The 1918 Fanny Farmer Cookbook

vegetable life; in very young vegetables it is possible that it can be acted upon by the

digestive

ferments; in older vegetables it becomes woody and completely indigestible. The cellulose of

fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is of great service in the elimination of waste matter, thus

preventing constipation.

FATS AND OILS

Fats and oils are found in both the animal and vegetable kingdom. Fats are solid; oils are

liquid;

found

they may be converted into a liquid state by application of heat; they contain three substances,

−

stearin (solid), olein (liquid), palmitin (semi−solid). Suet is an example where stearin is

in excess; lard, where olien is in excess; and butter, where palmitin is in excess. Margarin is a

mixture of stearin and palmitin. The fatty acids are formed of stearin, olein, and palmitin, with

glycerine as the base. Examples: stearic, palmitic, and oleic acid. Butyric acid is acid found in

butter. These are not sour to the taste, but are called acids on account of their chemical

composition.

Among fats cream and butter are of first importance as foods, on account of their easy

assimilation. Other examples are: the fat of meats, bone−marrow, suet (the best found around

the

loin and kidneys of the beef creature), cocoanut butter, butterine, and oleomargarine. The

principal animal oils are cod−liver oil and oil found in the yolk of egg; principal vegetable

oils are

olive, cottonseed, poppy, and cocoanut oils, peanut oil, and oils in various nuts. Butterine and

oleomargarine, which must be labelled as such, if of good quality, are nutritious, inexpensive

fats

to be used in place of creamery butter. Among other fats used for cooking purposes, lard,

crisco, and cottolene are the most popular.

Oils are divided into two classes, essential and fixed. Essential oils are volatile and soluble

alcohol. Examples: clove, rose, nutmeg, and violet. Fixed oils are non−volatile and soluble in

ether, oil, or turpentine. Examples: cottonseed, peanut and corn oil.

Fats may be heated to a high temperature, as considered in cookery they have no

boiling−point.

When appearing to boil, it is evident water has been added, and the temperature lowered to

that

of boiling water, 212° F.

MILK

COMPOSITION

Chapter I − FOOD