Evening star., 1928-05-06
Berries Earliest Food of Man

~ ERRIES everywhere have been
part of the diet of primitive
man, and IL we may speak OF
one food as being more natural
than another, then we should
have to consider berries as among the
most natural, Not being supplied by
nature with sharp, pointed teeth and
claws like carnivorouS animals, our re-
mote ancestors could have had very
little meat until they had become sui
ficiently advanced to construct traps,
Snares and sharp pointed instruments.
So l suppose they just worried along
on a diet of oysters, nuts, honey, eggs,
insects. snails, green herbs and fruit
for few thousand years before they
ever acquired the taste for Sriolh
steak lamb chops and sweetbreads
In tropical and warm regions larger
fruits were always abundant, but III
more northern stretches berries were
doubtless often the only fruit that could
be found in any abundance. Then, TOO,
the wild form of many of the fruits
which have been cultivated since pre-
historic timeS-Such as the pear, the
apple and the peach-werc small ana
woody, But the wild berries we're luS-
cious and iuicy-though not SO large
as the cultivated sorts we know today.
y y =
EVEN today hucklebcrries and blue
H berries are usually gathered as
they grow wild and 1t Is only quite
recently that cranberries have been
known in anything but the wild form.
II YOU have ever eaten wild StraWoer-
ries YOU probably realize that though
cultivation has produced a larger perry
Ii has certainly not improved the naVor'
So at least we may say that the GUS
tom of eating fruit is an old one ana
that racially speaking the taste for ber-
rieS Is not one of recent acquisition.
The advantage of ome-grown berries
over those bought in the market is SO
great that II you have space TO grow
any of your own produce berries should
receive first consideration. Fruit Is at
its best when recently picked ana very
ripe, and 1t is never practicable TO PICK
fruit for market in this dead ripe condi-
ton. Besides. 1t is important not to
have berries exposed TO dust and dlt,
since they lack protective skins Ike
peaches. apples and oranges
But II you cannot grow your own
berries, then buy them with care, Dur
ing berry season do your buying early
Select your basket OF berries before
they have been exposed TO dust OF store
ana street. Al YOU NdIAAAOO Np NAaA2 a.
is at least fair to ask for basket from
the lower part Of the crate.
Another advantage to be gained from
early buying is that berries may be
kept better at home than In the store.
They should be placed in the refitg-
orator or In cool shady place until
Just before they are to be used.
BERRIES should always be washed.
~ and almost no Juice is lost If this
is done before they are hulled EX~
perts have proved that a thorough
washing in running water is sufficient
to remove injurious micro-organismS,
providing the fruit is sound. In look
ing over strawberries it is good plan
to take only those that are perfectly
whole and unbruised for use raw. Others
that are still good but slightly bruised
should be used for cooking.
Since moist berries are much more
likely TO decay than those left dry. they
should never be washed until Just be-
fore being used. II YOU find ii neces-
sary TO wash and hull the berries some
time before serving. ii is a good plan
10 pour over them sugar sirup Then
place In the refrigerator or other cold
place and the sugar viii prevent fur
thor decay.
II you have more berries on hand
than you can use today do not try 10
keep them-but stew them or other
wise cook them for use the next day
Berries picked when they are perfect
lv ripe really need no sugar but beT-
ries picked before this state Of perfect
rineness are usually better favored II
sueared slightly.
1ConyriEht 1921