A lesson on gelatine naturally follows the lessons on meat and fish. The study of bone and the making of soup have explained the source of this substance, and only a few additional facts are necessary.
The gelatine practice dishes are sure to prove attractive to the cla.s.s, and the common use of this food in sickness, and in salads and desserts, makes it important that its food value be understood.
1. Source of gelatine:
Gelatine is obtained from the bones, cartilage, and skin of animals. It is the connective tissue dissolved out of these parts.
The housekeeper may obtain it for herself or she may buy it already extracted; both are equally good.
2. Commercial forms:
(1) Sheet gelatine
(2) Shredded gelatine
(3) Granulated gelatine.
3. Properties of gelatine:
(1) It softens in cold water, but will not dissolve.
(2) It dissolves in hot water.
(3) It jellies when cold, if the solution be sufficiently strong.
(4) Good gelatine has little taste, colour, or odour, and no sediment when dissolved.
4. Steps in dissolving gelatine:
(1) Put a small amount of cold water or any cold liquid on gelatine, and let it stand until the liquid is absorbed.
(2) Add a boiling liquid and stir thoroughly until dissolved.
5. Value in the diet:
(1) Gelatine is a nitrogenous substance, but cannot of itself build tissues, as most protein foods do. When eaten, it will save the tissues already making up the body, hence is called a _protein-sparer_.
(2) It is very easily digested, and for this reason it gives a pleasant variety to the diet of an invalid.
(3) It makes an attractive dessert at the end of a substantial meal, without adding much nutriment.
6. Ways of using gelatine:
(1) It may a.s.sist in making soup.
(2) Any liquid may be used to dissolve this substance to make a plain jelly. Examples: coffee jelly, tomato jelly, wine jelly.
(3) Plain jelly may be varied as follows:
Allow the plain jelly mixture to cool until it is as thick as cream, and then beat in whipped egg-white, or fruit, or chopped vegetables, and set away until firm. Examples: snow pudding, orange charlotte, vegetable salad.
(4) Strain off the juice from a can of fruit, heat it, and use it for dissolving the gelatine. When almost set, add the fruit, and set away to become firm.
FROZEN DISHES
A lesson on frozen dishes may be taken at any time, but it seems specially opportune after the gelatine lesson. It may be impossible to make these dishes in school, but the facts of the lesson may be discussed and recipes furnished, after which a Form IV pupil should find no difficulty in carrying out these recipes at home.
Elementary science should be correlated, to explain the use of salt in the freezing process.
VALUE OF FROZEN DISHES
1. They are cooling, refreshing, and nourishing when properly taken; they are not good as a final course at a meal, as cold mixtures reduce the temperature of the stomach and thus r.e.t.a.r.d digestion.
2. They are appetizing in appearance and flavour.
3. They are economical as regards cost of ingredients, fuel, time, and energy.
KINDS OF FROZEN DISHES
1. Water ice.--Fruit juice diluted with water, sweetened and frozen; stirred about every five minutes while freezing.
2. Frappe.--Water ice frozen to the consistency of mush; in freezing, equal parts of ice and salt are used to make the mixture granular.
3. Sherbet.--Water ice to which is added a small quant.i.ty of dissolved gelatine or beaten egg-white; stirred constantly while freezing.
4. Ice cream.--Thin cream, sweetened, flavoured, and frozen; stirred constantly while freezing.
5. Plain ice cream.--Same as ice cream with custard added.
6. Mousse.--Thick cream, beaten until stiff, sweetened, flavoured, placed in a mould, packed in ice and salt (two parts ice to one part salt), and allowed to stand three hours. A small quant.i.ty of dissolved gelatine may be added to the mixture.
PRACTICAL WORK
1. Freezing:
(1) Scald the can and dasher and cool just before using.
(2) See that all parts of the freezer are properly adjusted.
(3) Empty the mixture into the can; never fill the can more than three-quarters full, to allow for expansion when freezing.
(4) Prepare ice by chipping finely or by crushing in a canvas bag by means of a mallet.
(5) Allow three measures of ice to one of coa.r.s.e rock salt and pack this mixture solidly around the can.