Text 23673, 107 rader
Skriven 2009-04-28 06:13:00 av Dave Drum (1:124/311)
     Kommentar till en text av GLEN JAMIESON
Ärende: Humidity
================
-=> Glen Jamieson wrote to Dave Drum <=-

 DD> Errrrrmmmmm ... most American ice boxes have a "humidstat" in some
 DD> form in the food compartment ... along with a condensate drain in the

 GJ> I think that would be what we refer to as a "crisper", for vegetables.
 GJ> It works by isolating its contents from the low humidity atmosphere in
 GJ> the rest of the refrigerator, which has had its moisture condensed out
 GJ> onto the cooling coils and thence to the condensate drain.  This
 GJ> condensate is usually directed onto a tray on top of the hot sealed
 GJ> compressor unit, from which it evaporates into the environment.

The "crisper" drawers (rotter drawers in reality) are just drawers ... not
sealed off from the rest of the cooling compartment and therefore NOT isolated
in temperature or humidity. At least in mechanical iceboxes of my experience.

They do tend to be at the bottom of the food compartment and, thus, should be
somewhat cooler and therefore marginally less humid than the balance of the
compartment.

For the last 30 or so years (nearer to forty - but, I am unsure of the date(s))
modern design boxes have the condenser coils under the bottom of the food
compartment with the condensate evaporator pan located between those coils and
the bottom of the insulation for the food compartment. The compressor unit is
generally located at the lower rear of the whole thing ... which is why the
inside of the food compartment has a step or slant at the lower back - which
those vegetable crisper/rotter drawers hide most effectively.   Bv)=

Newer design (and more energy efficient) mechanical iceboxes have the
compressor and condenser moved higher in the unit since it dawned on designers
that placing a heat source *UNDER* the cooling department was only adding to
the thermal load that had to be overcome to keep food cool.

 GJ> It is interesting that you still use the term, "ice box".  When I was
 GJ> young, before domestic refrigerators came into use, we had an "ice
 GJ> chest", which held ice in the top compartment, above the food area,
 GJ> and had a bowl underneath to catch the water as the ice melted.  If
 GJ> the boy who had the responsibility of regularly emptying that bowl
 GJ> forgot, the water overflowed onto the kitchen floor, then the boy had
 GJ> the difficult task of carrying a brim-full bowl to the sink - and
 GJ> mopping up all the spilt water.

We had the same on the farm. Gramps and I went to town every other day to
(among other things) get a 50# block of ice from the Ice and Coal company. The
box itself was a beauty of oak with six inch thick walls, insulated with
sawdust and lined with zinc. I designed and Granddad built a drain system that
ran from under the icebox to the outside where it drained into the rainwater
cistern from which we pumped drinking, bathing and clothes washing "soft"
water. The ground water, BTW, was considered "hard" as it was loaded with
dissolved limestone and other minerals.

My grandmother PAID GOOD MONEY to have that icebox, a brass beadstead, and
several other things I'd have liked to have had (and would have paid for had I
known) hauled away. When I complained to her she replied "No one wants those
old things anymore. They're just junk."

She did the same with several hundred valuable canning jars ranging from
half-pint to full gallon size. I know for a fact that the person she hired to
haul them off hauled them as far as an antique shop. Perhaps the money he got
helped salve the pain from the set of lumps he earned when I confronted him for
taking advantage of an "old widow woman" (my Grandmother). Certainly didn't pay
for my skinned knuckles nor for the damage I did to his reputation in that
small town. But the salve for my knuckles was a price I paid gladly.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Basic Braised Greens
 Categories: Five, Greens, Chilies
      Yield: 5 servings
 
      1 lb Escarole
      1 lb Curly endive
      4 tb Extra virgin olive oil
      4 lg Garlic cloves; thin sliced
           Hot pepper flakes & Kosher
           - salt
 
  Cooked greens almost always taste better when they include more than
  one variety. This recipe includes two sturdy salad greens that cook
  in about the same time so they can be cooked together. Minced
  anchovies are a nice addition at the end, if you like them.
  
  Core greens and wash well. Drain in a colander. When they are no
  longer drippy, chop them coarsely. Heat olive oil in a large skillet
  over moderate heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Saute until garlic
  begins to color. Add greens. They will be bulky at first, but will
  quickly wilt. Stir to coat with the oil. Increase heat to high and
  cook, stirring constantly, until greens wilt and are tender enough
  for your taste, about 5 minutes. Most greens will throw some liquid
  so you won't need to add any. If greens threaten to cook dry before
  they are tender, add a splash of water. Season with salt.
  
  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
  
  Serves 4-6
  
  URL: http://sfgate.com
  
  MM Format by Dave Drum - 14 February 2009
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM

... "All of a sudden, he's the Duke of Ellington!"
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