^66 THE POTATO 



high as one fourth, when by careful "measure- 

 ment the crude fibre or true skin of the potato is 

 less than one half of 1 per cent, of the whole. 

 When potatoes are pared and soaked in water and 

 then boiled the loss has been found to be as high as 

 7 per cent, of the food value, the albumen and 

 mineral matter being the elements most largely lost. 

 "The different methods of cooking potatoes are 

 baking, boiling, steaming, and frying. Each of 

 these methods may be so conducted a^ to retain 

 practically all of the food material. When po- 

 tatoes are cooked in the skins they lose nothing of 

 the food value, but a slight loss of water is noted. 

 When fried there is no loss of nutrients and the 

 toasted or browned starch flavor is relished by 

 many. Baked potatoes have been found by 

 scientific experiment to be more quickly digested 

 than those cooked in other ways, but it seems that 

 in healthy individuals the time of digestion of food 

 is not material so it is normally digested. A 

 potato cooked in the skin, either baked, boiled or 

 steamed, then peeled and mashed and seasoned with 

 plain milk, has a richness of flavor, from the con- 

 serving of the elements of flavor, that no amount 

 of high-priced artificial seasoning such as butter 

 and cream can give. This does not argue against 

 the use of cream and butter, but only calls at- 

 tention to the fine, smooth consistency and good 

 flavor that can be secured by conserving the cor- 

 tical layer instead of paring it away. Chemical 

 analysis has shown that as much albumen, the 

 flesh-forming food, is thrown away or needlessly 

 wasted in paring fifty pounds of potatoes as is con- 

 tained in a pound of sirloin steak; besides this loss 

 of nitrogenous food, that of the carbohydrates or 

 starch is still more. 



