135 



that they can exactly imitate many of them in the laboratory, 

 and that is why we have artificial vanilla and banana ex- 

 tracts. But Nature, after all, is a more subtle chemist, there- 

 fore her compound is finer tasting, more delicate in flavor; 

 while man makes but a harmless, cheaper substitute. I 

 speak particularly of these flavor compounds, because, while 

 of no actual nutritive value, they still bring the food contain- 

 ing them mider the group of appetizers. 



For centuries, people have eaten apples because "they 

 taste good." They are eating more today than ever before, 

 because they tas'e better than ever before. Decidedlj^ a 

 food that is palatable is more valuable than one of the same 

 food value, which yet is not palatable. 



As apples ripen they change appreciably in composition. 

 The woody fibre of the green appl-e, becomes first starch, then 

 sugar; the puckery acid becomes smaller in quantity and 

 thus less biting, while Die gum-like substance called pectin, 

 which becomes jelly on cooking, disappears entirely after the 

 fruit is fully ripened. 



This latter point is of interest to the housekeeper. Be- 

 cause of it, she will choose unripe fruit for jelly making, and 

 ripe fruit when there is the largest amount of sugar present 

 for bottling as fruit juices. 



As one would expect, apples contain a fairly large per 

 cent, of water : 84.6 parts. The next largest, in quantity, are 

 the sugars, of which there are 13 parts. Apples contain a 

 small amount of proteid substance, in the form of albumen 

 .4 of one part ; of fat 1.5 parts ; while mineral salts furnish .3 

 of one part. The whole placed in thi? bomb calorimeter will 

 yield 290 calories for every pound. 



Dried or evaporated apples are of course more concen- 

 trated : they contain only 26.1 parts of water; 1.6 parts of 

 proteid, 62 parts of sugar, and 2 parts of mineral ash. When 

 this is burned in the bomb calorimeter, one pound will yield 

 1,350 calories, or almost as much as a pound of pure starch. 

 But it must not be forgotten that dried apples, as dried beans, 

 peas or meat, are seldom or never eaten in this concentrated 

 form, and when ready for the table are little if any richer 

 than the natural forms. A disregard of this fact may be 

 responsible for various misleading statements in regard to 

 relative food values. 



Notice is called to one other apple analysis, namely, ap- 

 ple sauce: water 61.1 par's; proteid .2 of one part; fat .8 of 



