the farmers wife the new
methods of canning are commended in
preference to the longer process OF
sun drying. But new and shorter
methods Of drying are now available,
and the dried product has several ad-
vantages over the canned product
particularly in the saving of the eX-
pense of cans. glass jars, and other
containers. Dried vegetables can be
stored in receptacles which cannot be
used for canning, and the bulk Of the
product is usually less.
Another consideration should be
taken into account: the canned fruits
and vegetables are subject to freezing
danger entirely Obviated in the dry
ing process. Dried foodstuffs can be
shipped in the most compact form.
with a minimum of weight and a mini
mum of risk.
One of the most important consider
ations commencing the drying process
is that the city or town housewife can
employ this method of preservation
with the simplest and most ineXpen-
sive facilities. and the process can be
employed continuously, whether the
food to be saved is in large or small
quantities. A few sweet potatoes, peas
or beans can be dried at time. Even
a single turnip or an apple is worth
drying Bit by bit vegetables may be
saved until a whole meal is conserved.
Small lots of dried carrots. cabbage
turnips. potatoes and onions are com
bined to advantage for vegetable soup.
AS to the tastiness of such dried
products as spinach, beet-tops. and
kale there is no question. In other
cases, while the flavor of the fresh
vegetable is not preserved in its en-
tirety. the use of these ingredients in
| soups and stews meets successfully
the problem of any loss of palatabili-
". while the food value of the dried
product remains unimpaired-Geo-
graphic Magazine.