The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-11-20
HOME DEPARTMENT
ucted by Miss Margaret Dzney Director of Home Science

ach there Is no change, unless the
starchy food has been thoroughly
insalivated in the mouth, when lis
digestion by the fermcnt Of the Sill
va will continue for a time in the
stomach. So the second point 10 be
noted about starchy foods IL that
they need careful and complete
mastication.
Much OF the American dyspepsia
y n form Of starchy INDIGESTION.
Unintclligcnt cooking Of starcby food
and hasty "bolting" OF The same IL
largely responsible for lots OF
our digestive disorders. Generally
speaking, the more easily soluble a
food Is, the easier IL is 10 be d.
gested. Starch can be carried n
long way on the road IN digestion
by thorough cooking. Dry heat will
do II, for in browning the starch.
as in the crust Of loaf or making
toast, n new substance IL formed,
dextrin. which Is soluble, therefore
TO an appreciable extent predigested.
The brown top OF a baked rice pud-
ding. or Of a bread or cereal pudding.
The baked rather than the boiled
dumnling. The crustv rolls. the
toasted crackers. the wcll-browned
croutons for soup. these and other
siarchv dishes where a great deal
Of dextrin has been developed have
consequently been made easier OF
Moist heat such as boiling or
steaming, will not only burs, The
cellulose sacs 10 will " continued
long enough. change starch into SOL
nble forms on the way % sugar.
Sometimes tho cook, In making n
a corn-starch pudding or an arrow
root hlancmange. will. IL the mix
lure seems too thin. proiong the
cooking in hope Of thickening up
he pudding. but only 10 ind that
\ grows thinner The long cook
ne predigests The starch. Acid.
'nch as lemon Juice or vinegar. in
combination with moist heat, brings
Ihout much more quickly this change
allied the inversion ~ starch:
md where even n slight change in
he direction Of predieesiion is set
'oing. The work 81 the hodv IN deal
ng with The starchv food IL there
" made easier. This Is particu-
arly 10 be desired when, as IN the
ase OF starchy buildings and break
asst cereals. The food is likely tn
scape the insalivation hroueh,
bout nv mastication.
Speaking ~ cereals. the sufficient
cooking OF this common breakfast
fish is almost more importan, Than
he sufficient cooking Of anv other
orm Of starchy food. simply be-
ause the cereal Is swallowed with
nj even preience Of chewing.
he whole grains or even those
which are steel-cut need from SIX
D eight hours cooking: those which
re part-cookcd. such as the rolled
rains. need at least an hour: ard
NV the fully cooked prenarations
nch as the faxed. shredded. or
ufed, are M 10 eat without fur
her application OF heat.
Every starchy food has 10 he con-
erted into sugar in the body before
Is nj for absorption-this I. what
! meant by the digestion OF starch.
s conversion into sugar. Since IL
rs been shown possible 10 change
ellulose, in the shape 81 scrans Of
men or cotton. into sugar. II might
be thought easier % bring
bout the same change in starch.
q II is. As in cellulose. n IL done
Y nature in the ripening Of fruits
II may surprise some OF us 10
arm that starch is present in an
nripe apple, and Is changed into
igar during the ripening. Tn the
archy seeds there is a ferment
hich changes starch into sugar 10
ed the young plant. Certain cook
processes initiate the change OF
arch into sugar, as already de-
ribed; and the commercial con-
'rstion OF starch into sugar Is done
! large scale, and Is considered
he Of the important lines OF food
anufacture. Many OF the syrups
'ed in candy-making, or as sub
flutes for sugar, are made from the
inversion into sugar OF the starch
cereal grains. This brings us 10
% third class Of carbohydrates, the
EAuA.o.l