Table fats

Cooking fats

Animal

There has been much discussion as to the advisability of the use of oleomargarine for a cooking fat. It is a perfectly wholesome, pure fat when made under the best conditions in the large packing-houses. It is a mixture of other fats in an attempt to obtain a fat with the consistency of butter at a lower price. The basis for oleomargarine is a soft beef fat which is mixed with neutral lard, cottonseed, and other oils. The mixture is finally churned with milk or cream, salted, and worked like butter. Under the law, any fat that contains other substances than pure butter fat, no matter in how small a quantity, is classed as oleomargarine and is taxed accordingly. The colored oleomargarine carries a higher tax than that which is left colorless, so that it is cheaper to buy the colorless and if desired, color it at home.

Fats are now being extracted from many oil-bearing seeds and fruits. They must be purified to get rid of disagreeable flavors, dirt, and any harmful matter which they may contain. The seeds are cleaned and subjected to hydraulic pressure. If hot-pressed, the oil extracted must be refined. Olive oil has always been the favorite but will undoubtedly remain high-priced as the olive orchards in Italy were cut down to a large extent during the war for fuel for the munition factories, and it takes many, many years to grow olive trees. Cottonseed oil has been on the market for many years and is the basis for a wide variety of fats and salad oils. There is little choice between this and corn oils although some prefer one and some the other. Peanut oil has been used extensively in Europe both for a table oil and for cooking. It is usually produced by the cold-press method so that the characteristic flavor is not noticeable. Cocoanut oil and other palm oils are used in cooking, especially by bakeries. With the great shortage of fats, oils have been extracted from other seeds, the soy bean, sunflower, and sesame, and from nuts, also from the pits of apricots, peaches, and cherries.

Oleomargarine

Vegetable fats

In recent months there have been a number of colorless fats on the market under different trade names known as nut butters or nut margarines. All of these are probably vegetable oils hardened into a solid by the addition of hydrogen. By this means an oil may be made into a product of any desired hardness. These are not to be confused with the real nut butter which is prepared by the grinding of the entire nut, as peanut butter or almond paste.

As we have already noticed, the "vitamine" sub-stance known as "fat-soluble A" is not present in oils extracted from vegetables and nuts whereas it is present in butter and to a less degree in animal fats. If then the diet is very much limited in the use of green vegetables, fruit, and milk, there might be a dangerous lack of this element essential for growth if these so-called nut butters were used exclusively by the family. This is not of so great importance with adults as it is with growing children. If the children are getting at least a pint and a half of whole milk a day and a green vegetable at least once a day, the difference in the fats might safely be ignored.

There are a few general rules which can be followed in every household in order to avoid waste of fats, although of course actual practice must vary according to the conditions in different homes. In cooking, an attempt should be made to obtain the best quality and flavor with a minimum quantity of fat. No more fat should ever be used than the recipe calls for. An over-use of fatty foods should be avoided, especially an over-use of those foods that are cooked in fat. If fats are used for sauteing, those which burn less easily are the ones to be chosen. No fat should be bought for cooking so long as there is fat in the house that can be utilized for that purpose. This fat can be obtained from the meat which comes into the house, either as trimmings or from the drippings in the roast-ing-pan. By the way, it is well to demand from the butcher the trimmings of the piece of meat for which we have paid and which he carefully removes as being unsightly after he has weighed the piece. The fat from these can be tried out or rendered at home in the following manner. They can be cut fine with the meat-chopper or a knife and heated for several hours in the top of the double boiler very slowly until completely melted. The water underneath should only be lukewarm as otherwise it hardens the connective tissue and prevents the fat from melting out. It should then be strained through thick cloth and put away for further use. If it has a slight odor or flavor which it is desirable to remove, it may be heated with milk, two pounds of fat to half a pint of milk, strained and cooled. If it is a very hard fat, such as beef or mutton suet, it can be softened and made a better consistency for shortening by adding lard, two parts of beef suet and one part of lard, or mixed with cottonseed oil, three parts of suet and one part of oil.

Place in the diet

Rules to avoid waste of fats

Rendering of fat

In order to prevent the fats thus prepared from becoming rancid, they should be protected from light, heat, and air. The fats should be kept tightly covered in a cool dark place.

Home-rendered fats may be flavored in different ways and kept separately to be used in serving warmed-over potatoes and different kinds of vegetables. These savory fats may also be used in the thickening for gravies.

Care of fats

Savory Fats

I. 1 pound unrendered fat I slice onion 1 teaspoon broken bay-leaves

1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Spices are added during the rendering of the fat.

II. I pound unrendered fat 2 tablespoons thyme 1 slice onion

1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Spices are added during the rendering of the fat.

III. 1 pound unrendered fat 1 teaspoon thyme I teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon sage 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Spices are added during the rendering of the fat.

IV. I pound rendered fat 1 sour apple

I onion

1 teaspoon ground thyme, or other sweet herbs, tied in a cloth

Add flavors to fat and cook until apple is well browned. Strain though cheesecloth.