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XXIII. An Estimation of the Loss of Weight which take* 

 place in cooking Animal Food. 



At is well known that, in whatever way the flesh of ani- 

 mals is prepared for food, a considerable diminution takes 

 place in its weight. We do not recollect, however, to have 

 seen any where a statement of the loss which meat sustains 

 in the various culinary processes, although it is pretly ob- 

 vious that a series of experiments on this subject would not 

 be without their use in domestic ceconomy. 



We shall here give the result of a series of experiments 

 which were actually made on this subject in a public esta- 

 blishment, premising that, as they were not undertaken 

 from mere curiosity, but, on the contrary, to serve a pur- 

 pose of practical utility, absolute accuracy was not attended 

 to. Considering, however, the large quantities of provisions 

 which were actually examined, it is presumed that the re- 

 sults may be safely depended upon for any practical pur- 

 pose. It would no doubt have been desirable to have 

 known not only the whole diminution of weight, but also 

 the parts which were separated from the meat in the form 

 of aqueous vapour, jelly, fat, Sec, but the determination of 

 these did not fall within the scope of the inquiry. 



ih. ozs. 



28 pieces of beef weighing 2S0 



Lost in boiling 73 14 



Hence the weight lost by beef in boiling was in this case 

 about 26£lbs. in lOOlbs. 



I's. ozs. 



1 Q pieces of beef weighing 1 tjo 



Lost in roasting 61 2 



The weight lost by beef in. roasting appears to be 32 per 

 cent. 



lbs. ozs. 



Q pieces of beef weighing 90 O 



Lost in baking 2/ O 



Weight lost by beef in baking, 30 per cent. 



llit. ozs. 



<2J leos of mutton weighing 260 O 



Lost in boiling, and by having the shank-') fi 

 bone taken off J 



The shank-bones were estimated at four 

 ounces each ; therefore the loss by boiling was 



The loss of weight in legs of mutton, in boiling, is 21£ 

 percent. 



35 shoulders 



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