Care in Keeping Food in Summer

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 186, 27 October 1927, Page 9

Care in Keeping Food in Summer

■F, WHEN - biscuits are purchased, they are not perfectly crisp, put them in a warm oven for about 20 minutes. Do not have the oven hot enough to give them more than a very slight browning. The sojourn in the oven will restore their crispness and freshness in a miraculous sort of way. Let them cool and then put them immediately into a tin with a tight-fitting cover. They will remain crisp and ready for instant serving. If you live at the seashore in the summer it is advisable to purchase biscuits which come already packed in tins.

.JT is always the best policy to puvcliase_a.il kinds of meals and flours in small quantities during the summer months. The whole-ground meals have a tendency to get rancid in warm weather, and such conditions are also perfect for the growth of flour weevils in all kinds of flours. This same precaution applies to all cereals, including rice. It is well to buy no more than two week’s requirements at the most.

rjpilE use of left-overs requires par ticular attention at this season ol the year. First of all, minimise the quantity of these in so far as is possible. Plan meals and quantities needed so carefully that left-overs

will be largely eliminated. Then make it a habit to use whatever leftovers there are promptly, within a day or two days at . the outside. Cooked vegetables left from one meal may be used cold at the next, but if necessary to keep them longer, unless the conditions for so doing are very exceptional, it is best to serve the vegetable in some way which calls for reheating. This applies in a measure to all cooked left-overs. Keep all left-overs in a cold place.

containers go far toward keeping foods in good condition. Covered containers of glass or earthenware are excellent for keeping food, both raw and cooked, in the refrigerator or pantry. The squarecornered nested dishes designed especially for this purpose are very satisfactory and conserve space. Preserve jars with covers and casseroles of all kinds may be utilised. Or, if preferred, and when there arc no covered dishes available, the dish or the food itself may be wrapped in' parchment paper.

jgOFT fruits, like strawberries, will keep in better condition if they are removed immediately from the box in which they come. Spread them on a flat dish of some kind and place them in the coolest part of the pantry until needed.

and other salad greens, even though quite wilted, may be restored to their original crispness. Wash carefully and place in cold water made acid with a table spoonful or two of vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand until crisp, perhaps an hour; then, if not needed at once, rinse again in cold water and place in a can having an air-tight cover. Put in a cool place. With this treatment, not only will the crispness be restored but the greens will remain crisp for several days. .

T>ARSLEY and mint keep best if treated like flowers. Place the stems of the bunch in a small bowl or glass of cold water in as cool a place as possible.

PARTICULAR care must be taken of milk and cream in summer. Milk should be kept at a temperature not over 50 degrees F. Either metal or glass milk-bottle tops to replace the pasteboard ones, once the bottle has been opened, are both sanitary and convenient. Butter should always be kept in a covered jar; otherwise it will absorb flavours from other foods.

A LL the exasperation attendant on the usual caking of the salt in the table shakers in damp weather may bo entirely eliminated by following this procedure: First, be sure that the. salt is very dry before ft goes into the shakers. Dry it out in a warm oven if necessary. Then fill the shakers. Directly after each meal place the shakers in a tin which lias a cover that fits so tightly as to exclude all air. Take them out of their hiding place only at mealtime. Even at the seashore the salt will shake freely all summer if this plan is adopted. A baking-powder tin or one which originally contained tea or coffee is a good choice-for this

TF bread crumbs—those which have A been dried in the oven—are kept in an air-tight container they will become rancid. Instead, place them in a preserve jar and cover it with a double thickness of cheese-cloth held in place by an elastic band.

TN the summertime bread moulds quickly. To overcome this tendency scald the bread container frequently, at least twice a week. Also be particular to keep the bread box as free as possible of scraps of bread. These tend to absorb moisture from the fresher bread.

A PROPERLY cared for refrigerax tor is essential. If of the ice type, keep the ice chamber well filled at all times, for only in this way will you get the maximum efficiency from your box. Keep the box clean, paying special attention to the j.ce chamber and the drain pipes. Scald both of these occasionally. Take the temperature of your refrigerator compartments to make sure that even in the warmest of these the temperature of 50 degrees F. is being maintained.