Show S NUTS S FO FOOD OD NUTS A AS AS' S S r rf Y c By Frederic J. J Haskin Hakin Increase In the tic consumption of I r-r-i r TIll D nuts by Americans Americana has hag been so I rapid within the tho last few years I that even amon among people who do lo not subscribe to the vegetarians vegetarian's M en enthusiasm enthusiasm enthusiasm en- en nut hut rating eating has almost reached the proportions of a fad Unlike most fa fads Js how however v r nut eating and nut raisin raising are arc altogether rational and the nut Industry in industry Iii In- is 15 being fostered fostered fos fos- Os- Os in every way possible b by tho de department department do- do of a agriculture agri agri- rl- rl culture and by va various various va- va 7 S 4 y rious states which art are adapted climatically cli cli- for nut production In the early da days s 's L nuts were lo looked upon as a luxury In Inthe Inthe the State States 5 chiefly hi because the fashionable varieties walnut English almond Brazil nut hazel butter hutter and peanut were ns left to th thEy tha country boy Today Today Today To To- day ho however eer tho conditions are aro changed While we ve still sun import large quantities of ruts nuts the bulk of our supply is domestic thc tho almond be beIng being being be- be ing grown profitably in several states the pecan having attained wide popularity popular popular- ity and the inexpensive peanut of Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia the Carolinas and Georgia having been raised to a pO position of respectability by the Investigations of dietitians who have proclaimed it among the richest in food properties Th edible portion of nuts with very few Cew exceptions is highly concen concentrated t rated food consisting chiefly of oC much fat Cat and little water In general nuts are arc also rich in protein the peanut containing per cent of this while the butternut beechnut almond and Brazil I nut also rank high The nut richest in fat is the pecan which contains 70 per cent with the Brazil nut a close second sec sec- ond oni with 6 63 65 per cent cc For a number of years NUS th the nut as an article of oC food has been stigmatized by its r reputation for indigestibility This idea h has s gained prevalence lence largely be because because be- be cause the tho nut has never been given its pr proper p r place on the menu Although h a highly conc concentrated ted form of food we are accustomed to eating it as a sort of postlude post- post hide lude to a hearty harty meal thus overcrowding overcrowd overcrowd- ing the digestive organs and causing dis dis- comfort Recent experiments have demonstrated that if nuts were wore eaten as asan asan asan an integral part of the meal and not as asa a n supplementary feature or a condiment there would be hc no ill III effects Much 1 stress is now now laid upon the thorough mastication mastication mastication mas mas- of nuts and scientists who advocate advocate cate their use for Cor food insist upon an Inclusion Inclusion in inclusion In- In o of oC fruits and and green vegetables to furnish the tue necessary bulk hulk required iby y the digestive organs The increasing popularity of the tho nut mit has resulted In multiplying ing its uses and the forms in which It If may be served One of the most popular uses to which it has been put is 15 in butters of various arlous kinds the kinds the peanut butter beIn being sold in ton tori lots at present Tho The nut butters being made from finely ground particles of tho the thoI I kernels are arc ns as s a general proposition more readily digested ested than the nut proper and they are arf much used hy by vegetarians as well as by persons who cannot eat animal fats and who find in these a pleasIng pleasIng pleasing pleas pleas- ing varl variety ty The use of nuts in confectionary Is 15 constantly constantly con con- increasing In the United States while among the Germans they have been popular for many years in such forms as the highly ornamental cakes called marzipan Among nut products may be mentioned d the nut flours and meals some of which are arc being manufactured manufactured manu mariu- on a commercial scale As a arule arule arule rule the tho edible nuts are made Into meals by t blanching g thoroughly drying and grinding By using a nut mill t the e. e meal may be mado at home Almond m meal nal al has been on the tho market for of years and Is highly valued by physicians as a diet for diabetic patients Chestnut flour flouris is also on on n sale in the United States be beIng being being be- be ing used for most of the Culinary purposes purposes pur pur- poses posts for which the fresh nut is recommended mended in Italy this flour constitutes a considerable portion of the food of peasants peas peas- a ants espe especially lally in certain districts of Tuscany There tho the whole nuts are eaten in a variety of ways both cooked and raw Early travelers and explorers in this country found that the Indians used nuts as a staple food and In California certain tribes trIbe still use ground acorns and horses horse ch chestnuts for flour Flour of the latter of course has to be leached in or order or- or d der r to remove the bitter and poisonous poisonous- principles The use of nuts as an important in ingredient ingredient ingredient in- in in certain breakfast foods and andas andas andas as a substitute for coffee Is familiar to every reader of advertisements while the thrifty housewife who does need to be told of the delectable culinary possibilities ties of the thc pecan as a stuffing for the wild turl turkey ey and of the palatability of I the chestnut filled goose while tho the pickled walnut is often relied upon to quicken the appetite of the sated epi epi- epi cure It probably will come as a surprise to most economic housewives however to learn that as as an energy y producer the InsIgnificant in insignificant In- In significant peanut is more than six times as nutritious as the same amount of porterhouse porterhouse por por- steak measured in dollars and cents Ten cents worth of peanuts contains three times as much food energy as same amount nt of whole milk twice as much as Cheddar ch cheese ese and nearly twice as much as potatoes Almonds Brazil nuts chestnuts hickory nuts and pecans all aU excel porterhouse steak teak as an economic food rood product product product-In In most cases b by two to one and over o Within the last few years vears the trade in sh shelled nuts has increased sed very ery great great- reat- reat ly ly Shelled peanuts walnuts pecans and Brazil nuts can be purchased In most fruit milt stores S Sonic Some of the un unshelled shelled nuts especially the pecan are often polished highly and the shells worn quite thin in order that a high price may be de de- de for them Many efforts have also been made to find a bleach that would add to to- the attractive appearance of the nut but most of these have been found round unsatisfactory The use of the sulphur bath for example bleached the shell beautifully but it injured the flavor of the kernel very materially From the standpoint of health the shelled nut not a as highly recommended as the nut with its natural casement which prevents infection from dust bacteria bac bac- teria terla and dirt So thoroughly has the microbe Idea Idea- permeated our conscious conscious- V ness nes that the scientific housewife now washes waRMs all nuts before they are cracked ed and tind served as ast it t Is known that a dusty dust nut shell will contaminate all the k kernels with which It com conies comes s in contact Even the shelled kernels are frequently subjected subjected sub sub- to a bath being eaten The beechnut has integral associations l with history and romance Pliny tells tens us that at the siege of Chios the thc unfortunate Inhabitants of tho the city subsisted on the fruit of the beech for or many days dars The tree itself has ever er been a favorite favorIto place on which to register challenges to enemies epitaphs and initials of loved lo ones its smooth gray bark barIc furnishing ex excellent excellent ox- ox writing material when sword or penknife Is used as the stylus The mutability of nut fame Came like the human variety o. is exemplified In the case of the the filbert which does does not not compare comparo In popularity today with many others But in the Augustan era it enjoyed some Of oC Rome's Romes r reflected fl glory glon for Virgil tells us t tit that it was as more honored than the vine the myrtle or even een the bay Many people still believe belle In the occult power of the filbert or hazel hazl tree A forked twig twit is not infrequently employed ed by the ignorant as at a divining rod for finding hidden treasure veins of precious metals subterranean an streams of water and even en for tor detecting criminals The English French Italian and Madeira Madeira Ma Ma- deira delra walnuts are all descended from the Persian walnut trees which grew on the shores of the Caspian sea It was In Introduced Introduced introduced In- In Into Italy in the first century of the Christian era by the Emperor and was then called or nuts of Jove As bo boys bos s were ere employed ed b by the Romans to knock the nuts from the trees it became a custom at a marriage marriage mar mar- e for the tho bride and bridegroom to scatter nuts among the Children to Indicate Indi cate that the l renounced all boyish amusements henceforth and arid that the bride was no longer r a votary of the virgin goddess Diana It is quite probable probable probable able that the French word for nuptials des noces comes from this ancient custom custom cus cus- tom torn of De Dc the title of one of Ovid's poems S The culture of the extended from Italy to Gaul France hence the earlier name Gaul nut was v corrupted to walnut by the English The ancients b be believed be- be that this nut would cure euro i phobia The walnut timber Is high highly prized toda today for furniture but more es especially es- es peel ally for gun stocks A single tree In England has been known to bring as much as The betel nut a native of the East Indies Is put to uses entirely different from the nuts of hl highly civilized countries countries' countries countries' coun coun- tries tries' It is universally used among the tho Malayan races as a sort of tobacco Its juice having a stimulating quality Tomorrow Tomorrow Pens Pens and Pencils |