WOMAN'S INSTITUTE LIBRARY OF COOKERY. VOLUME 5: FRUIT AND FRUIT DESSERTS; CANNING AND DRYING; JELLY MAKING, PRESERVING AND PICKLING; CONFECTIONS; BEVERAGES; THE PLANNING OF MEALS TEXT

be out of all proportion to its value because of the profits that must necessarily be paid to each person through whose hands the food passes. In the first place, the overhead expenses of the food dealer must be paid by the housewife, who is regarded as the _consumer_. These expenses include his rent, light, and heat, his hired help, such as clerks, bookkeepers, delivery men, and the cost of delivery. In addition, the cost of transportation figures in prominently if the foods have to be shipped any distance, the manufacturer's profit must often be counted in, and the cost of advertising must not be overlooked. With all such matters, the housewife must acquaint herself if she would buy in the most economical way. [Illustration: FIG. 6] 16. CHART OF FOOD PROBLEM.--To assist the housewife in her mastery of the purchasing side of the food problem, a chart, Fig. 6, is presented. This chart shows the various routes through which foods travel before they reach the housewife, or consumer. The lines used to connect all dealers from the producer to the consumer represent transportation or delivery, and the increase in cost due to overhead expense and profit is indicated by the black spaces, which increase in size as the number of dealers increase. The _producer_ may be the manufacturer, but in most cases he is the farmer, the stockman, the dairyman, or the fruit grower. The dealers handling the food between the producer and the consumer are known as _middlemen_. They include the wholesaler, the jobber, and the retailer. The retailer is the grocer, the butcher, or the green grocer. 17. So that this chart may be clearly understood, several concrete examples are given. Thus, the farmer who delivers vegetables directly to the consumer is an example of plan No. 1. He has very little overhead expense and consequently can sell cheaper than dealers who have a large overhead expense. However, when the farmer delivers his vegetables to the grocer and the grocer sells them to the consumer, an example of plan No. 2 is afforded. Food bought in this way costs more than that bought directly from the farmer. In plan No. 3, the farmer, for instance, sells his vegetables to a wholesaler, who perhaps buys from other farmers and then sells small quantities of them to the grocer for sale to the consumer. This plan, as will readily be seen, is more involved than either No. 1 or No. 2, but a still more roundabout route is that of plan No. 4. In this case, for instance, the farmer sells his vegetables to a canning factory, where they are canned and then sold to the grocer, who sells them in this form to the consumer. Often two wholesalers, the second one being known as a jobber, are involved in the transaction, as in plan No. 5. In such an event, the farmer sells to the wholesaler, who sells to the jobber, who, in turn, sells to the grocer, from whom the consumer secures the goods. The most complicated route is that shown in plan No. 6. This illustrates the case of the farmer who sells his cereal products to a manufacturer, who makes them up into breakfast foods. He then sells them in large quantities to the wholesaler, who sells them in 50- or 100-case lots to the jobber. From the jobber they go to the grocer, who delivers them to the consumer. From a study of this chart, it can be readily seen that the cost of food may be reduced if the middlemen can be eliminated. For instance, the housewife will be able to get fruits and vegetables cheaper if she buys them from a farmer instead of a grocer, for she will not be called on to pay any of the grocer's overhead expense or profit. Again, if she buys her staple groceries in a store that is able to eliminate the wholesaler or the jobber, she will get them at a lower price than if she deals where these agencies must receive their share of the profits. 18. NATIONALLY ADVERTISED GOODS.--Much is said about the fact that the consumer, in buying package foods that are nationally advertised, must pay for the package and the advertising. This statement is absolutely true; but it must be remembered that where large quantities of foods are handled, the materials can be bought by the manufacturer or the wholesaler at a lower price than by one who purchases only a small amount. Then, too, if great quantities are sold, and this condition is made possible only through advertising, the profit on each package sold can be much smaller than that which would have to be made when less is sold. Often, therefore, in spite of the advertising cost, a widely advertised food can be sold for less than one that is not advertised at all because a much greater quantity is sold. 19. CHAIN STORES.--The principle of selling great quantities of food at a comparatively small profit on each item is put into practice in chain stores, which are operated by different companies throughout the United States. Such stores are a boon to the housewife who must practice economy, for they eliminate a middleman by acting both as wholesaler and as retailer. Because of this fact, foods that are purchased in large quantities from the producer or manufacturer can be offered to the consumer at a lower price than in a retail store not a part of a chain. Therefore, if foods of the same quality are not lower in price in chain stores, it must be because the buying is not well done or a greater profit is made in selling them. In addition, chain stores generally require cash for all purchases made in them and they do not usually deliver goods. Consequently, their overhead expense is materially reduced and they do not need to make such a large profit. ECONOMICAL BUYING 20. APPORTIONMENT OF INCOME.--When the housewife thoroughly understands the qualities of foods as well as their comparative food values and is familiar with the factors that govern food prices, she is well equipped to do economical buying for her family. Then it remains for her to purchase the right kind of food and at the same time keep within her means. A good plan is to apportion the household expenses according to a _budget_; that is, to prepare a statement of the financial plans for the year. Then the amount of money that can be used for this part of the household expenses will be known and the housewife will be able to plan definitely on what she can buy. If necessary, this amount may be reduced through the housewife's giving careful attention to the details of buying, or if she is not obliged to lower her expenses, she may occasionally purchase more expensive foods, which might be considered luxuries, to give variety to the diet. The amount of money that may be spent for food depends, of course, on the income, and the greater the income, the lower will be the proportion of money required for this item of the household expense. 21. To throw some light on the proper proportion of the family income to spend for food, Table I is given. As the basis of this table, a family of five is taken and the proportion that may be spent for food has been worked out for incomes ranging from $600 to $2,400 a year. As will be noted, an income of $600 permits an expenditure of only 19 cents a day for each person. When food prices are high, it will be a difficult matter to feed one person for that amount, and still if the income is only $600 it will be necessary to do this. To increase the food cost over 39 cents a day per person, which is the amount allotted for an income of $2,400, would denote extravagance or at least would provide more luxury than is warranted. TABLE I PROPORTION OF FAMILY INCOME FOR FOOD ================================================================ Income Per Cent. of Amount Spent Amount Spent Amount Spent per Income Spent per year for per Day for per Day per Year for Food Food Five Persons Person ---------------------------------------------------------------- $ 600 60 $360 $ .98 $ .19 800 55 500 1.36 .27 1,000 50 576 1.57 .31 1,200 48 576 1.57 .31 1,500 44 660 1.80 .36 1,800 39 702 1.92 .38 2,400 30 720 1.97 .39 ================================================================ Various conditions greatly affect this proportion. One of these is the rise and fall of the food cost. Theoretically, the buyer should adjust this difference in the food cost rather than increase her expenditures. For instance, if in a certain year, the general cost of food is 20 per cent. greater than it was in the preceding year, the housewife should adjust her plan of buying so that for the same amount of money spent in the previous year she will be able to supply her family with what they need. Of course, if there is an increase in the income, it will not be so necessary to work out such an adjustment. 22. ECONOMIES IN PURCHASING FOOD.--Through her study of the preceding lessons, the student has had an opportunity to learn how to care for food in order to avoid loss and waste, how to prepare it so that it may be easily digested and assimilated, and how to make it appetizing and attractive so that as little as possible is left over and none is wasted. She should therefore be thoroughly acquainted with the methods of procedure in regard to all such matters and should have worked out to her satisfaction the best ways of accomplishing these things to suit her individual needs. But, in addition to these matters, she must give strict attention to her food purchases if she would secure for her family the most wholesome and nourishing foods for the least expenditure of money. 23. To purchase food that will provide the necessary food value for a small outlay is possible to a certain extent, but it cannot be done without the required knowledge. In the first place, it means that fewer luxuries can be indulged in and that the family dietary will have to be reduced to necessities. It may also mean that there will probably be a difference in the quality of the food purchased. For instance, it may be necessary to practice such economies as buying broken rice at a few cents a pound less than whole rice or purchasing smaller prunes with a greater number to the pound at a lower price than the larger, more desirable ones. The housewife need not hesitate in the least to adopt such economies as these, for they are undoubtedly the easiest ways in which to reduce the food expenses without causing detriment to any one. 24. Further economy can be practiced if a little extra attention is given in the purchase of certain foods. As is well known, the packages and cans containing food are labeled with the contents and the weight of the contents. These should be carefully observed, as should also the number of servings that may be obtained from the package or can. For instance, the housewife should know the weight per package of the various kinds of prepared cereals she uses and the number of servings she is able to procure from each package. Let it be assumed that she buys two packages of different cereals at the same time, which, for convenience, may be called package No. 1 and package No. 2. She finds that No. 1 contains 16 ounces and No. 2, only 12 ounces; so she knows that No. 1 furnishes the greater amount of food by weight for the money spent. But, on the other hand, No. 2 may go farther; that is, it may serve a greater number of persons. This, in all probability, means that the cereals are similar in character, but that the food value of the servings from No. 2 is greater than that of the servings from No. 1. No. 2 is therefore the more economical of the two. Matters of this kind must not be overlooked, especially in the feeding of children. Then, too, the housewife should work out carefully which she can use to greater advantage, prepared or unprepared cereals. If she finds that unprepared cereals are the more economical and if she can depend on their food value as being as high as that of the prepared ones, she should by all means give them the preference. Of course, she may use prepared cereals for convenience or for varying the diet, but the more economical ones should be used with greater regularity. 25. Canned goods should be carefully observed. A certain brand of tomatoes, for instance, may have 16 ounces to the can, whereas another brand that can be bought for the same price may have 24 ounces. There may be, however, and there probably is, a great difference in the quality of the tomatoes. The 24-ounce can may have a much greater proportion of water than the 16-ounce can, and for this reason will not serve to the same advantage. As it is with canned tomatoes, so is it with canned corn, peas, and other canned vegetables, for the price depends altogether on the quality. Therefore, several brands should be compared and the one should be purchased which seems to furnish the most food or the best quality of food for the least money, provided the quality continues. 26. In the preparation of meat, there is always some waste, and as waste is a factor that has much to do with the increasing of costs, it should be taken into consideration each time a piece of meat is purchased. If there is time for some experimenting, it makes an interesting study to weigh the meat before and after preparation, for then the amount of shrinkage in cookery, as well as the waste in bone, skin, and other inedible material, can be determined. An actual experiment made with a 4-pound chicken showed that there was a loss of 2-3/4 pounds; that is, the weight of the edible meat after deducting the waste was only 1-1/4 pounds. The following shows how this weight was determined: POUNDS Weight of chicken, including head, feet, and entrails 4 Weight of head, feet, and entrails 1-1/4 Weight of bones after cooking 7/8 Weight of skin after cooking 1/4 Shrinkage in cooking 3/8 ----- Total amount of waste 2-3/4 ----- Actual weight of edible meat 1-1/4 It will readily be seen that chicken at 40 cents a pound would make the cost per pound of edible meat amount to exactly $1.28, a rather startling result. It is true, of course, that the busy housewife with a family can hardly spare the time for the extra labor such experiments require; still the greater the number of persons to be fed, the more essential is the need for economy and the greater are the possibilities for waste and loss. 27. The home production of foods does not belong strictly to economical buying, still it is a matter that offers so many advantages to the economical housewife that she cannot afford to overlook it. A small garden carefully prepared and well cultivated will often produce the summer's supply of fresh vegetables, with sufficient overproduction to permit much to be canned for winter. Not only do foods produced in a home garden keep down the cost of both summer and winter foods, but they add considerably to the variety of menus. * * * * * CORRECT DIET SUITABILITY OF FOOD 28. At the same time the housewife is making a study of economy and trying to procure as nearly as possible the best quality and the largest quantity of food for the amount of money she has to spend, she must consider the suitability of this food for the persons to whom it is to be served. This matter is undoubtedly of greater importance than economy, for, regardless of the amount of money that is to be spent, suitable foods for the nourishment of all the members of the family must be supplied to them. For instance, a family of two may have $10 a week to spend for food, whereas one of five may perhaps have no more; but the larger family must have nourishing food just as the one of two must have. Therefore, whether the housewife has much or little to spend, her money must purchase food suited to the needs of her family. Unless she is able to accomplish this, she fails in the most important part of her work as a housewife, and as a result, the members of her family are not properly nourished. 29. It has long been an established fact that correct diet is the greatest factor in maintaining bodily health. Food is responsible for the growth and maintenance of the body tissues, as well as for their repair. In addition, it supplies the body with heat and energy. Consequently, taking the right food into the body assists in keeping a person in a healthy condition and makes work and exercise possible. Because so much depends on the diet, the housewife, while considering what can be bought with the money she has to spend, must also decide whether the foods she plans to buy are suitable for the needs of her family. In fact, she should be so certain of this matter that she will automatically plan her menus in such a way that they will contain all that is necessary for each person to be fed. But, as every housewife knows, the appetites of her family must also be taken into consideration. Theoretically, she should feed her family what the various members need, regardless of their likes and dislikes. However, very few persons are willing to be fed in this way; in truth, it would be quite useless to serve a dish for which no one in the family cared and in addition it would be one of the sources of waste. 30. To make the work of the housewife less difficult, children should be taught as far as possible to eat all kinds of food. Too often this matter is disregarded, and too often, also, are the kinds of food presented, to a family regulated by the likes and dislikes of the person preparing the food. Because she is not fond of certain foods, she never prepares them; consequently, the children do not learn to like them. On the other hand, many children develop a habit of complaining about foods that are served and often refuse to eat what is set before them. Such a state of affairs should not be permitted. Indeed, every effort should be made to prevent a spirit of complaint. If the housewife is certain that she is providing the members of her family with the best that she can purchase with the money she has to spend and that she is giving them what they need, complaining on their part should be discouraged. 31. With a little effort, children can be taught to like a large variety of foods, especially if these foods are given to them while they are still young. It is a decided advantage for every one to form a liking for a large number of foods. The person who can say that he cares for everything in the way of food is indeed fortunate, for he has a great variety from which to choose and is not so likely to have served to him a meal in which there are one or more dishes that he cannot eat because of a distaste for them. Every mother should therefore train her children during their childhood to care for all the cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Besides affording the children a well-balanced diet, these foods, particularly vegetables and fruits, when served in their season, offer the housewife a means of planning economical menus, for, as every one knows, their price is then much lower than at any other time and is less than that of most other foods. During the winter, turnips, carrots, onions, and other winter vegetables are more economical foods than summer vegetables that must be canned or otherwise prepared to preserve them for winter use or the fresh summer vegetables purchased out of season. However, it is advisable to vary the diet occasionally with such foods. COMPOSITION OF FOOD