19 



To Store Breadfruit. — To prepare dried chips and meal tlie bread- 

 fruit is peeled, cut into slices and sun dried for 4 or 5 days. The dried 

 chips store fairly well and can be soaked and steamed as a vegetable. 

 The meal made by milling or pounding the dried chips and sifting 

 through fine muslin makes excellent porridge atid with the addition of a 

 little Avheaten flour can -be made into dumplings. 



Stuffed Breadfruit. — Half-cook by boiling a breadfruit with the 

 rind on. JRemove the top and scoop out part of the centre. Stuff with 

 meat, etc., replace the top piece and bake. 



Breadnuts. — These are well known as a nutritious food, boiled and 

 eaten with a little salt. 



BEANS AND PEAS. 



The uses of these are well known and it is not necessary to refer to 

 most of the many different varieties which will thrive here in any detail. 



The important thing to remember is that supplies can be cheaply 

 and quickly grown and there is no necessity to import them. Dhal 

 which is imported from India to the extent of about ^18,000 a year is 

 mainly dried pigeon peas. They could be grown as a field crop, cut 

 down and the seeds thrashed out. 



The smallest garden can grow supplies of red beans from the ordinary 

 bean as sold in the stores. They are useful both as green beans and 

 when dried. At present they cost 18c. per lb. in Port-of-Spain. Black 

 eye peas are a very quick crop and being produced locally in abundance 

 should be much more largely used. The horso or sword beans (Canavalias) 

 see p. 7 ) have here and elsewhere been proved to be quite wholesome, 

 although there is a strong local prejudice against them. Beans and 

 peas are very useful as rotation or catch crops and can be planted 

 amongst young canes. 



BANANAS AND PLANTAINS. 



Fresh bananas and plantains contain about a quarter of their weight 

 of starch or sugar — the proportion varying with the degree of ripeness. 

 In unripe bananas starch is the chief constituent of value as food, and 

 as the fruits ripen the starch changes into sugar. 



Plantains are largely appreciated as a food and are extensively used 

 either boiled or fried. The Colony does not grow enough for its own 

 requirements and imports them largely from Venezuela. 



Bananas are available in most districts, By increased use of the 

 fresh ripe fruits the demand for bread can be reduced. They can also 

 be cooked in various ways. As a vegetable they are prepared as 

 plantains. 



Grilled Bananas : Lay ripe fruits, in their skin, on any convenient 

 support over a fire, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, 

 open at the table and eat with a spoon. 



Banana Pudding : Fill a greased dish with ripe (but not overripe) 

 bananas peeled and cut into half lengthways. Put a little sugar between 

 each layer of fruit, and bake for about 20 minutes. A little lime juice 

 may be added. 



