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Show POTATOES AS FOOD Perform Importunt Function in Koopiiiir. lioily Tissues Alkaline. Methods of Preparation The general use of potatoes in the average family and the belter customs cus-toms prevailing in many homes in preparing the tubers for food are based on sound economic and dietetic dietet-ic reasons, according to specialists of the Office of Home Economics of the I'nited States Department of Agriculture. Agri-culture. Studies of the preparation and use of potatoes as food are reported re-ported in Department of Agriculture Bulletin Xo. 4(18, recently issued. Potatoes are easy to cook in a va-riely va-riely of ways. From the point of view of dietetics, they furnish starch in one readily digestible form, contain con-tain mineral substances of importance import-ance to the body and. a fact not generally gen-erally known tend to make the tissues tis-sues and fluids of the body alkaline, so counteracting the tendency of meats, fish and like foods to create acid conditions. Since, the body does its work best when its condition is either neutral or slightly alkaline, potatoes, like most vegetables, perform per-form an important function in the diet, besides furnishing energy-producing material. This scientific fact justifies the custom that is prevalent in many families of serving a goodly supply of potaloes or other vegetables vegeta-bles with each helping of meat. Potatoes, however, while a valuable valua-ble addition to a mixed diet, alone are not suited to meet the needs of the body because id' their poverty in proteins and fat. Of these hitler important im-portant elements protein is furnished furn-ished in meat. eggs. fish. milk, beans and similar foods, and lat in butter, bacon, table oils, and the fats and oils used in cookery. Creator care than commonly is exercised ex-ercised should be I a ken in peeling potatoes. Very ofleit 20 per cent, of the potato is pared away. This results re-sults not only in (he waste of considerable consid-erable potato bul also in the loss of one of the. most valuable portions of the tuber, since the soluble mineral stilts are present in the material near the skin, which would he removed and thrown away. These salts can be preserved by a more careful removal of the skin, as by shallow paring or rubbing, and also by boiling or baking bak-ing the potatoes in their Jackets, Paring before boiling, however, may be the most desirable method of cooking polatoes which through an undue exposure to light may have acquired a bitter taste, or those which have been kept until late In the spring, since in Ibis way more of the disagreeable flavor is eliminated. Such potatoes may also be soaked before cooking. While these methods tuny be desirable desir-able with potatoes which have been exposed to light. I hoy result in the loss (if considerable food value without, with-out, compensating advantages when applied to new or well-mal ured potatoes. po-tatoes. If such potatoes are boiled alter paring, they should hi' dropped into boiling water instead of being placed on the stove jn cold water, liy i lie la iter met 1 1 ' I I In re is t wlce the loss of protojn. or I issuo-lin ild-ing ild-ing elements, resulting from the former. for-mer. The loss of niiinra matter is about the same lc- each method. There ja no loss of sinrohy material in boiling unless portions of the tuber tu-ber break oil'. I'ract b ally the only loss when potatoes po-tatoes at" halted in tlo-ir skins is of the water which ... rapes, as steam. The more or !' s common custom of pri'king holes in the skin of baked pot a t in- or 1 1 t i a I' i tig t lietn is explained explain-ed by t lie fact thai unless t he steam which is lormcd in, id" the skin is allowed to escape it will change hack into water and produce sogginesS, 1'olatoes which have tarried green and sprouting lubers have present a i Olisill (! hie la lit it V (if sola lli II. Il II tii rid poi onou - sute lance which, though not da ii v rou s in the quanii-;ji. quanii-;ji. ord i 1 1 a ri : v niot with, gives a (Uf- agreeable flavor. It is best, there- is- to ii's.i'l su' h im'at ; or to i at tint green or sprouting portions. |