Evening star., 1936-04-22

Home Economics Bureau
Offers Interesting Data
On Particular Subject
Butter, Lard and Cottonseed Oil Top List
of Types Used Being Most Familiar
to Average Person.

forms all these various oils and fats
take when they come on the market
and how they may be used to ad-
vantage in the home. The bureau
stands ready to furnish much infor-
nation on this very subject. Its ex-
perts say:
"RUTTER, to be legally sold as such,
must be made exclusively from
milk or cream, or both, and 1t must
contain not less than 80 per cent (by
weight) Of milk fat. It comes on the
market as dairy butter from the
farms, or creamery butter from the
commercial creameries or butter fac
tories. Butter graded by Government
standards, through the service offered
by the Bureau of Agricultural Eco
nomics of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture. Is often sold in
consumer packages with certificate
of quality, in each, showing the grade
or score and the date when the
grading was done. Any butter that
is unclean or rancid is subject to seiz-
ure by the Government and the ship
per Is subject to penalty under the
food and drugs act if the butter crosses
a State line and so enters interstate
commerce.
In the oficial scoring of butter for
quality, flavor counts IS points, body
rs points, color IS, salt 10. package 5
in the total Of 100 points. Unless the
butter scores 90 points or more 1t Is
not entitled to the Government certifl-
cate Of quality. The certified butter.
however, If properly kept In re-
frigerators, should be in prime condi-
ton if used any time within two weeks
from the date Of grading on the GER
tificate.
Lard is rendered from the fatty
tissues Of the hog. It comes on the
market as prime steam kettle rem
dered,' dry rendered drip rendered,
or 'hydrogenated' lard. Most Of 1t is
prime steam, refined for the retail
trade.
"Suet is the clear white, brittle
kidney fat obtained from beef cattle.
"VEoETABLE comp o IN d s and
shortcomings, which the house.
keeper buys under many different trade
names, are usually made Of cotton
seed oil, or a blend of cottonseed with
other vegetable oils. AS most OF these
oils when refined are bland in flavor,
they are combined for reasons Of cost
or with reference to the physical char
acteristics Of the fat. Most cooks pre-
fer solid fats for shortening, therefore
cottonseed oil and other vegetable oils
Qard, too, sometimes) are hydro
genated' to make them solid and to
change their shortening quality at
the same time Peanut, soybean, COCO
nut and palm oils are often used In
vegetable shortcomings, usually In COM
pounds with cottonseed oil. Other
compounds contain animal fats, such
as oleo stearine and edible tallow.
"Oleomargerine is the legal name
of a group of products which, as q
group, are more accurately called mar
garines, because some of them are
made with animal fat, some with veg
etable, and some with both. The mar
garines are made by churning some fat
other than butter-with milk to q
butter-like consistency. The name
oleomargarine comes from the mar
garine made with beef fat, or rather
with the more oily part of beef fat
known as oleo oil. Nut margarines
have coconut oil or other nut oils as
their base, with other vegetable oils
combined. A great deal of cottonseed
oil, also peanut oil and soybean oil. as
well as the various imported oils. are
used in the margarines.
THE salad oils and the salad dress
ings utilize many Of the import
ed oils, although here again cottonseed
oil and corn oil are often used. Last
year, soybean oil, too, was used in large
quantities.
"Olive oil, so highly valued for its
flavor. comes to us chiefly from Italy
and Spain. 1t is sold under its own
rame, and in blends with various
other vegetable oils. These when re-
fined are flavorless and, therefore,
carry the olive flavor diluted, which
may be preferred to the full-strength
olive. Blends Of edible oils, properly
labeled are to be distinguished from
an adulterated product, which is a
blend masquerading under the name