1546 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



a large amount of surface to the water, as when the potato is cut in dice, 

 (3) in soaking before cooking, (4) in the use of cold water at the beginning 

 of the cooking. 



It has been estimated that in paring a potato tlbe loss may be 20 per 

 cent. When it is remembered that the larger proportion of the valuable 

 protein and mineral matter is in ilie outer layers, it is seen how serious this 

 loss is. Must the skin be eaten, then, in order to get all the nutriment? 

 The skin is not palatable to all persons, although some like it. But if 

 it is to be removed, it should l)c Iconic in mind that the waste of total 

 substance is about twice as great when the paring is done before the boiling 

 as when it is done afterward. The skin tends to hold Ijack the mineral 

 salts, the protein, and the starch. Since the juice of the potato contains 85 

 per cent of the protein and 85 per cent of the ash, these sul^stances are 

 easily extracted without this ])rotection. Only the skin comes off after 

 cooking, and it peels off with mucli greater ease; there is thus a saving 

 of both nutriment and time in removing the skin after cooking. 



If the potato is cut into dice before cooking, the increased amount 

 of stu-face exposed will result in still greater extraction of nutriment, 

 although if prepared just before cooking and plunged immediately into 

 boiling water the loss is minimized. 



If potatoes are pared somewhat in advance of the time of cooking, 

 it is noticed that on standing they become dark. In order to overcome 

 this difhculty the potatoes are covered with water and allowed to stand 

 until it is time to cook them. Old potatoes are often soaked in cold water. 

 Experiments have shown that a pared potato soaked for from three to 

 five hours loses about three times as much of its mineral matter and seven 

 times as much of its protein as one that is pared and put on to cook im- 

 mediately. When potatoes are both pared and soaked, the loss in one 

 bushel is estimated as equivalent to one pound of sirloin steak. This 

 indicates that time should not be taken " by the forelock " when preparing 

 vegetables for a meal, except in case of emergency. If old potatoes must 

 be soaked in order to improve their condition, let it be with the skins on. 



Another factor influencing loss of nutriment is the temperature of the 

 water in which the potatoes are put on to cook. Here again experiments 

 prove that there has been waste of the materials for which money has 

 been spent. In this case the use of cold water instead of boiling water at 

 the beginning gives an inconsiderable loss of ash, but over twice as great 

 a loss of protein. If the potatoes are washed thoroughly, and then, with- 

 out being pared or soaked, are put on to cook in boiling water, there is 

 practically no loss. 



In other words, when potatoes are cooked by the most wasteful method 

 (skins removed, potatoes soaked, cooking started in cold water) the loss 



