9^2 



not to do that. After partially cooking the root vegetables 

 slice them and put them on the drier, the more thinly you 

 slice them, of course, the more quickly will they dry, but 1 

 think sometimes it is better to sacrifice a little in the drying 

 time and have thicker slices when serving, for instance car- 

 rots. The exception I would make in pre-cooking vegetables 

 is onions. They are much nicer to slice them raw onto the 

 dryer, as the cooking and then drying seems to toughen 

 them. You may not care to dry many onions if you have a 

 suitable storage for them, but they make an a valuable ad- 

 dition to soup vegetables. Greens may be previously cooked 

 or not. 1 have had perfectly satisfactory results in drying 

 greens with no cooking, but the French authorities tell us 

 they lose much in flavor and color. A few weeks ago I gave 

 a demonstration luncheon to the Faculty of Wellesley college ; 

 some of the girls of the different dormitories were asked 

 to be present and test the products and say if they were 

 willing to have those products served to them the coming 

 winter. They were much pleased with most of tne things 

 but the spinach and kale which I served were so strong of 

 mineral salts that they did not like them. That seemed 

 to me proof that they had not lost much of their flavor. I 

 cooked them in the same water I had soaked them in and 

 they were somewhat bitter. If I had poured the water 

 off once they would have been better. 



In the drying of fruits no preliminary cooking is neces- 

 sary ]mt a much better product will result if the skins are 

 removed. Fruits like peaches and quinces may be dried as 

 apples are and stored until such time as you care to use a 

 little sugar in cooking them. Berries are dried whole or 

 mashed and dried in sheets into what is known to the 

 French as "fruit leather." This is very nice to use as a 

 confection or in sauce and ice creams, and is much appre 

 ciated just now if sent to the boys over seas. It is also very 

 nice to make little cakes of peach and apple butter and dry 

 them to the consistency of figs. If you have a friend "over 

 there" he will be deliglited with some home made sauce of 



