Part 2

Buy graded eggs in cartons at a store that keeps them in refrigerated cases. Federally graded eggs are identified with a shield-shaped grademark that indicates the quality at the time of grading. If they have been properly handled since grading, there should be little loss in quality.

_Quality._—U.S. Grade AA (or Fresh Fancy) and Grade A eggs are excellent for all purposes, but are especially good for poaching and frying where the appearance of the finished product is important. Grade B eggs are satisfactory for use in cooked dishes.

The grade of the egg does not affect its food value; lower grades are as high in nutrients as top grades. Buy either white or brown eggs. The color of the shell does not affect the nutritive value or quality of the egg.

_Size._—Eggs are also classified by size according to weight per dozen. Size is independent of quality; large eggs may be of high or low quality and high-quality eggs may be of any size. Common market sizes of eggs and the minimum weight per dozen:

U.S. Extra Large—27 ounces. U.S. Large—24 ounces. U.S. Medium—21 ounces. U.S. Small—18 ounces.

The substitution of one size egg for another often makes little difference in recipe results. However, in some recipes—for example in sponge and angelfood cakes—the proportion of egg to other ingredients is very important. For these recipes, it may be necessary to increase the number of eggs if you are using a smaller size.

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually best in quality and lowest in cost when in season.

Whatever fruit or vegetable you are buying, look first for freshness. Pointers on selecting some fruits and vegetables follow on page 12.

_Fruits_

_Apples._—Good color usually indicates full flavor.

_Bananas._—Bananas should be firm, fresh in appearance, and unscarred. Yellow or brown-flecked ones are ready for immediate use. Select slightly green-colored bananas for use within a few days.

_Berries._—Select plump, solid berries with good color. Avoid wet or leaky berries. Blackberries and raspberries with clinging caps may be underripe. Strawberries without caps may be too ripe.

_Grapes._—Grapes should be plump, fresh in appearance, and firmly attached to the stems. Red or black varieties should be well colored for the variety. Most white or green varieties should have a slightly amber tone.

_Melons (except watermelons)._—Ripe cantaloups have a yellowish surface color; honeydews, a creamy color; crenshaws, a golden-yellow color mottled with green; casabas, a yellow color; and persian melons, a dull gray-green color. Ripe melons of these types usually have a fruity aroma and a slight softening at the blossom end. A ripe cantaloup has no stem; other melons may have stems attached.

_Oranges, grapefruit, and lemons._—Choose those heavy for their size. Smooth, thin skins usually indicate more juice. Most skin markings do not affect quality. Oranges with a slight greenish tinge may be just as ripe as fully colored ones. Light or greenish-yellow lemons are more tart than deep-yellow ones.

_Peaches._—Best quality peaches are fairly firm, not bruised, with yellow or red color over the entire surface.

_Pears._—Some pears, especially winter varieties, are marketed when slightly underripe and need to be ripened at home—at room temperature. Pears are ripe and ready to eat when they yield slightly to moderate pressure.

_Pineapples._—Pineapple varieties vary greatly in color. Ripe pineapples have a fragrant, fruity aroma. Usually, the heavier the fruit for its size, the better the quality. Avoid pineapples that have decayed or moldy spots.

_Watermelons._—Ripe watermelons have a somewhat dull surface and a creamy color underneath. The interior should be fully red and firm, and should have few immature seeds.

_Vegetables_

_Asparagus._—Stalks should be tender and firm; tips should be close and compact. Choose the stalks with little white—they are more tender. Use asparagus promptly—it toughens rapidly.

_Beans, snap._—Choose slender beans with no large bumps (bumps indicate large seeds). Avoid beans with dry-looking pods.

_Broccoli._—Look for small flower buds on compactly arranged heads with good green color. Avoid yellowing, soft, or spreading heads.

_Brussels sprouts._—The heads should be firm with good green color. Yellowing outer leaves and softness indicate aging. Smudgy, dirty spots may indicate insect damage or decay.

_Cabbage._—Choose heads that are firm and heavy. Outer leaves should be fresh, green, and free from worm-holes.

_Cauliflower._—Choose heads that are compact, firm, and white or creamy white. Avoid discolored heads and those with soft spots.

_Celery._—Best-quality celery is fresh and crisp. It is clean and has leaves that appear fresh; stems do not have black or brown discoloration. Avoid pithy, woody, or very stringy celery.

_Corn._—Good-quality fresh corn has husks that are fresh and green. The ears are well filled with plump, firm, milky kernels. Immature ears of corn have small, undeveloped, watery kernels. Overmature ears have very firm, large, starchy kernels, often indented.

_Cucumbers._—Choose firm, slender cucumbers for best quality. Avoid yellowed cucumbers and those with withered or shrivelled ends.

_Lettuce (head)._—Select heads that are green, fresh, crisp, and fairly firm to firm. Head lettuce should be free from rusty appearance and excessive outer leaves.

_Onions (dry)._—Size and color do not affect flavor or quality of dry onions. Clean, hard, well-shaped onions with dry skins are usually of good quality. Moisture at the neck may be a sign of decay. Mild-flavored onions, which are often large, may be elongated or flat. Stronger-flavored onions are usually medium size and globe shaped.

_Peas and lima beans._—Select pods that are well filled but not bulging. Avoid dried, spotted, yellowed, or flabby pods.

_Potatoes._—Best-quality potatoes are firm, smooth, and well shaped. They are free from cuts, blemishes, and decay. To judge quality more easily, look for potatoes that are reasonably clean. Avoid potatoes with wasteful deep eyes. Potatoes with green skins may be bitter. If you plan to buy a large quantity of potatoes, buy a few first to see if they are the kind you want. Early-crop potatoes, harvested in spring and summer, tend to be less mealy when cooked than those harvested later.

_Root vegetables._—Choose smooth, firm vegetables. Very large carrots may have woody cores; oversized radishes may be pithy; oversized turnips, beets, and parsnips may be woody. The size and condition of the tops on root vegetables do not necessarily indicate the eating quality.

_Sweetpotatoes._—Choose sweetpotatoes that are clean, smooth, well shaped, and firm. Damp or soft spots may indicate decay. There are two types of sweetpotatoes. The moist type has soft, moist, orange-colored flesh and bronze or rosy skin. The dry type has firm, dry, somewhat mealy, yellow-colored flesh and yellow or light-brown skin.

_Tomatoes._—Choose tomatoes that are plump, firm, and uniformly pink, red, or yellow in color. They should be free from growth cracks, scars, and bruises. The best flavored tomatoes are ripened on the vine.

For more information, see Home and Garden Bulletins 141, “How to Buy Fresh Fruits,” and 143, “How to Buy Fresh Vegetables.”

Canned and frozen foods

_Canned._—You may want to choose the highest quality for salads, or for serving “as is.” But second quality may do for combination dishes such as stews, casserole dishes, soups, and fruit puddings, where uniform size, shape, or color is not important.

_Frozen._—Buy only packages that are frozen solid. Avoid partially thawed packages that feel soft or are stained. Thawing and refreezing lower quality.

Wise Storing

Meat, poultry, and fish

All meat should be promptly refrigerated.

The transparent wrap on prepackaged meat, poultry, or fish is designed for refrigerator storage at home for 1 or 2 days.

Meat or poultry wrapped in meat paper when brought from the store—or prepackaged roasts and steaks that may be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days—should be unwrapped, placed on a platter or tray, and loosely covered before refrigerating. Wrap and store fish separately from other foods. Poultry giblets should also be wrapped and stored separately.

Keep cooked meat, poultry, and fish, and the gravy or broth made from them, in covered containers in the refrigerator. Use within 1 or 2 days.

_Cured and smoked meats._—ham, frankfurters, bacon, sausage—can be stored in their original containers in the refrigerator. Mild-cured hams are similar to fresh meats in keeping quality. Use whole hams within a week, half hams and slices within 3 to 5 days. For best flavor, use bacon, franks, and smoked sausages within a week.

Eggs

To help maintain quality, store eggs in the refrigerator promptly after purchase—large end up.

For best flavor and cooking quality, use eggs within 1 week if possible. Eggs held in the refrigerator for a long time may develop off-flavors and lose some thickening and leavening power.

Cover leftover yolks with cold water and refrigerate in a tightly covered container. Refrigerate leftover egg whites, too, in a tightly covered container. Use leftover yolks or whites within 1 or 2 days.

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits should be ripe when stored in the refrigerator. Some unripe fruits will ripen if left for a time at room temperature—preferably in a cool room between 60° and 70° F.

Keep bananas at room temperature. They will turn dull brown if refrigerated. Sort berries and cherries; then refrigerate, unwashed. Use promptly. Refrigerate ripe pineapples.

Sweet corn keeps best if refrigerated uncovered in husks; use it promptly. Removing tops from carrots, beets, and radishes reduces wilting. Storing potatoes in a cool, dark place prevents greening.

STORAGE GUIDE FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Hold at room temperature until ripe; then refrigerate, uncovered:

Apples Apricots Avocados Berries Cherries Grapes Melons, except watermelons Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums Tomatoes

Store in cool room or refrigerate, uncovered:

Grapefruit Lemons Limes Oranges

Store in cool room, away from bright light:

Onions, mature Potatoes Rutabagas Squash, winter Sweetpotatoes

Refrigerate, covered:

Asparagus Beans, snap or wax Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Corn, husked Cucumbers Greens Onions, green Parsnips Peas, shelled Peppers, green Radishes Squash, summer Turnips

Refrigerate, uncovered:

Beans, lima, in pods Corn, in husks Peas, in pods Pineapples Watermelons

Fats and oils

Refrigerate lard, butter, margarine, drippings, and opened containers of cooking and salad oils. You can store most firm vegetable shortenings (those that have been hydrogenated), covered, at room temperature. Refrigerate opened jars of salad dressing; do not freeze.

Canned, frozen, and dried foods

_Canned foods._—Store in a dry place at room temperature (not above 70° F.).

_Frozen foods._—Can be stored in freezing unit of refrigerator up to 1 week. For longer storage, keep in a freezer at 0° F.

_Dried foods._—Store _dried fruits_ in tightly closed containers at room temperature (not above 70° F.). In warm, humid weather, refrigerate.

Store _nonfat dry milk_ in a closed container at a temperature of 75° F., or lower. Because of its higher milkfat content, _dry whole milk_ does not keep as well as nonfat dry milk. Keep dry whole milk in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Refrigerate _reconstituted dry milk_ as you would fresh fluid milk.

Ingredients and Measurements

About ingredients

Ingredients that may be used in place of other ingredients are listed on the next page.

Recipes in this bulletin were tested with the ingredients listed. Sometimes a choice of ingredients is given in the recipe or under Variations of the recipe.

“Flour” refers to _all-purpose flour, unsifted_. In a few recipes, where “cake flour” is specified it is also unsifted. Recipes in this bulletin are not intended for use with either instantized or self-rising flour.

“Baking powder” refers to _double-acting baking powder_ that leavens during mixing and again during baking. Quick-acting baking powder (containing cream of tartar) is single-acting; it can be used most satisfactorily in foods that are mixed and baked immediately. (See One Ingredient For Another, p. 17, for amounts.)

“Fat or oil” refers to any type—butter, margarine, shortening, lard, or any kind of vegetable oil. In recipes specifying a particular type of fat—“butter or margarine,” for example—you’ll have best results with the fat suggested. Recipes in this bulletin are not intended for use with whipped fats.

Measuring foods

All measurements given in this bulletin are level.

Frequently used food measurements are given below.

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons 1 fluid ounce = 2 tablespoons ¼ cup = 4 tablespoons ⅓ cup = 5⅓ tablespoons ½ cup = 8 tablespoons ⅔ cup = 10⅔ tablespoons ¾ cup = 12 tablespoons 1 cup = 16 tablespoons or 8 fluid ounces 1 pint = 2 cups 1 quart = 2 pints or 4 cups

_Part of cup._—Use tablespoons or small measures-½, ⅓, ¼ cup—for greater accuracy.

_Brown sugar._—Pack firmly into cup or spoon and level off top with straight, thin edge of spatula or knife.

_Solid fats._—Pack fat firmly into cup or smaller measure and level off top with straight, thin edge of spatula or knife.

To measure less than 1 cup, you can also use the water method: Partly fill a cup with cold water, leaving enough space for the amount of fat needed. (To measure ¼ cup of fat, for example, fill cup with water to ¾ mark.) Spoon fat into cup, push under water until water level reaches 1-cup mark. Drain thoroughly before using fat.

For solid fat in sticks or pounds, cut off amount needed. A 1-pound form measures about 2 cups; a ¼-pound stick of butter or margarine measures ½ cup.

_Flour._—Spoon flour lightly into measuring cup until measure is overflowing. Do not shake or tap cup. Level off top with straight, thin edge of spatula or knife.

_Fine meal, fine crumbs._—Stir lightly with fork or spoon. Measure like flour.

_Baking powder, cornstarch, cream of tartar, spices._—Dip spoon into container and bring it up heaping full. Level off top with straight, thin edge of spatula or knife.

_Dry milk._—Pour dry milk from spout or opening in package, or spoon lightly, into measuring cup until measure is overflowing. Do not shake. Level off top with straight, thin edge of spatula or knife.

ONE INGREDIENT FOR ANOTHER

=For these= =You may use these=

1 whole egg, for baking or thickening • 2 egg yolks.

1 cup butter or • ⅞ cup vegetable or animal shortening margarine for plus ½ teaspoon salt. baking

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate • 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon fat.

1 teaspoon double-acting {• 2 teaspoons quick-acting baking powder. baking {• ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup sour powder { milk or buttermilk instead of ½ cup { sweet milk.

1 cup buttermilk or {• 1 cup fluid whole milk plus 1 sour milk, for { tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. baking {• 1 cup fluid whole milk plus 1¾ { teaspoons cream of tartar.

1 cup fluid whole milk {• ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water. {• 1 cup reconstituted nonfat dry milk {• plus 2½ teaspoons butter or margarine.

1 cup fluid skim milk • 1 cup reconstituted nonfat dry milk.

1 tablespoon flour, {• ½ tablespoon cornstarch. for thickening {• 2 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca.

1 cup cake flour, for baking • ⅞ cup all-purpose flour.

NOTE: Seven-eighths cup equals 1 level cup minus 2 tablespoons.

Main Dishes

Foods that abound in protein—meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and cheese—make satisfying main dishes. Thrifty main dishes often combine these protein-rich foods with vegetables and cereals—beef stew with vegetables or dumplings, chicken with rice, fish with stuffing, cheese with macaroni.

Dry beans and peas are also economical choices for main dishes.

If the main dish is not high in protein, you can supply additional protein with other foods in the meal. If, for example, a pound of meat is to serve eight persons, you might combine it with vegetables or cereal in a casserole or stew, have milk to drink, and serve cheese-topped apple pie for dessert.

Meat

Meat cooked at low to moderate temperatures is more tender, juicy, and flavorful than meat cooked at high temperatures. There is more meat to serve because there is less shrinkage at low temperatures.

Beef may be cooked rare, medium, or well done. Lamb is enjoyed either medium or well done, but veal and pork are usually cooked well done.

Broiling, pan-frying, and roasting are recommended for tender meats only. Less tender cuts are more satisfactory if braised, pot-roasted, or simmered. For suggested methods for cooking, see guide on [page 19].

Frozen meat need not be thawed before cooking, but extra cooking time will be required if it is not thawed first.

_Roasting ... beef, veal, lamb, pork_

Place roast, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow pan. Do not add water; do not cover. Season either before or after cooking.

Check the timetable (p. 20) for approximate roasting times. The quality of the meat, its size and shape, and its temperature at the start of cooking will affect the roasting time. Times given here are for meats at refrigerator temperature. Frozen roasts may take 1½ to 2 times as long to cook as unfrozen roasts of the same weight and shape.

If you are using a meat thermometer, insert it so the tip is at the center of the thickest part of the roast, and not touching bone or fat.

_Broiling ... beef, lamb, cured ham_

Slash fat around edge of meat to prevent curling. Place meat on cold broiler grid.

Broiling temperature can be regulated by the distance meat is placed from heat source and whether the door is open or closed during broiling. Because broilers vary widely, follow the manufacturer’s directions. If you like meat well done, place it farther from the heat source than for medium or rare meat—to avoid burning the outside before the center is cooked. Place thicker cuts farther from the heat source than thin ones, for the same reason.

MEAT COOKING GUIDE

BEEF VEAL LAMB PORK

ROASTING

Chuck or shoulder Loin Leg Fresh and Rib Leg Loin cured ham Round Shoulder Rib Fresh and Rump Shoulder cured shoulder Sirloin Loin Sirloin tip Spareribs Tenderloin

BROILING

Patties (ground) Liver Chops Bacon Thick steaks: Liver Canadian bacon Chuck Patties (ground) Chops Club Cured ham Porterhouse slices Rib Top round Sirloin T-bone

PAN-BROILING, PAN-FRYING

Liver Cube steaks Chops Bacon Patties (ground) Liver Liver Canadian bacon Thin steaks: Patties (ground) Patties (ground) Cured ham slices Club Cutlets or round Liver Cube steaks steak Thin chops Porterhouse Loin and rib chops Thin steaks Rib Round Sirloin T-bone

BRAISING, POT-ROASTING

Chuck or shoulder Cutlets Breast Chops Flank Loin and rib chops Neck slices Ham slices Liver Roasts: Shanks Liver Round Round Shortribs Shanks Rump Rump Shoulder cuts Spareribs Shortribs Shoulder Steaks Sirloin tip Tenderloin

SIMMERING, STEWING

Brisket Breast Breast Cured ham Corned beef Riblets Neck slices Cured shoulder Heel of round Shanks Shanks Hocks Neck Shanks Shanks Spareribs Shortribs

TIMETABLE FOR ROASTING MEATS

————————————————————+—————————————+——————————————+——————————— | | Approximate | Internal |Ready-to-cook|roasting time |temperature Kind and cut of meat| weight | at 325°F. | of meat | | | when done ————————————————————+—————————————+——————————————+——————————— BEEF | | | Standing ribs: | _Pounds_ | _Hours_ | °_F._ Rare | 6 to 8 | 2½ to 3 | 140 Medium | 6 to 8 | 3 to 3½ | 160 Well done | 6 to 8 | 3⅔ to 5 | 170 Rolled rump: | | | Rare | 5 | 2¼ | 140 Medium | 5 | 3 | 160 Well done | 5 | 3¼ | 170 Sirloin tip: | | | Rare | 3 | 1½ | 140 Medium | 3 | 2 | 160 Well done | 3 | 2¼ | 170 VEAL | | | Leg | 5 to 8 | 2½ to 3½ | 170 Loin | 5 | 3 | 170 Shoulder | 6 | 3½ | 170 LAMB | | | Leg (whole) | 6 to 7 | 3¼ to 4 | 180 Shoulder | 3 to 6 | 2¼ to 3¼ | 180 Rolled shoulder | 3 to 5 | 2½ to 3 | 180 PORK, FRESH | | | Loin | 3 to 5 | 2 to 4 | 170 Shoulder | 5 to 8 | 3½ to 5 | 185 Ham, whole | 10 to 14 | 5½ to 6 | 185 Ham, half | 6 | 4 | 185 Spareribs | 3 | 2 | 185 PORK, CURED | | | Cook-before-eating: | | | Ham, whole | 12 to 16 | 3½ to 4¼ | 160 Ham, half | 6 | 2½ | 160 Picnic shoulder | 6 | 3⅓ | 170 Fully cooked:[8] | | | Ham, whole | 12 to 16 | 3 to 3¾ | 130 Ham, half | 6 | 1½ to 2 | 130

[8] Can also be served without heating, if desired.

Broil until top side of meat is browned, about half of total cooking time. Season, turn, and brown other side. Use timetable (next page) as a guide to total broiling time. To tell if meat is done, cut into it along bone and observe color.

Use a low temperature for broiling frozen meat, so the surface does not char before the interior thaws and cooks. Allow 1½ to 2 times as long as specified in the timetable on page 21.

_Pan broiling ... beef, lamb, pork_

Choose thin steaks, chops, or ham slices (1 inch thick or less). Or shape meat patties less than an inch thick.

Slash fat around edge of meat to prevent it from curling. Grease pan lightly with fat or rub pan with fat edge of meat.

Cook meat slowly over moderate heat, turning occasionally as necessary. Pour off excess fat as it accumulates. Total cooking time will be 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness desired. Pork chops may take a little longer.

Remove meat from pan, season, and serve.

_Braising ... beef, veal, lamb, pork_

Brown meat slowly on all sides in enough added fat to keep meat from sticking. Use a heavy pan. Meats may be floured or not, as desired, before browning. Floured meats brown better than unfloured meats. Meats that have a considerable amount of fat and that are not floured can be browned without added fat.

Season the meat. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, add a small amount of liquid (about ½ cup for a roast). Many cuts of meat can be braised without added liquid. Steam from meat juices trapped in a covered pan provides enough moisture. Cover pan tightly.

Cook slowly over low heat or in a 350° F. oven until tender, adding more liquid if needed. Use the timetable (p. 22) as a guide to braising time.

TIMETABLE FOR BROILING MEATS

————————————————————————————————+————————————+——————————+————————————— |Approximate |Degree of | Approximate Kind and cut of meat | thickness | doneness |total cooking | | | time[9] ————————————————————————————————+————————————+——————————+————————————— | _Inches_ | | _Minutes_ Beef steaks | 1 |Rare | 10 to 15 (Club, porterhouse, rib, | 1 |Medium | 15 to 20 sirloin, T-bone, tenderloin) | 1 |Well done | 20 to 30 | 1½ |Rare | 15 to 20 | 1½ |Medium | 20 to 25 | 1½ |Well done | 25 to 40 | 2 |Rare | 25 to 35 | 2 |Medium | 35 to 45 | 2 |Well done | 45 to 55 | | | Hamburgers | ¾ |Rare | 8 | ¾ |Medium | 12 | ¾ |Well done | 14 | | | Lamb chops | 1 |Medium | 12 (Loin, rib, shoulder) | 1 |Well done | 14 | 1½ |Medium | 18 | 1½ |Well done | 22 | | | Cured ham slices | ¾ |Well done | 13 to 14 (Cook-before-eating) | 1 |Well done | 18 to 20 ————————————————————————————————+————————————+——————————+—————————————

[9] Meat at refrigerator temperature at start of broiling.

TIMETABLE FOR BRAISING MEATS