The above is only a brief consideration of five of the leading garden vegetables. The first four, namely: Cabbages, turnips, carrots and beets, are to a great extent farm crops, well suited for live stock. The composition of these is as follows:
| DRY MATTER. | ALBUMINOIDS. | FAT. | STARCH, SUGAR, ETC. | ASH. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabbage | 14.3 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 7.1 | 1.6 |
| Turnips | 8.5 | 1.0 | 0.15 | 5.8 | 0.8 |
| Carrots | 14.1 | 1.3 | 0.25 | 9.6 | 1.0 |
| Beets | 18.5 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 9.1 | 0.8 |
The turnips contain the least dry substance, and the cabbages are far the richest in albuminoids. The carrot leads in starch, sugar, etc., followed closely by the beets. There is very little poetry in any of the five vegetables here briefly described, though they may enter into the daily food of those who think of lofty things and write in the most elegant style. They are the humble, unobtrusive toilers in the gardens of the world.
THE PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES.
There are two laws underlying the preparation of all vegetables for the table; the first is, cook until tender; the second is, do not cook until mushy and the juice extracted. By overlooking the first you are left with a rank, tough, indigestible dish; by overlooking the second with one watery, and—worst of all culinary adjectives—juiceless. A time-table regulating the exact number of minutes which each vegetable shall be cooked can not be perfectly exact. Not rules, but judgment must decide the limit of time. However a table of approximations may be of service to amateur cooks whose experience has not yet taught them that essential of successful cookery.
Cabbage.—When young, requires an hour; winter cabbage, double that time.
Turnips.—When young, three quarters of an hour; winter turnips, two hours.
Carrots.—When young, three quarters of an hour; winter carrots, two hours.
Beets.—When young, three quarters of an hour; winter beets, four hours.
Onions.—When young, one hour; winter onions, two hours.