New Ulm review., 1918-08-07

from insects and rodents. The dried
fruit or vegetables must be protected
from outside moisture and will keep
best in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.
These conditions, however, are difficult
to obtain in the more humid regions,
and there moisture-tight containers
should be used.
If small amount of dried product is
put in each receptacle, just enough for
one or two meals, it will not be necessary
to open container the contents of which
can not be consumed in short time.
The use of the small cOntainer also makes
it more difficult for insects to spoil
large quantities of the dried fruits. or
vegetables. If paper bag is used, the
upper part should be twisted into a neck,
bent over, and tied tightly with string.
If further precaution against spoilage
is necessary the bag can be. coated with
paraAin by painting it with a brush
which has been dipped into melted
parafin. Another precaution may be
taken by placing the small bags in tin
container with tightly fitting cover, such
as an ordinary lard can or pail. All
bags should bear label indicating what
they contain.
If fruits or vegetables are packed
in tight containers Immediately upon
being dried thoroughly, they will remain
just as brittle as they were when taken
from the drier. If, however, they are
not dried thoroughly, they will ''sweat"
and soon mold. To prevent this the
material should be examined within "a
hours after packing, and if it appears
moist it must be dried further.
Recipes For Cooking Dried Fruits
And Vegetables
1t must be remembered that the water
which has been dried out of the fruits
or vegetables must be restored to them
before cooking and that this process
requires time. In general, the longer it
takes to dry the longer should the dried
products soak. Because the. kind OF
vegetable (old and tough or young and
tender), the size Of the pieces Qarge or
smalD, and the amount of moisture which
the dried product contains affect the
length Of time the vegetable should
soak, the housekeeper must use her best
judgment in selecting the method Of
preparation best suited to her own
products.
Once soaked, dried vegetables and
fruits can be cooked in almost any OF
the ways in which fresh ones can be cook
ed, recipes for which are given below.
These are in use by commercial con-
Germs.
Snap Beans
Soak overnight or to IL hours, using
10 pints of water to l pound Of beans,
or times as much water as beans. Boil
8 hours in the same water, with slice
of bacon; drain off water and add salt,
pepper, and butter. Cream sauce may
be used. Four ounces of dried beans
will serve 10 people.
Beets
Dried, sliced beets, if soaked too long,
lose their red color and good flavor.
Soaking for 2 hours z parts water to
1 part beets) should be sufficient. They
should then be cooked in the same water
for about 1 IL hours. If they are cooled
in the same water in which they are
cooked, it is believed that the color is
improved. Cured by process B.
Dried beets, after soaking, may be
cooked in various ways, the same as
fresh beets.
Creamed beets:-Soak 1 cup of dried
beet root in 2 cups Of water from to
8 hours. Cook until tender. Cool in
the same water. Drain off water. Add
2 tablespoons Of sugar, IA cup of vinegar,
IA cup of water, tablespoon of butter,
and a little salt; heat together to boiling
point, thicken a little with flour and
water we'll blended. Serve hot. Cured
by process A.
Picked beets:-Cook as above, add
vinegar and spices and sweeten to taste.
Dried .beets may seem to lose color,
but cooling in the water in which they
were boiled will tend to restore the
natural color.
Buttered beets:-Soak cups of dried
beets for two hours in 4 cups of cold
water and cook until tender. Drain and
add to the beets 2 tablespoons Of but
ter, / teaspoon Of salt, and one-fourth
teaspoon of pepper. Stir carefully in
order to butter and season each slice
of beet without breaking it. Serve hot.
Carrots
Buttered carrots: young car
rots do not require soaking. They may
be placed in cold water (about cups of
4o of Iu1o o4o\