AnswerLine • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach

Confused by the dates on canned goods?

June 30, 2014 Beth Marrs

Are you confused by the dates that appear on food labels? If so you are not alone! According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service product dating is not required by Federal regulations with the exception of infant formula. Most companies do put a date or a code on the package but unfortunately there is no universally accepted method used so it can get confusing. Here are some terms that will help you in determining if the food item is still safe.

“Sell by” means that store should sell the product by the date printed, but it can still safely be eaten after that date. Eggs cartons have a sell by date.

“Best if used by” means the consumer should use the product by the date listed for best quality and flavor (not for safety reasons). Most canned goods have a best if used by date.

“Use by” or “expires” means the product should be used by or frozen by the date listed. There will likely be a marked deterioration in product quality and safety after this date. Meats are an example of a food with a use by date.

A packing code is required on all cans. This enables the company to track when and where the food was manufactured. Unfortunately these aren’t meant for the consumer to interpret as “use by” dates.

Canned foods are safe indefinitely as long as they are not exposed to extreme temperatures (freezing or temperatures above 90°F). Any cans that are dented, rusted, or swollen should be discarded. You will find that high-acid foods (tomatoes, fruits) will keep their best quality for 12 to 18 months and low-acid canned foods (meats, vegetables) for 2 to 5 years.

Follow these tips for ensure that the food that you purchase will be at top quality:

Purchase the product before the date expires.
If perishable, take the food home immediately after the purchase and refrigerate it promptly.
Once you freeze a perishable item, it doesn’t matter if the date expires because foods kept frozen continuously are safe indefinitely.
Don’t buy dented cans from the store. The can could be compromised it could be unsafe.
Follow the recommendations for on the products for safe storage.

Beth Marrs

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Adult Home Economics Education. I love to cook and entertain and spend time with my family.

January 15, 2016

Consumer Management, Food Safety

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Power Outages and Food Safety

June 26, 2014 Liz Meimann

Big storms can cause power outages any time of year. We may have more concern for food safety when this happens during a summer storm as the contents of the refrigerator and freezer are exposed to warmer room temperatures, especially when the air conditioning goes off.

You should always check the condition of food in the refrigerator and freezer as soon as power returns. That allows you to make safe choices when determining which food is still safe to eat.

These items will be safe: juice, pickles, olives, hard cheese (i.e. Cheddar, Colby, or Swiss), butter/margarine, fresh fruit and vegetables, vinegar/oil dressings, jellies/jams, catsup. Discard any of the above if moldy.

The foods of greatest concern are the perishable items. Estimate the amount of time the power has been off and the current temperature in the fridge or freezer.

Generally speaking:

Food will keep 4-6 hours in a refrigerator
A full freezer will keep food frozen for 2 days
A freezer that’s only half-full will keep food frozen for 1 day
If the just off a couple hours, most products will be safe.

Remember these tips for refrigerated or frozen foods:

Food held at 40 F. or less (ice crystals are intact): the food is SAFE, either consume or refreeze
Food held above 40 F. for 2 hours or less: DO NOT REFREEZE as is, either cook and consume or cook and freeze
Foods held above 40 F. for over 2 hours: DISCARD.

Do not hesitate to contact us with questions about specific foods. We are always happy to help.

Liz Meimann

I received both my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Food Science at Iowa State University. I love to quilt, sew, cook, and bake. I spent many years gardening, canning, and preserving food for my family when my children were at home.

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January 15, 2016

Consumer Management, Food Safety

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Clean your drain easily

June 23, 2014 Liz Meimann 1 Comment

We often associate spring with deep cleaning in our home. Dirty drains can add a funky odor to the kitchen. We have two different recipes to either clean or freshen the kitchen sink drain.

Drains can be cleaned by mixing ¼ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of salt and 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar. Pour this mixture in the drain and add ½ cup of white vinegar. Allow it to stand for 30 minutes, and then flush with cold water.

If your drain just needs a bit of freshening, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of salt, and one teaspoon of cream of tartar. Pour this into the drain and flush slowly with water.

In no time at all, you have a clean (or fresher) kitchen drain.

Liz Meimann

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January 15, 2016

Cleaning, Consumer Management, Home Environment

1 Comment

Tips for Laundry Stain Removal

June 19, 2014 Liz Meimann 5 Comments

One of the more frustrating things about doing laundry can be set in stains. Follow these tips for best results.

Tips to Remember for Stain Removal:

• Take care of stains promptly. Fresh stains are much easier to remove than those over 24 hours old.

• Blot up any excess liquid with a clean white cloth or paper towel. Remove excess solids by gentle scraping or chipping with a dull knife or metal spatula. With some solids, such as heavy amounts of surface mud, removal may be easier after the stain has dried. Brush off the excess before the clothing is submerged for washing.

• Avoid rubbing the stained area with a linty terry towel or a dark-colored cloth. You may complicate the problem.

• Never rub a fresh stain with bar soap. Soap sets many stains.

• Check laundry for stains before washing. Many stains need pretreatment.

• Inspect wet laundry before drying to be sure a stain has been removed. If a stain is still evident, do not dryer dry. The heat of drying makes the stain more permanent.

• Before starting on the stain, test on a seam or hidden area of the garment to be sure stain removal products do not affect the color or finish of the fabric.

• Avoid excessive rubbing unless the fabric is tough and durable. Rubbing can spread the stain and damage the fiber, finish, or color of the fabric. However, gentle to vigorous rubbing and agitation under running water helps remove dried food, protein, or oil stains from shirts or jean-weight fabrics made of cotton or cotton/polyester blends.

• Do not iron or press stained fabrics until the stain is completely removed. Heat sets most stains.

• Wash heavily stained items separately. Soil and stains can be re-deposited on cleaner clothing during laundering if a) too little detergent is used; b) water temperature is too low; c) washing time is too long; or d) the washer is loaded with too many clothes.

• Avoid using hot water on stains of unknown origin. Hot water can set protein stains like milk, egg, or blood.

• Use the water temperature recommended by product manufacturer. Hot water should be between 120 and 140 degrees F, warm water between 85 and 105 degrees F, and cold water between 65 and 75 degrees F. Water below 60 degrees F is too cold for detergents to be helpful.

Liz Meimann

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January 15, 2016

Cleaning, Consumer Management, Laundry, Textiles

5 Comments

Caring for a Hardwood Floor in your home

June 16, 2014 Liz Meimann 30 Comments

I love the beauty and durability of my oak hardwood floors in my home. I also appreciate the fact that they don’t trap dust particles that contribute to allergies and other health issues. But I’ve often wondered what the best methods are to clean and maintain them? Well there’s good news! I’ve done some research and I’ve discovered that caring for them is actually quite simple!

If your floor has a surface finish, such as polyurethane, the general maintenance steps are:

SWEEP with a soft bristled broom.
VACUUM with special bare floor attachments to get rid of dirt and dust. Or use a good dust mop with a 12”-18” cotton head
You can also CLEAN your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by a wood flooring professional. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) can help you find a pro in your area. http://woodfloors.org/ Make sure your mop is well wrung out so that it is just damp. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.

When cleaning no longer restores shine, recoat the floor with a surface finish. How often you do this depends on the amount of traffic. If you have kids or pets, your floors may get lots of mud, water, sand, or dirt tracked on them regularly; they may need to be recoated more often.

***Never wax a surface-finished floor, and never use vinyl or tile floor care products on any wood floor.

Do you have a wax or penetrating-stain finish on your wood floor? Here are steps to follow to maintain the finish:

DUSTMOP or VACUUM regularly.
Use a BUFFER to maintain the shine. Follow manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations if known.

If buffing no longer restores shine, you may need to rewax. Apply a cleaner and liquid wax specifically for wood floors. Apply the wax evenly, allow the floor to dry, and buff to the desired luster. Most wood floors need to be rewaxed once or twice a year. Try not to overwax a wood floor. If the floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other low-traffic areas by applying wax half as often as in higher-traffic areas.

Is your wax finish soiled or discolored? Use a combination liquid cleaner/wax made specifically for wood flooring. Make sure it is solvent rather than water-based. Spread the liquid cleaner/wax with a cloth or fine steel wool and rub gently to remove grime and old wax. Wipe the floor clean, let it dry for about 20 minutes, then buff.

Never damp-mop a waxed floor.

TIPS FOR PREVENTING SCRATCHES:

Place mats and throw rugs at doorways to help protect wood floors from grit, dirt, and sand.
Place felt pads under furniture legs.
Vacuum or dust your wood floor regularly.
Avoid walking on floors with cleats, sports shoes, or high heels. Interestingly, a 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8000 pounds per square inch! Can you say “DENTS”?
When moving furniture, do not slide it on the wood flooring. It’s best to pick it up to move it.
Use a humidifier during the winter months to minimize gaps or cracks.

Follow these steps to enjoy the beauty of your wood floors for years to come.

Liz Meimann

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April 5, 2024

Cleaning, Housing

30 Comments

Safe Grilling Times and Temperatures

June 12, 2014 Beth Marrs 2 Comments

It is important to use a meat thermometer to know when the meat you are cooking on the grill is done. Research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) indicates that the color of the meat is not a reliable indicator meat or poultry has reached a temperature high enough to destroy harmful bacteria that may be present. The following chart from the University of Minnesota Extension gives approximate cooking times for grilling. Remember grill temperatures vary, so watch carefully and check with a meat thermometer often. The USDA recommends cooking pork, beef, veal, lamb chops, roasts, and steaks to 145°F and then letting it rest for 3 minutes before carving or eating.

Food Type	Size	Grilling Time	Internal Temperature
Beef
Steaks	¾” thick	3-4 min/side	145°F (Medium rare)
		4-5 min/side	160°F (Medium)
Kabobs	1 inch cubes	3-4 min/side	160°F
Hamburger patties	½” thick	3 min/side	160°F
Rump roast (rolled-indirect heat)	4-6 pounds	18-22 min/lb	145-160°F
Sirloin Tip- indirect heat	3 ½-4 pounds	20-25 min/lb	145-160°F
Back Ribs	Cut into 1 rib pieces	10 min/side	160°F
Tenderloin	Half, 2-3 poundsWhole, 4-6 pounds	10-12 min/side12-15 min/side	145-160°F145-160°F
Ham
Fully cooked-indirect heat	Any size	8-10 min/lb	140°F
Cook before eating-indirect	Whole, 10-14 poundsHalf, 5-7 pounds	10-15 min/lb12-18 min/lb	160°F160°F
Lamb
Chops/shoulder, loin, rib	1” thick	5 min/side	145-160°F
Steaks, sirloin or leg	1” thick	5 min/side	145-160°F
Kabobs	1” cubes	4 min/side	145-160°F
Ground lamb patties	4 oz, ½” thick	3 min/side	160°F
Butterflied leg	4-7 pounds	40-50 min/total	145-160°F
Pork
Chops—any type	¾ “ thick1 ½” thick	3-4 min/side7-8 min/side	145°F145°F
Tenderloin	½ -1 ½ pounds	15-20 min/total	145°F
Ribs—indirect heat	2-4 pounds	1 ½-2 hours total	145°F
Ground Pork Patties	½” thick	4-5 min/side	145°F

Beth Marrs

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Adult Home Economics Education. I love to cook and entertain and spend time with my family.

January 15, 2016

Food Preparation, Food Safety, Nutrition, recipes

2 Comments

Ready for rhubarb!

June 9, 2014 Beth Marrs

It’s the time of year for harvesting rhubarb! The rhubarb stalk is used in tarts, pies, sauces, jams, jellies, puddings and punch. Although classed as a vegetable, rhubarb is used as a fruit because its high acidity gives a tart flavor.

Only the stalks or petioles should be eaten because the leaves contain moderately poisonous oxalic acid. During hot, dry periods of weather eating the leaves could lead to severe sickness.

It is generally recommended that home gardeners stop harvesting rhubarb in early to mid-June. Continued harvest through the summer months would weaken the plants and reduce the yield and quality of next year’s crop. The rhubarb stalks may become somewhat woody by mid-summer, but they don’t become poisonous.

While the flower or seed stalks should not be used, the leaf stalks are edible. However, the flower stalks should be promptly pulled and discarded. If allowed to develop, the flower stalks reduce plant vigor and next year’s production. Flower stalk formation may be caused by drought, infertile soils, and extreme heat. Age may be another factor. Old plants tend to flower more than young ones. Flower formation can be discouraged with good cultural practices. Water rhubarb plants once a week during dry weather. Sprinkle ½ cup of an all purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, around each plant in early spring. Manure is an alternative to a commercial fertilizer. Apply a 2 to 3 inch layer of well-rotted manure around rhubarb plants in spring.

After picking, fresh rhubarb stalks can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 weeks. If you have more than you can eat and want to save some to enjoy some during the winter months it can be frozen successfully. To freeze wash, trim and cut the rhubarb. Next blanch in boiling water for 1 minute then cool promptly in ice water which will help retain the color and flavor. Measure the amount that you put in your freezer bag or container and label and date the package. If you plan to bake with frozen rhubarb, thaw it completely before using. Drain the excess liquid in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

Beth Marrs

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Adult Home Economics Education. I love to cook and entertain and spend time with my family.

January 15, 2016

Food Safety, Horticulture

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CLEANING YOUR BARBECUE GRILL

June 5, 2014 Liz Meimann 6 Comments

With Father’s Day fast approaching, I’ve been reminiscing about grilling in the backyard with my dad. He had an award-winning recipe for Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops and my mouth waters to this day just remembering biting into them. He was a livestock producer so we always had an abundance of fresh meat cuts to barbecue on the old Weber charcoal grill, along with fresh-picked Iowa sweet corn and my mom’s fresh garden vegetables. Such good memories!

Cleaning the grill was not such a fun memory, however. Like most people, I still don’t enjoy cleaning the grill; but a dirty grill can mean off flavors and/or excess smoke the next time you barbecue. The following are steps we can take to make this “dirty job” easier:

GRATES:

BEFORE lighting the grill, apply non-stick spray on the grates. This cuts down cleanup time later. The grates need to be cleaned completely after every use. Use a stiff wire brush (or if you don’t have one, crumpled up aluminum foil works for this). Most people don’t know that it’s actually better to do this AFTER you cook while the grill is still warm as cooling hardens the food on the grate.

CHARCOAL GRILLS:

Many charcoal grills come with a handy ash catcher attached to the bottom. These grills still need to be cleaned after every use to help cut down on excess smoke and bad flavors. Simply brush out the ashes and cooked foods that have dropped to the bottom of the grill. Occasionally get in there and really scrape out that stuff that seems to develop on the bottom.. At least once a year, get out a bucket of soapy water and give it a really good clean and rinse.

GAS GRILLS:

Your gas grill may have a “clean” setting on the knobs. I’m sorry to report that this is not how you clean your grill. It will burn up stuff that has fallen down into the grill, but it doesn’t really clean it. Like a charcoal grill, you need to clean your gas grill after each use by cleaning the grates and brushing off the sides and lid. Regularly lift out the cooking grate and clean off the barrier above the burners. This might be lava rock, briquettes, or some variation of metal plates, and cooked on grease and food particles should be cleaned periodically.

Once a year, do a more thorough cleaning on your gas grill. To do this, start by disconnecting the gas and then lift out the grill parts layer by layer. Once you get down to the burners, inspect them thoroughly. Make sure nothing is blocking the flow of gas. If a burner is clogged, it will give you uneven heat and make for poor grilling. If you can clean it, do so, otherwise, replace it. If your grill uses lava rocks or ceramic briquettes you need to make sure that these are not too heavily encrusted with cooked on foods. If they are, replace them to avoid bad tasting smoke that dirty rocks can produce.

Take everything out of the gas grill and clean it completely with soapy water. Heat up the grill completely before you cook again to make sure that any leftover soap residue burns off.

One more handy tip: I use rubber or plastic gloves to clean my grill – it saves fingernails and keeps soot and grime off the hands.

Taking these steps to clean your grill regularly will help ensure delicious barbecued meals time after time. Make memories in the backyard with your friends and family and enjoy the summer grilling season – it flies by quickly!

Liz Meimann

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January 19, 2016

Cleaning, Food Preparation, Home Environment Household Equipment

6 Comments

Guidelines for Safe Grilling

June 2, 2014 Beth Marrs

The weather is finally warming up and I am ready to get out and use the grill! It is important to remember that food must be handled correctly both in the kitchen and on the grill. Here are some quick reminders when using your grill to keep the food you are grilling safe.

Remember to keep your cold foods cold. Bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature, so keep your meat in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. If you want to marinade meat do it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. If you plan to grill away from home make sure that you transport meat in a cooler with some ice. The goal is to keep meat at refrigerator temperature.
Do not reuse the plate that you use to take the meat out to the grill. Juices from raw meat and poultry are high in bacteria that could contaminate the cooked meat.
Do not use color as an indicator of when meat is done. Recent USDA research studies indicate that some ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F. The only safe way to determine if food is done is to use a meat thermometer. An instant read thermometer takes the guess work out of grilling.
It is not a good idea to partially cook meats. If you must cook ahead, cook the food completely, cool it quickly in the refrigerator in shallow containers and reheat it later on the grill.

Remember these Safe Internal Minimum Temperatures
Whole Poultry	165°F
Poultry Breasts	165°F
Ground Poultry	165°F
Ground Beef and Pork	160°F
Other Pork cuts	145°F (followed by a 3 minute rest)
Beef, veal and lamb(steaks, roasts and chops)	Medium rare 145°FMedium 160°F

So get out there and enjoy your grill, knowing that you are doing all you can to keep your food safe.

Beth Marrs

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Adult Home Economics Education. I love to cook and entertain and spend time with my family.

January 15, 2016

Food Preparation, Food Safety, recipes

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Month: June 2014

Confused by the dates on canned goods?

Beth Marrs

Power Outages and Food Safety

Liz Meimann

Clean your drain easily

Liz Meimann

Tips for Laundry Stain Removal

Liz Meimann

Caring for a Hardwood Floor in your home

Liz Meimann

Safe Grilling Times and Temperatures

Beth Marrs

Ready for rhubarb!

Beth Marrs

CLEANING YOUR BARBECUE GRILL

Liz Meimann

Guidelines for Safe Grilling

Beth Marrs

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