Month: October 2015

Enjoy pumpkin seeds

Liz Meimann 2 Comments

It’s time to get those pumpkins carved and it is my husband’s favorite time of year.  He loves pumpkin seeds but the ones he buys the rest of the year just are not as tasty as those we make at home.  So he is glad imagewhen it is time to roast our own seeds.

It really is an easy thing to do.  As you carve the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds into a colander and rinse the pumpkin “goo” off the seeds.  You will need to get your hands a little dirty as the stream of water will not remove all of the “goo”, you will need to move the seeds around with your hands.

Next, place the wet seeds onto a dry cookie sheet.  Salt or season as desired and bake at 325°F. for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Store in an airtight container.  Enjoy.

You also have the option of roasting the seeds unseasoned and then drizzling with a bit of butter or olive oil and then adding seasoning.  Ranch can be a popular choice.

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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Food Preparation, Food Preservation
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Tips for maintaining cutting boards

Liz Meimann 3 Comments

Cutting boardFall can be a great time to think about catching up on some things around the house. I’m thinking about giving my cutting boards a thorough cleaning and oiling after the workout they got this summer. I have a number of cutting boards at my house. I use my vintage wooden cutting boards for cutting fresh fruits and vegetables. I use my plastic boards for cutting both raw and cooked meat. Of course I use a different cutting board for raw and cooked meats to avoid cross contamination.

I clean the wooden boards with a damp dishcloth. I try not to get the cutting boards overly wet as that can cause cracking. I sanitize the boards after use with a mild bleach solution. I use 1 teaspoon of bleach in a quart of water. I spray the surface of the board with this solution and let the board air dry. If I used a stronger bleach solution, the boards might dry out and crack.

My wooden boards do not have a varnished finish, so I oil the boards with mineral oil when they seem to be getting dry. I warm the oil a bit and apply a coat, going in the same direction as the wood grain. I let the oil dry and give it another coat after 6 or so hours. This oiling will help keep the board from drying out and cracking. If that happened, I would have to toss the board or use it only decoratively. If my boards were deeply scored by knife marks, I would sand them and then oil them.

I send my plastic cutting boards through the dish washer. The hot water and dish washing detergent sanitize the boards after each use. Now I’ll be ready for all the cutting and chopping I do to make those hearty stews, soups, and casseroles this winter.

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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Cleaning, Food Preparation, Food Safety
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Gardening to Attract Butterflies

Liz Meimann

SwallowtailWe have been thinking and talking a lot about gardens this fall at AnswerLine.  One topic we don’t always think about is planting things in the garden that will attract butterflies.  I seem to remember seeing many more butterflies when I was young.  Even when my children were young, I remember seeing butterflies more often than I do now.

This fall, while my garden efforts are still fresh in my mind, I want to plan what I will do next spring to attract butterflies to my yard.  I KNOW that my grandchildren will really enjoy watching and trying to catch them.  Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has a new publication that explains everything you need to know to plan your garden.  Butterflies and bees will also help pollinate other garden plants, so planting to lure them to my garden will help the rest of the plants and fruit trees in my yard.  I’m going to get to work on my new garden plan this weekend.

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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Horticulture, spring
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More Apple Recipes

Beth Marrs

imageIt has been a great year for apples! We are helping consumers can pie filling, make apple butter and applesauce and freeze them for use in the winter.  Here are several more unusual recipes that I wanted to share that will give you even more ways to preserve and use the abundance of apples.

There are many berry syrups but try making this Apple-Cinnamon Syrup from the newest Ball Blue Book.

Apple-Cinnamon Syrup

(about 6 pint jars)

  • 6 cups apple juice, fresh or bottled (without added calcium)
  • 3 sticks cinnamon, broken
  • 5 cups sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 cups corn syrup
  • ¼ cup lemon juice

COOK: Combine apple juice and cinnamon sticks in a medium saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes; set aside. Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan; boil to 230°F. Add apple juice, cinnamon sticks, and corn syrup to sugar syrup; boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Remove cinnamon sticks.

FILL: Ladle hot syrup into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

PROCESS: Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner and bring water to a rolling boil. Process pint jars 10 minutes (below 1,000 feet elevation) 15 minutes (1,000-3,000 feet elevation). Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.

 

Spiced Apple Rings are a great side dish with Roast Turkey or Chicken. The red color of the apple rings are especially fun to serve around the holidays!  This recipe is from So Easy to Preserve, Sixth Edition, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.

Spiced Apple Rings

(about 8 or 9 pint jars)

  • 12 pounds firm tart apples (maximum diameter, 2 ½ inches)
  • 12 cups sugar
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 1/4  cups white vinegar (5%)
  • 3 tablespoons whole cloves
  • ¾ cup red hot cinnamon candies or 8 cinnamon sticks and 1 teaspoon red food coloring (optional)

Wash apples. To prevent discoloration, peel and core one apple at a time.  Immediately cut the apple crosswise into ½ inch rings and immerse in an anti-darkening solution.  To make flavored syrup, combine sugar, water, vinegar, cloves, cinnamon candies (or cinnamon sticks and food coloring) in a 6-quart saucepan.  Heat to a boil, stirring constantly.  Simmer 3 minutes.  Remove apples from anti-darkening solution and drain well.  Add to hot syrup and cook 5 minutes.  Fill half-pint or pint jars (preferably wide-mouth) with apple rings, leaving ½ inch headspace.  Fill jars to ½ inch from top with hot syrup.  Remove air bubbles.  Wipe jar rims.  Adjust lids.  Process 10 minutes (below 1,000 feet elevation) or 15 minutes (1,000-3,000 feet elevation) in a Boiling Water Bath.

 

Sweet Apple Relish is a perfect complement to barbecued meat. This recipe is also from So Easy to Preserve.

Sweet Apple Relish

(4 pint jars)

  • 4 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
  • 1 ¼ cup distilled white vinegar (5%)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 2/3  cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons whole cloves
  • 4 pieces stick cinnamon   (1 ½ inches each)
  • 1 teaspoon whole allspice

Immerse apples in a solution of 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid and 2 quarts of water to prevent browning. Combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 1/4 cups white vinegar, water, cloves, cinnamon and allspice; bring to a boil. Drain apples and add to syrup. Simmer 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove cinnamon sticks from syrup and place one piece in each jar. Fill hot fruit into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Fill jars 1/2 inch from top with boiling hot syrup. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids. Process 10 minutes (below 1,000 feet elevation) or 15 minutes (1,000-3,000 feet elevation) in a Boiling Water Bath.

Taking advantage of all of the wonderful apples this year will give you enjoyment all through the winter. Remember you don’t have to just make applesauce or pies.  Be adventuresome and try these new recipes that will become family favorites!

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.

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Family Gardening and Food Preservation

Beth Marrs

raspberriesMy oldest son after graduating from college, getting married and buying a house has become quite an urban gardener! This summer they planted about 15 different tomato and pepper plants. He has been supplying his neighbors and the family with wonderful produce. We have canned salsa, pickled peppers and frozen tomatoes. Some of our canning lessons have been in person but one was even done by Facetime! My how things change with technology! I love that they are interested in food preservation and that they want to learn the correct and safe way to do it!

Recently they transplanted some raspberry bushes from my daughter in laws family farm. They picked their first berries this spring but the production this fall on their everbearing bushes has been incredible! They have over 10 pounds in the freezer already with many more to pick. I thought I would share with you some of the recipes that I shared with them. Just use the attached links for recipes and directions for raspberry jam, raspberry jelly, raspberry syrup, freezing and canning. These are from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and are tested, research based recipes.

I have also shared with him information on maintaining healthy plants from our Extension and Outreach Horticulture specialists. He was having a problem with small black bugs and with the suggestions given he has eliminated the problem.

Little did I know when I started my job with AnswerLine how the resources that we have could not only help consumers that call in, but also be learning experiences that I can share with my family!

Now our middle son and his wife have purchased a house and are moving into it in November. One feature of the house is that it has a garden. I can’t wait to help them as they grow, can and freeze. The wonderful tradition continues.

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.

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Food Preservation, Horticulture, recipes
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Flu and Food Poisoning

Liz Meimann

FullSizeRenderThe AnswerLine staff got flu shots today.  As we move into the cold and flu season, callers sometimes ask how to tell the difference between the flu and food poisoning.  It can be difficult to tell if someone has the flu, or if they ate something that made them ill.

Generally speaking, many of the symptoms of the flu are similar to those of foodborne illness.  Symptoms such as fever, achy muscles, fatigue, and sinus congestion are more typical of the flu since it is more of a respiratory illness.  Food poisoning can cause nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, stomach or abdominal cramping/pain, or fever.  These symptoms relate to our digestive system which seems logical as food poisoning is due to something we ate. These symptoms can begin hours after eating or up to several days later.  The delay in feeling symptoms is what makes foodborne illness difficult to track.  It can be hard enough to remember what you had for breakfast.  Now imagine trying to remember what you had two or three days ago.

Foodborne illness occurs more often than we may think; one out of every six people is sickened each year.  That sudden illness that goes away the next day just may be due to something you ate. It is interesting to note that the people most susceptible to foodborne illness are the elderly, the very young, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems.

Remember that food does not always have to look or smell suspicious to contain enough bacteria to make us sick.  Frequent hand washing, avoiding cross contamination of surfaces, keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold will go a long way in preventing sickness in your home.

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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Food Safety
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Tips for using Green Tomatoes

Beth Marrs 10 Comments

Green Tomatoes

The leaves are starting to turn colors, the farmers are in the field and the nights are becoming cool! These are all signs that fall is here and the end of gardening is definitely in sight! Many home gardeners still have green tomatoes on the vine and they are calling us wondering what they can do to preserve them. Here are some steps for selecting, picking and storing tomatoes.

Selecting and Picking

  •  Pick ripe, nearly ripe and mature green fruits before frost occurs.  Mature green tomatoes are those with a glossy, whitish green fruit color and mature size.
  •  Select fruits only from strong healthy vines, and pick only those fruits free of disease, insect or mechanical damage.
  •  Remove stems to prevent them from puncturing each other.
  •  If dirty, gently wash and allow the fruit to air dry.

Storing

  •  Store tomatoes in boxes, 1 to 2 layers deep, or in plastic bags with a few holes for air circulation.
  •  If you have a cool, moderately humid room, simply place them on a shelf.
  •  Keep fruit out of direct sunlight.  They may be stored in the dark.
  •  As tomatoes ripen, they naturally release ethylene gas, which stimulates ripening.  To slow ripening, sort out ripened fruits from green tomatoes each week.  To speed up ripening, place green or partially ripe fruits in a bag or box with a ripe tomato.

Green, mature tomatoes stored at 65-70° F, will ripen in about 2 weeks.  Cooler temperatures slow the ripening process.  At 55° F tomatoes will slowly ripen, but may of inferior quality. Likewise if tomatoes are stored where the humidity is too high then the fruit can mold and rot.  If humidity is too low, the fruit may shrivel and dry out.  Since homes vary in humidity levels, you will need to learn by trial and error what works best for you.   Unfortunately tomatoes ripened indoors are not as flavorful as vine ripened fruits.  However, compared to store bought, you will be delighted with your own home ripened tomatoes.

If you would prefer to use the tomatoes when they are green and are looking for some recipes there are several to choose from including fried green tomatoes, green tomato pie, green tomato bread and green tomato relish. If you are interested in these recipes use this link to download the publication A Harvest of Green Tomatoes from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.

Whether you choose to ripen them or use them green you will be enjoying the fruits of your labor and the wonderful dishes that you can make from growing things in your garden.

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.

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Food Preparation, Food Preservation, Horticulture, recipes
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Celebrate National 4-H Week With US

Beth Marrs

national_4h_week_logo1Today is the first day of National 4-H week. Sometimes I think we take for granted what a wonderful program we have available for all our children. 4-H isn’t just for girls to learn how to cook and sew and boys to learn about livestock any more. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with learning how to cook or sew or care for livestock. 4-H can be about anything a member is interested in learning about. We now have clubs that specialize in culinary, robotics, rocketry, and technology. Just about any topic a member wants to learn about can be a project area and later an exhibit for the county fair. You don’t have to live on a farm to be involved in 4-H. In Story County, we have a large dog obedience program. The member’s dogs range from farm dogs to cherished “members of the family”.

Our children were able to learn an amazing array of skills while participating in 4-H. Conference judging gives members the opportunity to present themselves to a stranger and answer questions. These skills are a great benefit when those members apply for jobs and must interview for a position. Learning to speak in front of a group and feeling confident and competent with new skills are also lifelong benefits.

Over the years, younger children have wanted to join 4-H. Now kindergarteners are able to be Clover Kids which gives them opportunities to explore areas of interest and exhibit projects at the county fair.

Celebrate 4-H week with us. 4-H has been an important part of our lives and our family’s lives.

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.

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Child Development
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Applesauce time!

Liz Meimann 2 Comments

apple treeAs I walk around my yard in the evening, I’ve noticed that my apple tree has way more apples than I will be able to use again this year. Two years ago, I invited Beth and Carolyn out to our farm to pick apples. I’ll have to share the apples again this year. I may also need to make some applesauce from these great apples.

When my children were young, my husband and I would can about 80 quarts of applesauce every fall. It was a huge undertaking, but our family enjoyed it so much that it was worth the trouble. If you want to make some applesauce of your own and can it, you can do this in a boiling water bath canner. It is not a difficult recipe; unless you think you need to process 80 quarts of applesauce.

These days, now that my children are grown and have children of their own, I like to make and freeze my applesauce. I use the same recipe I used to can applesauce but I package it into freezer bags. These bags store in my freezer more efficiently than freezer containers. I just need to remember to cool the applesauce pan by setting my large cooking pot of applesauce into a sink-full of ice water for about half an hour. Stirring it occasionally will release heat and speed cooling of the applesauce. I would not want to stack large piles of boiling hot applesauce into my freezer. That would raise the temperature inside my freezer and the applesauce might take several days to cool enough to freeze. For best quality, it is important for food to freeze as quickly as possible once placed inside the freezer.

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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Food Preparation, Food Preservation, Food Safety
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