Milford chronicle., 1920-08-27
PROVIDE VEGETABLE SUPPLY
FOR WINTER BY DRYING NOW

Various dried or evaporated vege-
tables may be used in cookery in most
of the ways in which fresh materials
are employed They may find their
widest usefulness, however, in sOur
mixtures or in the PREPARATION of the
popular old-fashioned vegetable boiled
dinner. Drying permits the serving OF
any favorite vegetable combination at
any and all seasons of the year. The
various vegetables after drying may
be mixed in definite proportions prior
to storage or they may be stored sep
arately and mixed when used.
For those who wish to make vege-
table mixture that will have the max
imum food value and at the same time
be as nearly as possible a complete
or balanced ration, the formulas used
in making evaporated soup mixtures
for the British armies may serve as
guides. One of these mixtures con-
tains 20 per cent each of potatoes, tur-
nips, and peas, IL per cent each of car
rots and beans, and per cent of on
ions. In another, the combination is
81 per cent of potatoes. 19 per cent
each of carrots and turnips, 10 per
cent each of onions and cabbage, and
2 1-2 per cent each of beans and peas.
Differ From Prepared Product.
The dried vegetable soup mixtures
on sale differ principally from these
formulas in havin gmost instances a
larger percentage of potato, in the alb
sence of beans and peas, and in hav-
ing various minor additions, such as
beets, celery, radishes, and tomatoes.
In making up combinations of dried /
vegetables, the hOusekeeper should re-
member that the mixture must subse- 1
quently be soaked and cooked as
unit, and only vegetables that absorb .
water and cook at approximately /
equal rates can be successfully COM
bined in a dry condition. Such mater
ials as the root vegetables, cabbage,
celery, tomatoes, and onions behave
alike both in their absorption of wa
ter and in cooking, according to speci-
alists of the L. S. Department
Of Agriculture. Any desired eOmbina-
ton can be made from them.
Dried corn and mature peas and
beans absorb water very much more
slowly and must be cooked from two
20 three times as long as materials
4 the list just given. For this reason
hey can not be mixed with other veg
stables before soaking. Instead. they
should be separated, soaked, and part
y cooked. Then the other vegetables
lesired in the mixture after previous
may be added and the whole
looked until done.
How to Dry Vegetables
Practically all vegetables, after be- \
ng sliced or otherwise made ready Il
or the drier should be blanched from Il
ne TO three minutes in boiling water 4
II steam before drying. They should 1
hen be drained, and spread in a very |
hin layer on the shelves of the drier. 1
from time to time the trays should
e withdrawn and the contents care
ully stirred so the product will dry
venly. II
When thoroughly dry the product |
hould be removed from the drier ana K
laced in a dark airy room free from \
lsects. Str. occasionally during the
everal 6s.-- - left there to cure. u
hen heat carefully again for a few
linutes and store in tin cans, heavy |
astebOard boxes, or paranined bags. i
over tightly to exclude insects and
lore in a room which Is warm ana Il
ry. Il