VEGETABLE FOODS 57 



to leaven bread, the loaves would be heavier, much 

 smaller, and not nearly so appetizing. After bread is 

 baked, it should be left where it can be aerated. A 

 wire dish in which air has a chance to circulate freely 

 is excellent for this purpose. The bread should then 

 be placed in a covered tin box, both to keep mold 

 spores off and to prevent it from becoming dry and 

 unpalatable. 



Moldy bread is unwholesome and should not be 

 eaten. Dry bread can be made more palatable by 

 steaming or by dipping it in water and rebaking, as 

 this supplies water in place of what has been evapo- 

 rated. Flour when exposed to air absorbs moisture, 

 in which condition mold is likely to develop. On 

 this account it should be kept in a covered box or 

 barrel in a dry place. The box or jar in which 

 bread is kept should be frequently washed out with 

 hot water to remove any mold spores that may 

 have collected. 



Many foolish customs are the result of fashion. 

 Perhaps one of these is the preference many house- 

 keepers seem to have for the whitest bread. Knowing 

 this, manufacturers naturally try to produce flour 

 of the whitest possible brand. To do so the outside 

 husk must be sifted out, and as these layers contain 

 much of the proteid and the mineral components of the 

 grain, very useful materials are not included. How 

 foolish it would seem to put beef through some pro- 

 cess that would separate all the fat, just because the 



