Maintaining Health (Formerly Health and Efficiency)Alsaker, Rasmus Larssen
Science
Maintaining Health (Formerly Health and Efficiency)
Alsaker, Rasmus Larssen
Diet; Hygiene
Most fruits are best raw. Then their acids and salts are in their most
available form. Those who become uncomfortable after eating acid fruit
may know that they have abused their digestive organs and they should
take it as an indication to reduce their food intake, simplify their
diet, masticate better and eat more raw food. Those who overeat of
starch or partake of much alcohol cultivate irritable stomachs, which
object to the bracing fruit juices.
For the sake of a change fruits may be cooked. The more plainly they are
cooked the better. Always use sugar in moderation, no matter whether the
fruit is to be stewed or baked.
To stew fruit, clean and if necessary peel. Stew in sufficient water
until tender. When almost done add what sugar is needed. When stewed
thus less sugar is required than if the sweetening is done at the start.
Stewed fruit can be sweetened by adding raisins, figs or dates. This is
relished by many. Figs and dates stewed by themselves are too sweet for
many tastes. This can be remedied by making a sauce of figs or dates
with tart apples or any other acid fruit that appeals in such
combinations.
_Baked apple_: Place whole apples in large, deep pan; add about
one-third cup of water and one and one-half teaspoonfuls sugar to each
apple. Put into oven and bake until skins burst and the apples are well
done. Serve with all the juice.
_Boiled apple_: Place whole apples in a stewing pan; add two
teaspoonfuls sugar and one cup or more of water to each apple; use less
sugar if desired. Cover the vessel tightly and boil moderately until the
skins burst and the apples are well done.
All stewed fruits should be well done. Avoid making the fruit sauces too
sweet.
_Stewed prunes_: A good prune needs no sweetening. Stew until tender. It
is a good plan to let the prunes soak a few hours before stewing them.
Raisins may be treated in the same way.
Prunes may be washed and put into a dish; then add hot water enough to
about half cover them; cover the dish very tightly and put aside over
night. The prunes need no further preparation before being eaten. If the
covering is not tight it will be necessary to use more water. Raisins
and sundried figs may be treated in the same way.
Unfortunately, most of our dried fruit is sulphured. Sulphurous acid
fumes are employed, and you may be sure that this does the fruit no
good. If you can get unsulphured fruit, do so. The sulphuring process is
popular because it acts as a preservative and it is profitable because
it allows the fruit to retain more water without spoiling than would be
possible otherwise.
_Canning fruit_: It is very easy to can fruit, but it requires care.
Select fruit that is not overripe. The work room should be clean and so
should the cans and covers. It is not sufficient to rinse the cans in
clean water. Both the jars and the covers should be taken from boiling
water immediately before being used.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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