Clothes are first placed in the machine that the dirt in them
may be loosened. After this process, which is commonly called
rubbing, the garments are rinsed to remove loosened particles
of dirt. Since the water needs to be forced through the fabrics
in this process, the mechanical force of the machine gives better
results than rinsing the clothes by hand in a tub. Rinsing
water should be hot, too warm for the hands to be inserted with
comfort.
After the clothes are rinsed, they are put through a bluing
water and then they are hung on the line. If considerable
moisture is left in them, the clothes will be more nearly white
when dry. The water, wind and sunshine provide for the proc-
ess of oxidation, nature's way of bleaching.
The washing machine is a saver of human strength and the
garments. With its use rubbing on the board is not necessary,
provided moderately warm or tepid, but not hot, soapy water is
used for the washing and hot water is used for the rinsing, which,
of course, must be forced back and forth through the clothes
until all traces of soil and soap are removed.
Dehydrating Foods
Dehydration is the outgrowth of drying foods. It is an im-
provement over the older method of food preservation. In
drying, foodstufi^s are either exposed 'to the direct heat of the
sun or are placed in an evaporator which sets over the kitchen
range. In some cases the drying process is hastened by oven
heat. All of these methods of expelling the moisture rupture
the plant cells. This allows the volatile materials to escape with
248 THE FARM COOK AND RULE BOOK
the moisture. It is in this way that the taste and appearance
of the foods are changed and in addition all the volatile food
value is lost. Dried fruits and vegetables are cooked to some
extent in their own juices during the drying.
Dehydrators are constructed so that nothing but the moisture
is driven off during dehydration. This device has slots in the
bottom through which air is admitted. Above these are several
open-mesh wire shelves on which the products to be dehydrated,
after being sliced or cut in small pieces, are placed. A kero-
sene burner at the bottom warms the air, thereby hastening the
evaporation of the moisture. To make certain that the right
temperature is maintained all the time so the cells will not be
broken by too much heat, a thermometer hangs in front of the
shelves where it may be seen through the doors. The tempera-
ture of this device is no more difficult to regulate than is that
of an incubator.
The heated air rises in and around the food on the shelves
and escapes through an opening in the top. Fresh air enters
through the openings in the bottom and this continual circula-
tion of air makes it possible to dehydrate foods in a sanitary
manner in from 10 to 12 hours.
Dehydrated foods are stored in paraffin coated paper cartons,
glass fruit jars wrapped in paper or heavy paper bags. The sur-
prising factor is that when the foods are cooked, after being
soaked several hours in cold water, they taste and appear much
like fresh products. They are a great economy in storage space
because the removal of the water decreases the bulk of foods
greatly. One pound of dehydrated pumpkin, for example, makes
18 pumpkin pies of ordinary size.
Self-Freezing Ice Cream Freezers
Page 120
Presented as published in 1923. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Clothes are first placed in the machine that the dirt in them may be loosened. After this process, which is commonly called rubbing, the garments are rinsed to remove loosened particles of dirt. Since the water needs to be forced through the fabrics in this process, the mechanical force of the machine gives better results than rinsing the clothes by hand in a tub. Rinsing water should be hot, too warm for the hands to be inserted with comfort.
After the clothes are rinsed, they are put through a bluing water and then they are hung on the line. If considerable moisture is left in them, the clothes will be more nearly white when dry. The water, wind and sunshine provide for the process of oxidation, nature's way of bleaching.
The washing machine is a saver of human strength and the garments. With its use rubbing on the board is not necessary, provided moderately warm or tepid, but not hot, soapy water is used for the washing and hot water is used for the rinsing, which, of course, must be forced back and forth through the clothes until all traces of soil and soap are removed.
Dehydrating Foods
Dehydration is the outgrowth of drying foods. It is an improvement over the older method of food preservation. In drying, foodstuffs are either exposed 'to the direct heat of the sun or are placed in an evaporator which sets over the kitchen range. In some cases the drying process is hastened by oven heat. All of these methods of expelling the moisture rupture the plant cells. This allows the volatile materials to escape with
the moisture. It is in this way that the taste and appearance of the foods are changed and in addition all the volatile food value is lost. Dried fruits and vegetables are cooked to some extent in their own juices during the drying.
Dehydrators are constructed so that nothing but the moisture is driven off during dehydration. This device has slots in the bottom through which air is admitted. Above these are several open-mesh wire shelves on which the products to be dehydrated, after being sliced or cut in small pieces, are placed. A kerosene burner at the bottom warms the air, thereby hastening the evaporation of the moisture. To make certain that the right temperature is maintained all the time so the cells will not be broken by too much heat, a thermometer hangs in front of the shelves where it may be seen through the doors. The temperature of this device is no more difficult to regulate than is that of an incubator.
The heated air rises in and around the food on the shelves and escapes through an opening in the top. Fresh air enters through the openings in the bottom and this continual circulation of air makes it possible to dehydrate foods in a sanitary manner in from 10 to 12 hours.
Dehydrated foods are stored in paraffin coated paper cartons, glass fruit jars wrapped in paper or heavy paper bags. The surprising factor is that when the foods are cooked, after being soaked several hours in cold water, they taste and appear much like fresh products. They are a great economy in storage space because the removal of the water decreases the bulk of foods greatly. One pound of dehydrated pumpkin, for example, makes 18 pumpkin pies of ordinary size.
Self-Freezing Ice Cream Freezers