Chapter 11

11. PROTEIN IN VEGETABLES.--Taken as a whole, vegetables are not high in protein. Some of them contain practically none of this food substance and others contain a comparatively large amount, but the average is rather low. Vegetables that are high in water, such as lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers, contain so little protein that the quantity is not appreciable. Such vegetables as potatoes, beets, carrots, etc. contain slightly larger quantities. Dried vegetables, such as beans, peas, and lentils, contain comparatively large amounts of this substance, and for this reason may be substituted for such high-protein foods as meat and fish.

12. The composition of vegetable protein is only slightly different from that of animal protein. In fact, the experiments of scientists show that animal protein may be readily replaced by vegetable protein. One of these proteins is sometimes called _vegetable albumin_, but the chief protein of vegetables containing the largest amount of this substance, namely, beans, peas, and lentils, is called _legumin_, from the term _legumes_, the name of this class of vegetables. It is generally agreed that vegetable protein is not so digestible as animal protein, but this disadvantage is offset by the fact that it does not bring about so much intestinal trouble as does the protein of animal foods and is less likely to cause disturbances that are usually attributed to foods high in this substance. Vegetable protein is affected by heat in much the same way as other protein.

When any of the dry vegetables high in protein are served at a meal, meat should be eliminated, or the result will be an oversupply of protein. As this condition is not only harmful but wasteful, it is one that should receive proper consideration from the housewife.

13. FAT IN VEGETABLES.--As vegetables as a class are low in protein, so are they low in fat. In the case of some vegetables, the quantity of fat they contain is so small that it is never considered in discussing the food value of these vegetables, while in others slightly larger quantities are to be found. However, on the whole, vegetables are so nearly lacking in this food substance that it is necessary to supply fat in their preparation and in the serving of meals in which they are included. This is done in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of the vegetable. For instance, in order that baked beans may take the place of meat entirely, fat in the form of salt pork is usually added when they are prepared. The pork, of course, also supplies a very small amount of protein, but it is not used with the beans for this purpose. Practically all cooked vegetables are served with butter or with a sauce that contains fat. Green vegetables that require no cooking but are served as a salad, are supplied with fat by the salad dressing that is used with them. The fat varies greatly, depending on the kind of dressing used. 14. CARBOHYDRATES IN VEGETABLES.--When the composition of vegetables is considered chemically, the most striking thing about them is the carbohydrates they contain. It is this that distinguishes this class of foods from animal foods. The carbohydrate of vegetables is found in both its forms, starch and sugar. It is in the form of sugar in many of the vegetables when they are young or immature, but it turns into starch as they mature. This change can be easily observed in the case of peas. As is well known, young green peas are rather sweet because of the sugar they contain, while mature or dried peas have lost their sweetness and are starchy. The sugar that is found in large quantities in such vegetables as peas, carrots, turnips, etc. is largely cane sugar. The starch that vegetables contain occurs in tiny granules, just as it is found in cereals, and is affected by cooking in the same way. The mature vegetables in which the starch has developed, although less tender and less sweet than young ones, have a higher food value. In fact, the carbohydrate that vegetables contain constitutes a large proportion of their food value.

One of the chief sources of starch among vegetables is the potato, in which the starch grains are large and, if properly cooked, easily digested. Irish, or white, potatoes contain very little carbohydrate in the form of sugar, but in the sweet potato much of the carbohydrate is sugar. In either of these two forms--starch and sugar--vegetable carbohydrate is easily digested.

15. MINERAL MATTER, OR ASH, IN VEGETABLES.--The mineral matter in vegetables is found in comparatively large quantities, the average amount being slightly over 1 per cent. The presence of this substance is of great value, because the mineral salts of both fruits and vegetables are essential in the diet of adults in order to keep their health in a normal condition. The mineral salts of vegetables render the blood more alkaline instead of more acid, as do those contained in cereals and meat. A large number of vegetables, particularly those low in food value, such as greens, celery, etc., are very valuable for their mineral salts. In reality, this substance and the cellulose they contain are the things that recommend the use of these vegetables in the diet. Minerals of all kinds are found in solution in the water contained in vegetables, but chief among them are calcium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, and sulphur. Greens and salad vegetables are particularly high in iron, the element that assists in keeping the blood in good condition. These minerals are easily lost if the method of cookery is not planned to retain them.

16. CELLULOSE IN VEGETABLES.--The special use of cellulose, as has already been learned, is to serve as bulk in the food containing it. In vegetables, the cellulose varies greatly as to quantity, as well as to texture and the amount that can be digested. In young vegetables, it is very soft and perhaps digestible to a certain extent, but as they grow older it hardens and they become tough. This fact is clearly demonstrated in the case of beets. Those which are pulled from the garden in the summer and cooked are tender and soft, but those which are allowed to mature in the ground and are then put away for winter are, when cooked in the late winter or early spring, so hard and tough that it is almost impossible to make them soft. The quantity of cellulose that vegetables contain therefore depends largely on their age and condition. Those low in total food value contain, as a rule, larger quantities of it than those high in food value. This is due to the fact that both water and cellulose, which are usually found together in large quantities, help to detract from the fuel, or food, value of foods.

Very young persons or those who are ill sometimes find it impossible to take in its original form a vegetable that contains a large amount of bulk, or cellulose. In such a case, the vegetable may be put through a colander or a sieve in order to break up the cellulose and make it easier to digest. Under ordinary conditions, cellulose should not be avoided, but should be included in large quantities in the diet through the vegetables that are consumed daily.

17. WATER IN VEGETABLES.--The majority of vegetables contain a large quantity of water. Such vegetables as lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc., which are low in total food value, contain the most water, the average percentage being about 95. The dry vegetables, which are high in food value, average only about 10 per cent. of water. The water that is found in vegetables, whether it is much or little, is contained in cell-like structures surrounded by cellulose, and it holds in solution the mineral salts and much of the nutriment of the vegetables. In addition, the water holds in solution to a certain extent the material that gives vegetables their distinctive flavor. When any of this water is lost in the preparation of vegetables, the substances that it contains are also lost. It is therefore essential that correct methods of preparation be chosen for the cooking of this food, so as to prevent the waste of valuable food materials.

18. DIGESTIBILITY OF VEGETABLES.--The digestibility of vegetables is largely an individual matter; that is, a vegetable that agrees with one person may not agree with another. The fact that there appears to be no apparent reason for such a condition would lead to the conclusion that it is due to the peculiarities of the person. Because of this, it is not fair to make the general statement that a particular vegetable is easy to digest and another one is hard to digest.

The chief cause for difficulty in the digestion of vegetables lies in their volatile oils, which give them their flavor, but which are irritating to many persons. Vegetables having a strong flavor, such as radishes, onions, cucumbers, cabbage, and cauliflower, are the ones that disagree most frequently with persons who eat them; but sometimes the way in which some of them are cooked has more to do with this than the vegetables themselves.

Vegetables containing considerable cellulose and water do not of themselves give trouble in digestion, because they contain practically nothing to digest; but they are sometimes responsible for interfering with the digestion of other foods. Vegetables that are extremely high in starch, such as potatoes, are easily digested by most persons, provided they are properly cooked. For instance, a plain baked potato is easily digested, but the same potato sauted in fat is more difficult of digestion.

19. TABLE SHOWING COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF VEGETABLES.--As vegetables vary considerably in the amount of the food substances they contain, so do they differ greatly in their food value. This is clearly shown in Table I, which gives the percentage of the food substances of vegetables, as well as the food value per pound, in calories, that these vegetables contain. The figures in this table are taken from Atwater's Table of American Food Materials, and refer to the edible portion of the material. In the case of several vegetables, no figures are given by this authority, but in the table here presented the percentages and the calories for the vegetables most similar are used. For example, the figures for lettuce are used for endive, as the composition and food value of this vegetable are not included and it resembles lettuce very closely. Constant reference should be made to Table I as progress is make with the study of vegetables and their preparation. Noting the difference in the composition of the different vegetables, as well as the variation in their food value, will be not only interesting but instructive. For instance, when the housewife realizes that lettuce and celery furnish only 85 to 90 calories to the pound, while dried beans and peas average more than 1,700 calories to the pound, she will understand better the place that these foods occupy in the dietary.

TABLE I

COMPOSITION AND FOOD VALUE OF VEGETABLES

Food Value Vegetable Water Protein Fat Carbo- Ash per Pound hydrate Calories ---------------------------------------------------------------- Asparagus .......... 94.0 1.8 .2 3.3 .7 105 Beans Dried ............ 12.6 22.5 1.8 59.6 3.5 1,750 Lima ............. 68.5 7.1 .7 22.0 1.7 570 Shelled .......... 58.9 9.4 .6 29.1 2.0 740 String ........... 89.2 2.3 .3 7.4 .8 195 Beets .............. 87.5 1.6 .1 9.7 1.1 215 Brussels sprouts ... 88.2 4.7 1.1 4.3 1.7 215 Cabbage ............ 91.5 1.6 .3 5.6 1.0 145 Carrots ............ 88.2 1.1 .4 9.3 1.0 210 Cauliflower ........ 92.3 1.8 .5 4.7 .7 140 Celery ............. 94.5 1.1 .1 3.3 1.0 85 Corn ............... 75.4 3.1 1.1 19.7 .7 470 Cucumbers .......... 95.4 .8 .2 3.1 .5 80 Eggplant ........... 92.9 1.2 .3 5.1 .5 130 French artichokes .. 92.5 .8 .2 5.0 1.5 110 Greens Dandelion ........ 81.4 2.4 1.0 10.6 4.6 285 Endive ........... 94.7 1.2 .3 2.9 .9 90 Spinach .......... 92.3 2.1 .3 3.2 2.1 110 Swiss chard ...... 92.3 2.1 .3 3.2 2.1 110 Lettuce .......... 94.7 1.2 .3 2.9 .9 90 Watercress ....... 94.7 1.2 .3 2.9 .9 90 Jerusalem artichokes 79.5 2.6 2.0 16.7 1.0 365 Kohlrabi ........... 91.1 2.0 .1 5.5 1.3 145 Lentils, dried ..... 8.4 25.7 1.0 59.2 5.7 1,620 Mushrooms .......... 88.1 3.5 .4 6.8 1.2 210 Okra ............... 90.2 1.6 .2 7.4 .6 175 Onions ............. 87.6 1.6 .3 9.9 .6 225 Parsnips ........... 83.0 1.6 .5 13.5 1.4 300 Peas Dried ............ 9.5 24.6 1.0 62.0 2.9 1,655 Green ............ 74.6 7.0 .5 16.9 1.0 465 Peppers ............ 92.9 1.2 .3 5.1 .5 130 Potatoes Irish ............ 78.3 2.2 .1 18.4 1.0 385 Sweet ............ 69.0 1.8 .7 27.4 1.1 570 Radishes ........... 91.8 1.3 .1 5.8 1.0 135 Salsify ............ 88.2 1.1 .4 9.3 1.0 210 Squash Summer ........... 95.4 .8 .2 3.1 .5 80 Winter ........... 88.3 1.4 .5 9.0 .8 215 Tomatoes ........... 94.3 .9 .4 3.9 .5 105 Turnips ............ 89.6 1.3 .2 8.1 .8 185 ----------------------------------------------------------------

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PURCHASE AND CARE OF VEGETABLES

PURCHASE OF VEGETABLES

20. As in the case of other foods, the purchase of vegetables in the market requires special knowledge and attention in order that the best value may be obtained for the money expended. The housewife who has a limited amount of money to spend for food does not buy wisely when she purchases vegetables out of season or those which must be shipped long distances. On the other hand, it will be found that vegetables bought in season as well as those which are plentiful in the particular locality in which they are sold, especially if they are perishable vegetables, are lowest in price and are in the best condition for food. Therefore, whether the income is limited or not, it is wisdom on the part of the housewife to buy vegetables that grow in the neighboring region and to purchase them when they are in season.

21. A very important point for the housewife to keep in mind regarding the purchase of vegetables is that their price is determined not by their value as food, but by their scarcity and the demand for them. Take, for example, the case of mushrooms. As shown in Table I, this vegetable is low in food value, containing only 210 calories to the pound, but, if purchased, they are always an expensive food. The high price asked for mushrooms is entirely dependent on their scarcity. If there is much demand in a certain community for a food that is not plentiful in the market, the price of that food always goes up. As in the case of mushrooms, many expensive foods add practically nothing in the way of nourishment, their only value being in the variety of flavor they supply.

22. Furthermore, in order to provide wisely, the person who purchases vegetables for the family should be able to judge whether she is getting full value in food for the money she invests. She cannot always do this with each particular vegetable purchased, but she can buy in such a way that what she purchases will average correctly in this respect. The perishable vegetables should be bought as fresh as possible. No difficulty will be experienced in determining this, for they will soon wither or rot if they are not fresh, but the point is to find out their condition before they are bought. The housewife should be ever on the alert and should examine carefully the vegetables she buys before they are accepted from the grocer or taken from the market. In the case of certain vegetables, it is possible to conceal the fact that they are stale. For instance, the outside leaves of a head of lettuce or endive are sometimes removed and only the bleached center is offered for sale; but this always indicates that the outside leaves were either withered or spoiled or they would not have been taken off.

23. Much of the spoiling of vegetables can be avoided if proper attention is given to them in the market. Food of this kind should be so displayed that it is not exposed to the dirt and dust of the street, nor to flies and other destructive vermin. The practice of displaying vegetables on a stand in front of a store is gradually losing favor with the housewife who understands the sanitary precautions that should be taken with foods. On the other hand, housewives owe it to the merchant not to handle the foods they are going to buy, for the handling of them not only injures them so that they will not keep well, but renders them unfit to be accepted by the next purchaser.

24. The manner in which vegetables are sold should also receive consideration. It has been the custom to sell them by measure, but both housewives and merchants have come to realize that it is fairer to sell them by weight. Experience has shown that a pound is much more likely to be always uniform than is a quart or a peck. This is due to the fact that no two dealers are likely to measure in exactly the same way, even though the measures they use are up to the standard in size. Then, too, especially in the case of vegetables that are of various sizes and shapes, it is impossible to fill a measure properly because of the shape of the vegetables, and so either the housewife often receives short measure or the merchant gives more than the measure requires. All difficulty of this kind is entirely overcome when vegetables are weighed.

CARE OF VEGETABLES

25. PERISHABLE VEGETABLES, that is, those which spoil quickly, are usually bought in small quantities, and so are used up quickly. However, if they are kept on hand for only a day or so, they require a definite amount of care in order to insure the most satisfactory results in their use. To prevent them from spoiling or withering, they should be kept in a cool, damp place until they are needed. The most effective and convenient way in which to accomplish this is to store them in a refrigerator or other similar device. If ice cannot be obtained, the cellar should be utilized. Before vegetables of this kind are put away after being delivered from the market, they should be looked over carefully, and any that are spoiled should be discarded in order to prevent others that they might touch from becoming tainted. As little handling as possible, however, is advantageous, because when such foods become bruised and are then allowed to stand they are likely to spoil very quickly.

26. The less perishable vegetables, commonly called WINTER VEGETABLES because they may be kept through the winter, may be bought in quantity, provided proper storage facilities to prevent them from spoiling are available. Potatoes, in particular, are usually purchased in this way, for, as a rule, they may be obtained at a better price than when bought in small quantities, and then, too, they are a vegetable that most families use nearly every day. If they are bought in quantity, they should first be thoroughly tested, for often a potato looks very well on the outside while its texture and flavor may not be at all in accordance with its appearance. Great care should also be exercised to see that this vegetable, as well as carrots, turnips, parsnips, etc., has not been frosted, for frost ruins them as to texture and keeping qualities.

All such vegetables as these, provided they must be stored for any length of time, keep best in a cold, fairly dry atmosphere. To prevent them from sprouting, the storage room should, if possible, be kept dark, but in case they do sprout, the sprouts should be removed as soon as they are discovered. The best receptacles for the storage of these winter vegetables are bins, a convenient type of which is shown in _Essentials of Cookery_, Part 2, and the most satisfactory place in which to put such bins is a cellar that has a dirt floor rather than a board or a cement floor.

CLASSIFICATION OF VEGETABLES

27. Because of their difference in physical structure, both as plants or parts of plants, and their variation in chemical composition, it is a rather difficult matter to classify vegetables. The vegetables that are discussed throughout these Sections are therefore not included in any classes, but are arranged alphabetically, a plan that the housewife will find very convenient. However, there are a few general classes whose names and characteristics should be known by the housewife, for an understanding of them will enable her to make a more intelligent use of this food. These classes, together with a brief description of the features that characterize them and the names by which the principal varieties are known, are here given.

28. SUCCULENT VEGETABLES are those which are generally eaten for their appetizing effect and their value as a source of mineral salts and bulk. These vegetables, which get their name from the fact that they are juicy in texture, include the greens, such as spinach, Swiss chard, dandelion, lettuce, etc., also celery, asparagus, cabbage, and all other plants whose green leaves and stems are edible. Succulent vegetables may be cooked, but they are often used as cold relishes or in the making of salads.

29. ROOT, TUBER, and BULB VEGETABLES form another class. Examples of several well-known roots are shown in Fig. 1, which from left to right are salsify, carrots, turnips, and parsnips. The varieties included in this class are closely related as to food value, and on the whole average much higher in this characteristic than do the succulent vegetables. Irish potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes are examples of tubers; sweet potatoes, beets, radishes, etc., in addition to the vegetables shown in Fig. 1, belong to the roots; and onions and all the vegetables related to the onion, such as garlic, shallots, and leeks, are illustrations of bulbs or enlarged underground stems.

30. FRUIT and FLOWER VEGETABLES form a third class. They present great variety in appearance, structure, and composition. To this class belong cucumbers, eggplant, winter and summer squash, vegetable marrow, tomatoes, peppers, and okra, which are in reality fruits but are used as vegetables. Flower vegetables include California, or French, artichokes, and cauliflower, all of which are in reality the buds of flowers or plants and are eaten for food.

31. LEGUMES form a fourth class of vegetables, and they include all the varieties of beans, peas, and lentils. When these foods are mature and dried, they have the highest food value of all the vegetables. Among the beans are Lima beans, kidney beans, navy, or soup, beans, soy beans, and many others. The peas include the various garden varieties that have been allowed to mature, cow-peas, and many others, some of which are not suitable for human consumption. The lentils occur in numerous varieties, too, but those commonly used are the red, yellow, and black ones. To legumes also belong peanuts, but as they are seldom used as vegetables in cookery, no further mention is made of them in this Section.

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VARIETIES OF VEGETABLES AND THEIR PREPARATION

GENERAL METHODS OF PREPARATION AND COOKING