On the other hand, it will be found that vegetables bought in
season as well as those which are plentiful in the particular locality
in which they are sold, especially if they are perishable vegetables,
are lowest in price and are in the best condition for food. Therefore,
whether the income is limited or not, it is wisdom on the part of the
housewife to buy vegetables that grow in the neighboring region and to
purchase them when they are in season.
21. A very important point for the housewife to keep in mind regarding
the purchase of vegetables is that their price is determined not by
their value as food, but by their scarcity and the demand for them.
Take, for example, the case of mushrooms. As shown in Table I, this
vegetable is low in food value, containing only 210 calories to the
pound, but, if purchased, they are always an expensive food. The high
price asked for mushrooms is entirely dependent on their scarcity. If
there is much demand in a certain community for a food that is not
plentiful in the market, the price of that food always goes up. As in
the case of mushrooms, many expensive foods add practically nothing in
the way of nourishment, their only value being in the variety of flavor
they supply.
22. Furthermore, in order to provide wisely, the person who purchases
vegetables for the family should be able to judge whether she is getting
full value in food for the money she invests. She cannot always do this
with each particular vegetable purchased, but she can buy in such a way
that what she purchases will average correctly in this respect.
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