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About The Omaha morning bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 1924)
Let’s Go A-Marketing With Winifred Worth I WATERMELON TIME. A LTHOUGH- it is said that the small boy who steals his water melon from the patch en joys it the best, the house wife who goes to market for hers would find it Iqually delicious—if she would select it with equal care! I For the watermelon is a ft'ruit which is relished by all ages everywhere, pro vided only that its flesh is ripe and its sweetened wa ter well flavored. But the housewife cannot go about in the 3tore ruthlessly “sampling” melon after melon as the boy in the patch does. Even “plug ging” a single melon, that is, cutting a small cube from it—the old, and, of course, perfectly sure test for a good watermelon—is forbidden in most fruit and grocery stores today; and rightly, since the practice despoils the fruit for other buyers. However, there are cer tain other ways, almost equally efficacious, by which the housewife can eliminate the element of chance in watermelon se lection. “Gambling on Melons a Bygone Pastime. Now, although the house wife of not so long ago oc casionally took all the trouble and expense of chilling and preparing an untested melon, only to find, when it was cut open, that the fruit was unripe or of poor quality, the housewife of today seldom “gambles” on her melons. s One of the simplest ^ guides by which she makes ^ sure the fruit is good is I merely snapping the fruit in the center with the fin B ger. If it gives forth a clear. P hard, distinct sound, it is ' green. But if the sound is (dull, the chances are that the melon is ripe. Another somewhat simi lar test is to press the sides of the fruit together and to listen for the crisp sound, like that of celery being broken, which indicates a sound, ripe melon. } Still another test is to put the melon on its back with the whitest part up, > and then, on the very light est part, to scratch the skin with the fingernail. Tender I skin, and a rind that is firm » under the pressure of the * finger, indicates a good t melon. i If you do try the plug ging test, remember that brittle flesh, with few fibres, is the sign of quality. Do You Live “Where the Watermelon Grow*?” If you happen to live in n neighborhood where watermelons . grow, you will find the thin-rind type# desirable. But if, as is more likely, you live where the I melons must be shipped to you, you will do best to select thick rind ones, since the chances are that they have “stood up" best under transportation. You may see some yellow fleslied melons on the market. Aside from their distinctively colored flesh, they are practically the same, in all their qualities, as the pink-fleshed melons. “Water” Melon U Right The watermelon is no mit nomer, for its composition is 92.4 per cent water! It contains a little protein, a little ether ex tract, a little ash, a little carbo hydrate. but it is, on the whole, relatively low in caloric value, yielding only 140 calories to the pound. However, the main virtue of the watermelon which makes you buy the fruit is not its nutri ment. but its flavor and its re freshing effect. “Tha Lav* Applo" Far from looking upon the tomato as an ornamental but poisonous “love apple,” as your great-grandmother may have, you probably recognize the fruit as one of the most desirable, from every standpoint, with which your grocer can tempt you. For the tomato is now known as one of those ideal foods which satisfy, at the same time, the gastronomic sense and the requirements of the physician. Now. since the healthful quali ties of tomatoes are present, re gardless of how they are pre pared, it will pay you, especially if you have a large family, to buy your tomatoes by the basket. You should keep them in a dry, cool place, and should look them over daily, selecting the large, firm ones each time, for slicing raw; the medium sized ones for baking or frying, and the small ones for stewing or for using in sauces. You can even use soft tomatoes, provided, of course, that they are safelv this side of the snoiled stage, for soup-mak ing. You can often buy such to matoes at a low price, too. Remember, Tomatoes Are "T wo-Faced” But do not buy your baskets of tomatoes just because they look well-filled, and because the upper surfaces of the fruit are of smooth texture and bright color. For. quite often whtn the top of a tomato is of lovely, even color, is perfectly ripe and free from all blemishes, you will dis cover, by turning it over, that there are huge cracks and hard, green places on its under side. See that your tomatoes are well ripened. hut of course, not over ripened, if you intend them for immediate consumption. The best tomato, whether green or ripe, is perfectly smooth, and free from blemishes. Doctors “Tumble” for Tomatoes You have the doctor’s sanc tion when you buy tomatoes. In the first place, tomatoes have all the vitamines. and, further, thev have more of them than any other fruit or vegetable has! From four to six ounces of tomatoes daily is a sufficient quantity to supply the average person with all the vitamines. , Tomato juice, like the much heralcd orange juice, stimulates body growth, and so is particuar ly valuable for children. It is be coming more and more frequent ly used in infant diets. I The food vnlue of tomatoes. ■ too, is far from negligible, aud I thev are especially rich in tissue building material. Government authorities quote tomatoes a* be ing exceedingly rich in protein— it is said that the fruit has more protein than many rieh soups, more than most fruits and vege tables, and nearly half as much us canned corn. It has more iron even than milk and eggs, ami many fruits, and is especially rich in potash salts. How They Get Tbet ^ “Tomato Flavor" The well-known acidity of to b mutoee makes them especially f valuable, from the standpoint of taste as well as health. It lends M them that characteristic “tomato * flavor" which makes the fruit D palatable and refreshing. The £ tomato acids are malic acid, the same as that found in apples; I citric acid, like that of lemon*. | *m) phosphoric acid Citric acid is generally antiseptic, and par ticularly beneficial for the kid neys. Phosphoric acid is recom mended for all sorts of nervous diseases, and for neuralgia. Since the benefits of tomatoes are obtainable in canned and dried forms as well as in fresh, the housewife is wise to buy them at all times, regardless of season. Cora-on-tbe-Cob No one should mind being called “corn-fed”—at least when fresh “sweet com" is in season. For “sweet corn” is one of the most appetising and impor tant of all our summer vege tables, and belongs to the “big three” in the vegetable world— asparagus, green peas and corn. “Sweet corn” is characterized by a wrinkled, partly transparent appearance when it is dry. It may be cut for “green corn,” or it may be allowed to mature. You can tell the fully ripened ears, in most kinds of corn, by the brown appearance of the ker nels. If you get it too old, the hulls will be tough, the grains straw colored ar.d the juice thick and gluey, instead of milky. On the other hand, too young corn is mostly water, so you should see that the kernels of the green corn you buy have reached full maturity. In general, choose ears with brown silk, and those whose full developed kernels yield freely a milky substance, when you press them with your thumb nail. Short, thick ears and fresh-look ing. green, tender husk* are de sirable. In successful seasons, home grown green corn is on the mar ket about the middle of July. You can buy excellent corn until as late as, sometimes later than, the middle of October. You will find numerous kinds on the mar ket. Count 'Ena Over. There is. first of all. "Golden Bantam,” which has held the championship among corns for so long that it is considered stan dard for early corn. “Country Gentleman” has a similar rank among the later corns. “Ever green,” too, is esteemed. “Black Mexican” is a delicious corn which is not, however, as popular as it should ]>e—all be cause of a “color prejudice.” The sweetness of this corn is un excelled, but its harmless, and, of course, quite tasteless color, has made the average person class it as “field com.” When very green, this corn is as white as any other. But at the time when it is best for eating, it be comes partly purple. The mature ear is quite black. “Early Malcolm” is an excel lent com which has the advan tage of opening the corn season. Cora oa the Cob “Corn on the cob” is delicious —but if you object to the more or less unesthetie effect of its consumption at the family din ner table, you can cut the ker nels off without changing the flavor. In any case, first take off the husk and every particle of silk. Then cook your corn in boiling, unsalted water. Five to 10 min utes should suffice to cook the milk so that it will not flow from the corn when you pierce it with a fork—that means the corn is “'done.” Undercooking gives it an unattractive raw taste, and over cooking hardens it and detracts from its flavor. No amount of boiling will make tough corn tender and you're not trying to cook the cob. Since green corn deteriorates quickly, cook it as soon as pos sible after you bring it home from the store. To keep it not only means to lose much of its sweetness and flavor, but to ren- <• der it more difficult of digestion. What's in an Ear •' Cora? Protein content is nearly as high in corn as it is in wheat and oats, and food also has a large amount of fat and oiL Its mam content, however, is starch—an extremely good quality of starch. The starch content is about the same as that of wheat. The nourishing qualities of corn, aa well as the readme;-* with which it is digested, give it its place as a ‘health food." Chicken a la King 1 cup chicken fat 1 cup butter '* cup corn starch 1 quart chicken stock 1 quart hot milk ‘a tablespoon salt 1 pint cream 2 quarts chicken lt pound fresh mushroom* 1 pint pimiento h egg yolks Melt the chicken fat and but ter, add corn starch, and when well mixed pour on the chicken stock. When beginning to boil, add the milk and cream. Stir constantly and carefully until thickened, then cook over water one-half hour, stirring occasion ally. Add the thick** <cooked and rut in email piece). the muikroom« • peeied and elided) and the pimirnto • rut in «trip5 >. When thorough >■ heated add the beaten eg* yolks and •*lt. Add more »ait if dr*ired. D Fruit Punch 1 quart fresh pineapple juice 3 quart lemon juice 1 quart orange juice 1 quart white gTape juice 2 quarts black tea infusion .-> quarts water 2 pounds sugar 1 quart red fruit juice or g;r eerale. Make a sirup of the sugar arid one quart of the water and let cool. Extract the fruit juke? and strain. Combine the ingre dients and let <tand several hour? in the icebox. If gingerale is used, it is added just before serv ing so as not to lose its sparkle. Serve the punch well iced. Washed sprigs of mint or borage may be added to the contents of •he punrhbo wi if desired. If h<raure i* oof •bt&inafeie «om« cuea«ib*r **r '.nsr» wi.! ei*e a uniter faaror Better Blackberry or Raspberry Jam Easily Made in 15 Minutes Tastes Better—Looks Better—Costs Less and Never Fails. By ANN PROCTOR Evgrvorie who like* flesh berry pie <r preset\e* will love good blackberry ir raspberry Jam. Particularly when all the flavor of ripe blackberries or sspberriee m preserved In the Jam I nttl r.ow, however, an expert wa* tequired to make them, and they have hav • been expensive. CERTO. the natural ‘'jell" making property of fruit, ha* solved the problem so that everyone can make and eat a lot of bese delicious preserves. To make blackberry or raspberry jam by the quick and easy CERTO method, follow this simple recipe: Crush about * quarts ripe berries In separate portions, so that each berry la nvashed. This allows fruit to quickly absorb the sugar during th« abort boil. Measure 4 level . ups t! lbs I crushed berries into large ket tle. add 7 level cups <3 lbs.I sugar and mix well. I'se hottest fire and stir • distantly before and while boiling Boil hard for one full minute, remove from fire and stir in >g bottle (scant ; cup) CERTO. lYom time jam is «ken off lire allow to stand not over 4 minute* by Use clock, before pour ing In the meantime skim and stir occasionally to cool slightly. Then pour quickly. Pee same recipe for straw be-1 y or loganberry Jam. This CERTO proceas banishes all tbs goes* work or worry, as pet fee t res1:! « era certain w* ea a s ;. t ie re cip« ia followed Unlike tte old n.eth od pound for pound' n .xt .re boiled for thirty or more minute*, with r*n aiderabla ju.oe and flavor of tb* fruit be.ns boiled a»ae. the economies! CERTO method requires only er>* minutes (voting and thereby **s« the juice to make one half more am That 9 th* or'y reason shv nor* su gi r is used » • v CERTO. CERTO ia a pur* fru.t ptidivt—. contains no gelatine Or p.: e~e -..t ie. CERTO positively saves tune. rutt, flavor and guess work It makes alt kinds of jams end veii.es—some vou hav» never tasied before CERTv • highly endorsed by national author! tie* and local cooking expe. 'i Eveiy woman who tr.es t recotr.merds .t to her friends and sa's shell never te without it. Over seven n.iil.ow oot tlea sere used last year. The above recipe and nearly :** oihet Jams Jellies and Jdsrnwtlsue* are in the CERTO Book of R* pee which is tr.ii se with everv rente of CERTO Get a bottle of CERTO front ye or grocer right away. Start the new — the sure, quick, economical way of making jams and jei. es that keep indefinitely. Teu !l never return to the o!d hit or miaa ’ method Maks plenty of blackberry or raspberry jam this vest—wo hems e»et has too much lalf Pint .. He FLIES t. Tie Qt *1.28 || 2^"%, Mosquitoes HoachesAnh Buts Re
