Sour Dressing

Sour Dressing

Ingredients:
2 Tb. ham or bacon fat
1 Tb. flour
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. liquid from beans

Directions:
Melt the fat in a double boiler, add the flour, and into this stir the
vinegar and the liquid from the beans. Cook until the mixture thickens
and pour over the beans. Reheat and serve.
SHELL BEANS
57. VARIETIES AND FOOD VALUE OF SHELL BEANS.--When beans have matured on
the vines to such an extent that the pods are no longer tender enough
for human consumption, they are picked and the seeds then used for food.
Some are picked before the seeds have entirely matured, and these, which
must be young enough to contain considerable moisture, are cooked
fresh; others are allowed to mature entirely and are then dried before
they are cooked. After being dried, beans keep indefinitely and require
no care in storage except that they must not become moist. Numerous
varieties of both fresh and dried shell beans are in use, including
navy, marrowfat, pinto, and Lima beans.
58. Fresh shell beans average about three times as much food value as
string or wax beans. Most of this is carbohydrate in the form of starch,
but they also contain considerable protein. Dried shell beans, which are
entirely different in flavor and texture from fresh ones, contain still
more nutriment, their food value being more than twice that of fresh
shell beans and over four times that of potatoes. In the entirely
matured bean, which, as has already been mentioned, belongs to the class
of vegetables called legumes, the high food value is due to the high
percentage of starch and the large amount of protein in the form of
legumin, a substance that is an important substitute for other more
expensive protein foods. This composition reveals at once the fact that
dried shell beans make an excellent food, provided some fat is added to
them in their preparation.
59. PREPARATION AND COOKING OF FRESH SHELL BEANS.--With the exception of
Lima beans, most of the varieties of fresh shell beans are placed on the
market in the pods and must be shelled after they are purchased. Green
Lima beans, however, are usually sold shelled. If the beans are
purchased in the pods, wash them in cold water before shelling, but if
they are bought shelled, wash the shelled beans. Then put them to cook
in sufficient boiling water to which has been added 1 teaspoonful of
salt for each quart. Allow the beans to cook until they may be easily
pierced with a fork. The cooking will probably require from 45 minutes
to 1-1/2 hours, depending on the age and variety of the beans.
60. SHELL BEANS DRESSED WITH BUTTER.--Any variety of fresh shell beans
may be prepared according to the accompanying recipe, but Lima beans are
especially delicious when cooked in this way.