STATES RELATIOKS SEEVICE. 387 



OFFICE OF HOME ECONOMICS. 



C. F. Laxgwoetiiy, Chief. 



The Office of Home Economics, developing the gcnei'al ]JOiicy fol- 

 lo\ved in the previous j'CJir, adapted its work to tlie special war-time 

 conditions and needs in question of dietetics and the conservation 

 of materials and labor nsed in the household. 



Special emphasis 'was placed on the work in experimental cookery, 

 partly because during the first months of the year the need for using 

 somewhat unfamiliar food materials required the development and 

 popularization of methods and recipes adapted to such materials 

 and parti}' because of the increasing demand for the standardization 

 of cooking processes as a means to the better general utilization of 

 food materials, fuel, and kitchen equipment. Much of this Avork was 

 done in cooperation v\'ith or at the request of other bureaus or offices 

 of the department or of other departments, notably the offices of ex- 

 tension work, the Bureau of Chemistry, the Bureau of Plant Indus- 

 try, the Bureau of Animal Industr}-, the Bureau of jMarkets, and the 

 Food Administration. The equipment of the experimental kitchen 

 was increased to include different types of stoves, refrigerators, and 

 other household conveniences so that varying home conditions could 

 be reproduced and comparative studies made of the practical effi- 

 ciency- of difierent equipment and methods. The nature and results 

 of the work of the experimental kitchen were in brief as follows : 



(1) Studies of yeast breads brought out the detrimental effect of long Icncad- 

 iug, particularly in the later stages of .dough fermentation ; several current 

 recipes for yeast starters were tested. 



(2) Studies in fuel conservation with gas range determined the losses caused 

 by the couunon defects of having burners placed too far beneath the co'jking 

 utensil, and of having them too large in proportion to the size of the utensil ; 

 the claims of a connnercial " gas-saver " were not substantiated ; gas consump- 

 tion in using small separate oven over top burner for baking was compared 

 with that of the range oven. 



(3) Household methods of making jellies, and of increasing yield from fnuts 

 deiicient in pectin and in acid by addition of commercial and homemade pectins 

 or of lemon juice or by use of pressure cooker, were studied and favorably re- 

 ported upon. A study of yield showed that a pound of good jelly-making fruit 

 should yield a pound or more of jelly. 



(4) Studies in pastry making emphasized the fact that to bo of good quality 

 an economical pasLo must have water reduced as well as fat, and that vegetable 

 oil can be used for pastry if care is taken not to use too much fat. 



(5) Cake making with various oils and other fats demonstrated that baking 

 at temperatures high enough to produce " humpy cake " (a common fault) causes 

 an increase of gas consumption of about 50 per cent, which is v.'orse than 

 wasted. 



(G) A study was nu'ide of methods of canning vegetables, especially spinach, 

 and of the rate of heat penetration in processing. 



(7) Investigation of various methods of cooking dried fruits and vegetables 

 revealed the fact that in almost all cases preliminary soaking is imnecessary 

 and sometimes distinctly disadvantageous. Observations were also made upon 

 the varying degrees of rapidity with which successfully-dried vegetables grad- 

 ually lose their color and flavor upon aging, no spoilage having taken place. 



(8) Outlines designed to facilitate standardization of methods in experi- 

 mental cookery were prepared and distributed for use in colleges offering 

 courses in that subject. 



(9) Studies in absorption of fat by b-atters and doughs fried under varying 

 conditions were carried on with a view to controlling this important source of 

 waste. 



