NUT GROWING 



1439 



made from ground almonds or almond 

 paste. Cocoannt is also used for the same 

 sort of cakes. 



Chestnuts preserved or candied in syrup 

 and tlien dried, the marrons glace of the 

 confectioners, are esteemed a delicacy and 

 are eaten alone or are used in confection- 

 ery, etc. Thus prepared they are a com- 

 mon commercial article. Much less com- 

 mon are the English walnut meats pre- 

 served in syrup, which are manufactured 

 in Europe and exported to this country 

 in limited quantities. Preserved nuts 

 which are similar to these are made in 

 this country, particularly for the soda- 

 water trade. Often maple syrup is used 

 instead of ordinary syrup. Nut syrups, 

 in which the ground nuts are incorpor- 

 ated with the syrup, are also well known 

 for the same purpose, and are quite simi- 

 lar to the nut bisques or similar pud- 

 ding sauces made at home. As the data 

 in the table show, such nut preserves are 

 rich in carbohydrates, owing to the added 

 sugar. In Germany walnut meats and 

 spice are often added to the plum but- 

 ter which is made in such quantities in 

 many homes. In the tropics, a thick, 

 sweet preserve is made from cocoanut 

 and sugar which is much liked locally, 

 though those who are not familiar with 

 it consider it very sweet and insipid. 

 The Turks make several products from 

 walnut meats and grape juice which are 

 considered wholesome and palatable foods. 

 In one of these the nuts are strung on a 

 strong thread and dipped in thickened 

 grape juice until well coated with it. 



]?fut Flours and Meals 



Among nut products may be mentioned 

 nut flours and meals. Some of these are 

 used in large quantities and are made 

 on a commercial scale, while others, per- 

 haps owing to the trouble and expense in- 

 cidental to manufacture, find only a lim- 

 ited use. In general, meals are made 

 from the ordinary edible nuts by blanch- 

 ing, thoroughly drying, and grinding. By 

 using a nut mill such meals may be 

 ground at home. Almond meal has been 

 on the market for a long time, being used 

 as food for diabetics and for making 



cakes, etc., as well as in a number of 

 technical ways. 



Special mention should be made of 

 chestnut flour, which is on sale in the 

 United States and is used for most of the 

 culinary purposes for which the fresh nut 

 is recommended. In Italy it constitutes 

 a considerable part of the diet, in some 

 regions being extensively used for mak- 

 ing a sort of bread or cake. One of the 

 most complete studies of the dietetic use 

 of chestnuts has been reported by Mem- 

 mo, According to that author, the chest- 

 nut often serves almost as the exclusive 

 food ot the peasants of Tuscany for a 

 considerable part of the year. The whole 

 nuts are eaten in a variety of ways; for 

 instance, boiled in water without hulling, 

 hulled and boiled, or roasted. From the 

 flour various cakes and other foods are 

 made. Sometimes dough made from 

 chestnut flour and water is spread be- 

 tween chestnut leaves and baked in an 

 oven, and sometimes the dough is baked 

 between hot stones. Chestnut fritters 

 are also used, though less commonly than 

 the bread, as the oil needed to fry them 

 is comparatively expensive. A half pound 

 or more of chestnut flour made into por- 

 ridge for breakfast, chestnut cakes for 

 dinner, and chestnut porridge or maca- 

 roni for supper, with a little fish or 

 cheese, is a common day*s ration. Ground 

 acorns, made into a sort of bread with the 

 addition of about 75 per cent of flour, is 

 a common article of diet in several re- 

 gions, notably Umbria and Tuscany, but 

 the bread is black and heavy and not very 

 palatable. 



The early travelers and explorers make 

 mention of the extended use of nuts by 

 the American Indians, and the custom of 

 using acorns as a staple food is still kept 

 up. The method of preparing acorns 

 followed by the Indians of Northern Cali- 

 fornia have been described by P. E. Ood- 

 dard* in a publication of the University 

 of California, and by V. K. Chesnut,t 

 formerly of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture. Briefly speaking, the shelled nuts 



* Univ Cal. Pubs., Amer Arch and Ethnol., 

 1 (1903), No 1, p. 27 



t IT. S Dept Aisrri . Div Bot , Contrib. Nat 

 Herbarium, 7 (1902). p. 3ZS 



