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The Basic Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Products.

EGGS: Part 1

Eggs can be fresh or dried, dried eggs being only chickens’ eggs without the shell and water. Dried egg should be stored in a cool, dry place – it may not be stored in the refrigerator! Store eggs for several days or a week in a cool place not close to strong-smelling foods. An egg stand is an ideal gadget for this. If the eggs are dirty, wipe them clean with a damp cloth- washing will only remove the natural oils which help to preserve the eggs.

Pickled Eggs: eggs laid in the Spring keep longer than those laid in other seasons. Eggs that can not be cleaned-up, must be refused. Waterglass or the proprietary preparations should be used. if an egg floats to the surface, use it immediately. Try to maintain the ambient temperature between 2 and 8 degrees C and they should keep for 6 to 9 months.

Preparing Eggs for Cooking: break each egg separately into a cup, before adding it to the other ingredients to ensure it is still fresh. If you wish to separate the white from the yolk, tip the contents back and forth between the two egg shell halves and the white (albumen) will separate off. Beat eggs with a whisk or a fork in an appropriately sized bowl, but whip egg whites with a knife on a large plate – a pinch of salt will help.

Raw eggs used to be prescribed for invalids as they are easily digestible, however, this not advisable these days due to the ubiquity of salmonella. One method, presented here for the curious was to strain a beaten egg into a mug and slowly add a cup of hot milk (or tea, coffee or lemon water; add sugar to taste. Sherry was often added too.

Cooking Eggs: eggs should be cooked slowly because the albumen cooks at a temperature lower than that of boiling water and becomes ‘tough’ at higher temperatures. By the same token, if raw egg is used to thicken a sauce and the liquid is later allowed to boil, the sauce will ‘curdle’, i.e. the egg will solidify into small specks, spoiling its texture.

Coddling: produces easily digested egg-whites, making it an ideal meal for invalids and children. Lower the eggs into 3″of boiling water; replace the lid and remove from heat. Let it stand for: 7 mins for medium-, 5 mins for soft- and 20 mins for hard-boiled eggs .

Boiling: lower fresh eggs gently into 75mm boiling water with a spoon. Cover and boil gently for 3-3″ mins for soft-, 4-5 mins medium- and 10 mins hard-boiled eggs.

Place in egg eggcups and tap the shell to crack it. Allow the steam to escape, which will prevent the egg further cooking. For sandwiches, salads etc,. boil the egg for 12 mins and plunge into cold water. This allows the shell to be easily removed and prevents a black ring around the yolk.

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The Basic Preparation Of Foodstuffs: Dairy Products

These basic tips may seem unnecessary for most modern households with a refrigerator, but modern devices can make people lazy and it is well-worth while knowing ‘why’ we must do certain things. It is also worth remembering these tips when refrigerators are not at hand or are so small that they will not hold everything, such as when camping or boating or on holiday in some parts of the world.

MILK:

Milk has been called ‘nature’s perfect food’, because no other food, taken alone, can support adult life. It is of the first importance for the growth and development of young people, but it must be clean as bacteria also find it very nourishing and quickly multiply in it. If milk is not bought pasteurized, then it should be scalded and quickly cooled before consumption.

How To Scald Milk: Rinse out a clean pan with cold water, pour in the milk and heat until bubbles form around the side of the pan. Maintain the milk at this temperature, ie, not letting it boil, for 3 minutes. Do not let it overheat, as milk burns very easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and put in a basin of cold water and cover with a muslin cloth to discourage the ingress of flies and dust.

How To Keep Milk Fresh: If milk is not be kept in the containers in which it was bought, transfer it to a clean jug, which has been rinsed with cold water. A warm container will cause milk to stick to the sides and go off more quickly. Keep milk in the coolest place in the larder and always covered. it is worth remembering that draughts are often at ground-level and that hot air rises. Never keep milk in an airless cupboard and in hot weather stand the jug in a bowl of water with the cloth covering dangling in the water. The cloth will soak up water, which will evaporate, which uses up heat, ensuring that the containers remain cool. Keep milk away from strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs odours easily. Never mix new milk with old.

Sour Milk: Milk straight from the cow is a little alkaline, but as time passes, lactic acid is created and it becomes what is called ’sour’. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk slows down this process. Milk which is ‘on the turn’ can be rejuvenated by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore the alkalinity. Once the milk has gone too far and has curdled, it can be strained through (cheese) cloth, thus separating the curds from the whey. The curds can be used as a filling for cakes, tarts, scones etc and the whey can be used as the liquid for making scones, cakes and soups etc., as it still has much of its goodness.

Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some form or another before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk.

Condensed Milk: This is simply evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before canning. The sugar acts as a preservative and will keep the milk for about a week. Do not keep in the tin, but decant it into a jug.

Dried Milk: Dried milk comes in a variety of forms and particular attention should be paid to the instructions on the label. Specialized products can be bought for babies, invalids, convalescents and dieters, all of which contain varying amounts and types of added vitamins and minerals. Usually, they are very much lower in fat content than conventional milk.

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The Basic Preparation Food: Dairy Products.

CHEESE.

Cheeses are made from milk which has been naturally or artificially soured. The former method is brought about by standing the milk in a warm place and allowing natural, friendly bacteria to turn the milk’s natural sugars into lactic acid. The latter method is effected by adding an enzyme, usually in to form of rennet.

Colouring and salt are usually added too. The whey is then drained off and the curds are pressed into moulds where they are ripened or cured. Some cheeses are subjected to pressure; soft cheeses are not. Curds are ripened or cured by a variety of means. The method, the quality of the milk and its pasture, the breed of cow, sheep or other animal and the type of bacteria all govern the final product.

Some local conditions are unique and those areas produce cheeses that are not successfully reproduced elsewhere: for example Gruyere and Camembert, although factories do try. They even have some success, as most of the world’s Cheddar cheese now comes from the USA and Canada.

The constituent parts of cheese are roughly: 33% fat, 33% protein and 33% water with salt, colouring, sugar etc making up the other 1%. These proportions do vary from area to area as some manufacturers use full cream milk, others skimmed milk and yet others add extra cream. Yet others add extra sugar, although most do not. All cheeses have a high calcium content and can be considered ‘concentrated milk’ and stored in the same way.

Many people say that cheese must not be kept in a fridge and although storing in water, as for milk, is not a viable option, a cool larder is certainly ideal. Try the traditional method of suspending it from a hook in muslin in a cool, breezy place. If it is hot, moisten the cheesecloth with water to which a little vinegar has been added.

Cheese is typically served in Europe with a salad or/and bread and is often served after or instead of the sweet course. Hard cheese can be difficult for children to digest and grating it first will make it more palatable to them. Once grated the cheese can be sprinkled on vegetable or fish soups or sauces; added to egg, pasta, rice and oatmeal dishes; put on baked potatoes or pastry; toasted on bread or put in salads and sandwiches.

How To Cook Cheese: A little known fact is that many people find cooked cheese indigestible and the reason lies in its structure. Here is why: cooked starch can be digested by the saliva in the mouth but other foods must pass to the stomach or intestines for this process. They are, however, broken up in the mouth. Digestion of protein begins in the stomach and is completed in the small intestine, while fat is not rendered soluble until it reaches the small intestine.

Cheese possesses a high fat and protein mixture, but when melted, the fat frequently covers the protein and prevents the digestive juices reaching it in the stomach. Therefore, its digestion is delayed until the fat has been absorbed by the intestines. Cheese can be rendered more digestible by:

1] Combining it with some starchy food, because the starch will absorb the fat, not allowing it to cover the protein.

2] Using seasoning: Cayenne Pepper or mustard will irritate the intestinal lining, causing the release of extra digestive juices.

3] Cooking quickly. This has the effect of preventing the protein from becoming tough and stringy and therefore, harder to digest. You could also add the cheese late to sauces.

4] Adding an alkali: for example, a generous pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda per 3 ozs (75g) will help neutralize the fatty acids and make the proteins easier to digest.

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Preparation Of Foods: Dairy Produce.

Eggs: Part II

Poaching: boil 1.5 inches (40mm) water in a frying pan; add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of vinegar. Break an egg into a cup, inspect and tip into boiling water. Turn down the heat. Fold the white around the unbroken yolk with a spoon and continue to simmer for another 3-4 mins. Lift out with a fish slice, drain and serve on hot buttered toast.

Scrambling: beat eggs well; add salt, pepper and a dash of milk. Melt enough butter to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook eggs slowly, stirring continuously. Cook in a basin floating in boiling water, if preferred. Serve when almost completely set, in about 5 mins.

Frying: Melt enough fat to easily cover the base of the pan. Tip egg in gently and gather white around the yolk. When the white has set, baste the yolk to taste and remove whole with a fish slice.

Baked Eggs: lightly grease an oven-proof dish and pour the egg(s) gently into it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and butter to taste. Bake in a medium oven and serve in the same pan after the whites have set to your liking.

Omelette: buy a pan and keep it only for omelettes! The base should be smooth and clean. Allow two eggs per person; beat lightly and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat enough butter to cover the base of the pan. When the fat is hot, pour in the eggs; as it sets, raise the handle up and draw set mixture up, allowing the liquid egg to run down onto the hot pan. When all is set, tilt the pan forward and roll the omelette over. Serve immediately on a hot plate. It can be filled with almost anything, before being rolled over.

Pouring Custard: beat 2-3 eggs per 1 pint of milk lightly. Heat the milk and pour gradually over the eggs; add sugar and flavouring; cook in a double pan or jug and hot water until the required thickness has been reached. If it is not to be served immediately, pour a thin layer of water onto the top to prevent a skin forming.

Baked Custard: proceed as above and then pour the custard into greased dish; sprinkle with nutmeg; and place dish in water to halfway up its sides. Bake at 350 F for 35-45 mins; test by inserting a knife – it should be clean on removal.

Steamed Custard: as above, but cook in a steamer or pan of boiling water. Cooking time about the same.

Custard Tarts: pour pouring custard into unbaked pastry cases and bake in the oven for 40-50 mins. A little jam can be placed in the bottom of the case first, if desired.