136 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



The problem thus arose as to how this disadvantage 

 could be overcome. 



Cooking was tried. Complete cooking, parboiling, 

 and even partial cooking were employed with various 

 vegetables, until it was found that a certain minimum 

 period of boiling water treatment was favorable to both 

 the wholesomeness and the flavor of dried products. 



This treatment, which varies in time for different 

 products, has been accepted as an essential part of the 

 proper drying of vegetables. It is called "blanching." 

 By it the protoplasm is killed and enzymic action stop- 

 ped. There is a thorough cleansing and a destruction 

 of many bacteria. Furthermore the flow of coloring 

 matter is started, and the color of the product thus 

 accentuated. The fibers are loosened and softened and 

 a condition created which facilitates the giving-off of 

 moisture in the drying process. 



In "cooking" food, heat is usually applied long 

 enough to alter the nature of certain materials, such as 

 starch, rendering them digestible. Blanching should 

 not be confused with cooking as it differs both in pur- 

 pose and effect. It is a preparatory process by which 

 the wholesomeness and flavor of a sound product are 

 retained through the temporary stoppage of chemical 

 changes due to agencies present and to bacterial ac- 

 tion when raw flesh is exposed to the air. The drying 

 process should follow at once, and be done as rapidly as 

 possible, with due attention to the proper tempera- 

 tures, which range from 115° to 175° F. according to the 

 products handled. 



