EXTENSION COURSE IN VEGETABLE FOODS. 31 



understand the effect of heat and moisture upon such foods. In older 

 vegetables of this type large amounts of woody fibers or cellulose 

 will be found, which does not soften readily when cooked. 



Plants of this class have long been cultivated by mankind and are 

 used in great quantities, though less dependence is placed on them in 

 winter than was the case before improved transportation made a 

 greater variety possible. 



BEETS. 



The beet gives a good illustration of the difference between the 

 young and old plant. When young, the whole plant, leaves, leaf- 

 stalk, and root, may be cooked for greens (see Lesson III), but by 

 the time the beet is as large as an egg, the leafstalk is too fibrous to 

 use and the leaves are becoming tough; later only the root can be 

 used. The bunches of beets from warmer climates found in northern 

 markets in the spring usually have leaves that may be cooked and 

 served for greens with the sliced roots, and heat and moisture (cook- 

 ing) will make them tender in half an hour. Large winter beets 

 which have been out of the ground for months have lost moisture and 

 become woody and may require four hours or more to make them 

 eatable. Pickling in vinegar must often be resorted to before such 

 beets are really tender. 



Beets contain a larger proportion of sugar than most vegetables, 

 and to retain as much of this as possible, should be baked or steamed. 

 At all events, they should be cooked in the skins, and the tip of the 

 root and a portion of the leaf stems should be left on until after 

 cooking. Even so, some color and sweetness are lost in the water 

 in which they are cooked. Canned beets are generally preferable to 

 fresh ones when the latter are large or withered. 



TURNIPS. 



Many varieties of turnips are cultivated, but those used for human 

 food fall into two main classes, mainly white-fleshed sorts and those 

 with yellowish color and called rutabagas or " Swedish " turnips. 

 The first are used more commonly in summer and the yellow in winter 

 since they keep better. The pungent flavor of turnips, like that of 

 cabbage and radish of the same group of plants, is due to sulphur 

 compounds. Turnips may be boiled whole and mashed, or be cut into 

 cubes before cooking. In the latter way they lose more of their flavor. 



KOHL-RABI. 



The kohl-rabi, which belongs to the same family as the turnip and 

 the cabbage and combines characteristics of both, has been described 

 on page 17. This is cooked and served like turnip. 



