FRUIT AN ESSENTIAL IN DIET

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 40, 16 January 1945, Page 2

FRUIT AN ESSENTIAL IN DIET

MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN Every woman should know the value of fresh fruit as food. Each day at least one raw apple or orange, unless of course, forbidden by a should be taken by everyone. Children need an abundance of fresh fruit and fruit juices to keep them healthy. It may be argued that fruit is not cheap enough but it costs less than medicines and doctor's and dentists' bills. In addition to raw fruit such as oranges and bananas, which can be obtained all the year round the housewife should try to supply the members of her household with other fruit in season. In summer, of course there is no difficulty in buying l'resh, sound, and quite cheap fruit.. In winter time, of course, the problem is not so easily solved and one may have, to fall back upon dried fruits, such as dates and raisins. These, if well washed are * f excellent eaten raw, and have a definite food value. Then there are times when grapefruit, melons and pineapples may be bought fairly cheaply. Cooked fruit is also valuable. In fact stewed fruit served with cream, custard junket or blancmange is. a much better sweet from tile health point of view, than pastry or a rich pudding. Ill—lll nil I In order to get the utmost flavour from the fruit, stew it in earthenware jars in a slow oven. Peel and slice the fruit if necessary add sugar and perhaps a flavouring of cloves or lemon rind, cover with water (if the fruit is. .dry), snd. leave it to cook slowly for an hour or more. Apples do not take long; pears need plenty of water, and slow cooking for some hours. When done they should be very tender, pinkish in colour, and the juice should be syrupy. Rhubarb needs only a very little wattr, plenty of and need not stay long in the oven.

Dried fruits, can be very good if. properly treated. Buy good quality figs or apricots or pears. Wash them well soak all night, in a basin in which there is room for them to swell, and then cook in the way described above.

Dried fruit needs plenty of water s particularly which are nice' flavoured with lemon rind.