The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-02-09
Fruits You Should Try
Blu Mrs. Christine Frederick,
The DisfineiSbed Authority on Household Efficiency

kinds are delicious when soaked,
simmered q trife, without sugar,
and served in sauce dishes. Rails
ms have a high sugar content ana
delicious flavor; they are laxative
and tonic. Raisins may also be
placed in the cereal, while 1t Is
cooking, or added to breads and
cakes. They should be used far
more than they now are in many
households. One pound costs about
Is cents. and as this is sufficient
TO fill six sauce dishes they are not
an expensive food.
Peaches, pears and apricots are
all dried and bleached with sui
phur. For this reason the water
i'm which they have soaked should
always be removed, and not used
to cook them in. Apricots and
others need an unusually thorough
soaking, as they are frequently
dirty. Cook very slowly, or not at
all. Add syrup last and have 1t
we'll strained so that the fruit Will
look appetizing and clear. Dried
pears are as delicate in flavor as
many of the canned varieties at
third the cost. The peeled peaches
are excellent for breakfast, for sup
per. for pie filing and as sauce
over Winter buildings.
Many persons do not know that a
"prune" is not a separate fruit, but
merely the dried form Of the COM
mon blue egg plum. Prunes are
very laxative, contain much sugar,
and are the best Of the dried fruits
for children. Prunes used to be
considered cheap" and many
Jokes were made about the board
ing house prune," etc. But this
year the Government has taken
over so much of the crop that
prunes are as much of a luxury as
tropical fruits.
Prunes contain a strong acid,
and It is sometimes well to coun-
teract this by adding a small pinch
Of baking soda while cooking. Cook
very slowly, so the skin will not
get very tough. Mashed through
fine sieve prunes from a delightful
form Of whip" to be used as a
dessert.
Another dried fruit which de-
serves greater popularity is the
small black cooking flg, which still
sell at about twenty cents per
pound. This is not a flattened fig,
such as seen at the fruit and con-
dictionary stores, but a small,
whole, perfect fig, very dark and
with a small stem. 1t may be
soaked and used exactly as prunes
or any dried fruit. AS It contains
very much natural sugar it needs
none added while cooking, which
makes It economical.
Figs are laxative and excellent
for children as well as adults.
Added to a cOrnmeal or bread pud-
ding they make a welcome change
from raisias. Candled figs may be
made at home by dipping the moist
fig in a cake icing and drying at
once.
All dried fruits are best cooked
in agate or enamel vessels, as must
Of them contain acids and some OF
them may have been bleached with
acids. Therefore a vessel which
acids do not affect is best. Never
place dried fruit in aluminium or
tin, which will give a bitter, I'M
pleasant taste.
Dried cherries may be new to
many housekeepers. These come
in big boxes and are prepared just
like any other fruits. A clear
soup" may be made of them to
precede a heavy dinner. the acid
acting as a contrast to the grease
OF the meat. They are also good
stewed or they may be used in pud-
dings like raisins.
Dried fruits are the cheapest
kind Of fruit at any season. Fresh
fruit Is so perishable that its trans
portation cost is very heavy, while
canned fruit has to add the cost of
the tin can plus the transportation.