Freezing Strawberries

Freezing Strawberries

Strawberry season has finally arrived in Northeast Wisconsin. To preserve the goodness of this summer treat, try freezing the berries.

Begin by gently washing the berries. Drain well. For a unsweetened loose pack, place berries on trays in a single layer, freeze for one to two hours, then pack in freezer bags or freezer containers and return to the freezer.

For sugar pack, berries may be left whole, sliced, or crushed. Sprinkle sugar on berries on gently mix until sugar is dissolved. Pack in freezer containers or freezer bags. Using a dry sugar pack instead of syrup gives you flexibility on how much sugar to use, and does not dilute flavor with water.

A syrup pack may be used. For a thin syrup mix together two cups of sugar and four cups of water. Heat mixture until sugar is dissolved. This syrup will not mask the taste of mild-flavored fruits. A medium syrup which consists of four cups of water and three cups of sugar is recommended for whole fruits.

Strawberries may be kept frozen for one year for optimal quality.

Safety of Produce - Buying and Handling

Click the link the for:  Think Safety When Buying and Handling Fresh Produce  

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6wJ2HRAs7NGNGIyOGNhYWMtYjdjZi00NjEwLThkMDAtOGRiZTUwYTNjNWNl&hl=en_US&authkey=CKLI2I0J

5 Tips for a Successful Home Canning Season

Click the link for: Tips on Successful Home Canning

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6wJ2HRAs7NGYTk3YzEzMjAtMmM5Yi00NTllLWIxYzYtYmY2ZDliNWM1MWZm&hl=en_US&authkey=CJjR_7wIere

Low and No Sugar Canning of Fruit

Low and No Sugar Canning of Fruit

As a rule it is recommended not to use artificial sweeteners when preserving fruit as these products can produce a variety of negative effects. Most sugar replacements tend to produce some degree of off-flavor when heated. For home canning, sucralose- Splenda – is known to be the most stable when heated and thus mimics the sweetness of sugar with the least noticeable flavor differences.

When using sucralose, start by substituting it for sugar in extra-light syrup which is typically made with 1 ¼ cups sugar and 5 1/2cups of water. If this syrup is not sweet enough for your taste, increase the sucralose to the level of sugar in the light recipe (2 ¼ cups sugar and 5 ¼ cups water). Then test one or two jars to make sure the flavor suits your preference once the fruit is processed.

It may be preferable to preserve fruit in water or unsweetened fruit juice and add sweetener to take just before serving. While fruit is usually packed in sugar syrup, fruit juices such as unsweetened apple, pineapple or white grape juice or juice from the fruit itself can make good packing liquids. Unsweetened fruit juice provides flavor without additional sugar. Water may be used although it will yield a less flavorful result.

When canned without the addition of sugar, fruit will be less flavorful, have a dull color and won’t hold its shape as well. If using fruit juice or water, use the same amount of juice or water as you would syrup.

Taste the Dairy Difference - Dairy Fun Facts

Taste the Dairy Difference –Dairy Fun Facts

 June is Dairy Month in Wisconsin. Increase your IQ with these fun facts: 

• It takes 12 pounds of milk to make one gallon of ice cream and 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.

• Wisconsin cheese makers produce more than 2.6 billion pounds of cheese each year. If Wisconsin were a country, it would rank 4th in the world in terms of total cheese production, behind the United States, Germany and France, and just ahead of Italy.

• Wisconsin produces more than 650 different varieties, types and styles of award-winning cheese.

• The average American eats nearly 33 pounds of cheese each year – twice as much as in 1975.

• Average milk production per Wisconsin cow each year is 20,625 pounds (or 2,398 gallons). That’s enough for 38,372 eight ounce glasses of milk from just one cow.

• According to the NPD Group’s National Eating Trends In-Home Database, the top five ice cream flavors are vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, chocolate chip and butter pecan.

• The first ice cream sundae was served in Two Rivers, Wisconsin in 1881. George Hallauer, a customer at Edward C. Berner’s soda fountain in Two Rivers asked Edward to top off his dish of ice cream with the chocolate sauce used for chocolate sodas. The new concoction caught on and was originally offered only on Sundays.

Wash Your Hands...Not Your Poultry

Wash Your Hands …Not Your Poultry

Despite recommendations against the practice, some consumers persist in washing raw poultry before cooking. Historically, we equate washing to cleanliness. We wash clothes, linens, cars, dishes and ourselves. So, some people believe meat and poultry can be made cleaner and safer by washing. Is this true?

We can look to research to answer this question. A study by European researchers found that there is actually a potential increase in the risk of foodborne illness for individuals who wash chicken before eating it. The researchers found the bacteria already present in chicken can travel up to three feet from where the meat is washed, contaminating surfaces across the kitchen. And failure to clean these contaminated areas leads to more cases of foodborne illness.

And while washing may appear to make chicken or turkey look “cleaner,” washing actually fails to dislodge harmful bacteria which may be adhering to the surface of the poultry carcass. Researchers from the University of Georgia found that once bacteria are firmly attached, rinsing will not effectively remove them. Dr. H Lillard found that bacteria could still be recovered from the 40th rinse of a single chicken carcass. The bacteria that are dislodged could be spreading to your hands, the sink, your countertops, and other surfaces, but most would remain and would only be destroyed by cooking to a safe internal temperature.

Follow these steps to keep your family food-safe: 

Clean – Wash hands, utensils, and cutting boards before and after contact with raw meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables and keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs apart from foods that won’t be cooked.

Separate – Use different cutting boards for meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables and keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs apart from foods that won’t be cooked.
Cook – Use a food thermometer – it is difficult to tell if a food item is done by how it looks. Cook all meat to a safe internal temperature.

Source: Barbara Ingham, UW-Extension Food Safety Specialist

European Foodborne Illness Outbreak: What is making people sick?

European Foodborne Illness Outbreak: 

What is making people sick?

In recent days, the media has provided coverage on the European Foodborne illness outbreak.  For more information on this outbreak, click here .  https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B6wJ2HRAs7NGZTQ5MWE3ZTMtODg0NS00NjBhLWE1MTMtMTg1OTI1YzYwMDRh&hl=en_US

Use MyPlate to Evaluate Your Plate

Use MyPlate to Evaluate Your Plate

 USDA’s new approach a big step forward to help consumers plan balanced meals.

-What does a healthy diet look like? That question will be easier to answer with the help of the new MyPlate website and consumer materials unveiled last week by the USDA in Washington, D.C.

The MyPlate website features an easy-to-remember icon—a colorful dinner plate divided into sections for fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins next to a circle representing a cup labeled dairy. The site at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ also offers tools and resources to help consumers put the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into action by building healthy eating patterns. MyPlate replaces the former USDA MyPyramid food guide.

The basic messages on healthy eating that are emphasized in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate are:
--Enjoy your food, but eat less.
--Avoid oversized portions.
--Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
--Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
--Make at least half your grains whole grains.
--Compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers.
--Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
The new MyPlate system gives a quick visual summary of a healthy meal while allowing great flexibility. “Vegetarians, pregnant women, athletes, and school children can all use this new symbol to determine if their personal eating patterns are in line with expert recommendations,” she says.

Source: Susan Nitzke, UW-Extension Nutrition Specialist

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Note to educators:

The new MyPlate icon and rules for its use can be found at:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/global_nav/media.html
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/global_nav/media_resources.html
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/MyPlate/MyPlateGraphicsStandards.pdf

Updated Recommendations for Safely Cooking Meat and Poultry

Updated Recommendations for Safely Cooking Meat and Poultry

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is updating its recommendations for safely cooking pork, beef steaks, roasts, and chops. USDA recommends cooking all whole cuts of meat to 145 degrees F as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, then allowing the meat to rest for three minutes before carving or consuming.

The USDA is lowering the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 degrees F to 145 degrees F and adding a three-minute rest time. The safe temperatures for cuts of beef, veal, and lamb remain unchanged at 145 degrees F but the USDA is adding a three-minute rest time as part of its cooking recommendations. A temperature of 145 degrees F would be termed ‘medium rare.’

This change does not apply to ground meats, including ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork which should be cooked to 160 degrees F and do not require a rest time. The safe cooking temperature for all poultry products, including ground chicken and turkey, remains at 165 degrees F.

This also does not apply to cured pork products such as ham. Fresh or raw ham should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F; pre-cooked ham should be reheated to 140 degrees F.

The new cooking recommendations clarify long-held perceptions about cooking pork. Historically, consumers have viewed the color pink in pork to be a sign of undercooked meat. If raw port is cooked to 145 degrees F and allowed to rest for three minutes, it may still be pink but is safe to eat. The pink color can be due to the cooking method, added ingredients, or other factors. Many cuts of meat, but especially port, have gotten leaner over time. As farmers have raised leaner animals there is less fat in the muscle to baste the meat during cooking and the meat tends to dry out, especially if cooked. Cooking to a lower, but still safe, internal temperature will give consumers a safe, high quality product to enjoy.