FoodNetArchive

The Worcester domestic science school's one year course laboratory cook book

1914

Page 1

Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
( a ) Pure, 75c quart. (b) Wood, 25c quart. . (c) Denatured, 30c a quart. C. Electricity. LABORATORY COOK BOOK. r> VARIOUS KINDS OF FUEL. Hard WoodSj as hickory, oak, ash, etc., produce more heal and burn more slowly than soft woods. Soft Woods, as pine, cedar, birch, etc., are commonly used as kindling. Resinous pine wood gives too hot a temperature, — gives an extreme heat. It is not an economical wood to burn for a (ire; it is also likely to warp a stove. Wood absorbs iMr, moisture, and takes a great amount of heat to dry. It is organic in nature and is made up of a number of small elements, — carbon, hydrogen and oxygen making up the greater part. It has a small amount of mineral matter which is found in the form of lime, potash, soda and silica. The framework of wood is cellnlose, which is carbohydrate. Wood stores up moisture without having the appearance of it. As soon as the wood begins to char, the moisture comes out of it. Soft Woods, as pine, kindle more easily, produce intense heat, and are best for a quick-blazing fire. Hard ^Yoods, as oak, ash and hickory, burn more slowly but pro- duce harder coals which retain the heat longer. Many kinds of wood, especially ash, contain much alkali. Charcoal is made from wood in underground kilns, having small openings at the top as smoke outlets. The wood becomes carbonized and gives off intense heat. As a fuel this makes a good brisk, but not a lasting fire. Peat is of plant origin. Ages ago the trees fell, glaciers and rocks, and lastly, the water came, thus crushing all plant life. By the pres- sure of the earth and water, and the exclusion of air, the plants became mineralized. The substance thus formed is called peat. It is always found in boggy places. As a fuel, its qualities are much the same as those of charcoal. Coal is a mineral substance originally of vegetable origin. It com- mences with plant life just the same as peat does; but the coal re- mained in the earth a longer time. Peat is coal in process of formation. Sulphur and Tar are the most common impurities found in coal. Soft coal contains the most tar; this passes off in smoke as do all im- purities. There are two different kinds of coal; anthracite, or hard coal ; and bituminous, or soft coal. Hard Coal, or anthracite, contains (M) to 95% carbon. It is a kind of mineral-charcoal derived from ancient vegetation buried in the earth and so thoroughly pressed that nothing is left but pine, carbon, sul- G THE WORCESTER DOMESTIC SCIENCE SCHOOL. phur, and an incombustible ash. It kindles slowly, yields an intense heat, and burns a long time without replenishing. Soft Coal, or bituminous coal, contains from 70 to 90% carbon. It is not so compact as the anthracite, and therefore has to be replen- ished oftener. It is not very much used, and costs from $4.00 to $4.50 a ton. Egg and Stove Coal are mostly used for heating in furnaces. Nut or Chestnut Coal is Bright and Shiny, and is mostly used for cookery. Pea Coal is also used for cookery. It is cut in very small pieces and is good for "bedding fires." Coke is simply coal with the gas removed. It gives an intense heat, is liable to warp the stove, and burns out very quickly. It is not a very good fuel. The average prices of the various kinds of coal are: — (1) Egg Coal, |8.00 a ton. (2) Chestnut Coal, 8.00 a ton