On Monday, I wrote about problems that you might experience when you are baking a pie. Freezing pies is another topic of interest to callers. We tell callers that they can either freeze the pie raw or cooked. A raw frozen pie baked just before serving it will taste fresher.

If you want to bake the pie first and then freeze it, the directions are pretty simple. Bake the pie, allow it to cool, wrap well and freeze. To serve this pie, thaw it in the refrigerator. If you want to warm the pie, set it inside a warm, not hot oven, for 5-10 minutes.

If you want to freeze a fruit or berry pie, make as usual but add an extra tablespoon of flour or tapioca or one-half tablespoon of corn starch to the filling. This will prevent those juicy fillings from running over in the oven. Do not cut a vent into the top crust at this time; wait until baking to cut the vent. Freeze the pie at this point and then wrap it tightly after freezing. To bake this pie, first cut the vent holes in the top crust. Bake it without thawing at 450° F. for 15-20 minutes.  Then reduce the temperature to 375° F for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the top crust is browned.

You may be surprised to know that you can freeze a pumpkin pie before baking it. Prepare both the crust and filling as usual. Chill the filling before pouring it into the crust. Freeze and then wrap this pie as you would the fruit or berry pie. When you are ready to bake it, bake without thawing at 400° F. for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the temperature to 325° F to finish baking. Test for doneness by inserting a knife half way between the center and edge of the pie. When the knife comes out clean, the pie is done.

This is a good time of year to do some experimenting with freezing pies. You may find that a frozen pie or two helps with that next big holiday meal.

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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Pie problems are a common call at AnswerLine. I had a little time recently, so I thought I’d do a little research to help me answer callers questions. I used our Keys to Good Cooking book by Harold McGee and did a bit of reading.

Probably our most common call is about soggy bottom crusts on a pie. The book had several solutions for this issue. I was surprised when I read the first tip for a crisp bottom pie crust. McGee suggests using a crust recipe that includes egg. He states that a flaky crust (baked without egg) more easily adsorbs liquid. That makes sense, if you think about it. His second tip was one we often suggest. Blind bake the crust–which is baking a pie crust without the filling inside. You can line the crust with parchment paper and use either dry beans or pie weights to prevent the crust from shrinking or puffing up while baking. McGee also suggests coating the pre-baked crust with an egg wash and returning the crust to the oven to dry the crust before filling and baking the crust fully.

Of course, you can come at this problem in a different direction. Instead of treating the pie crust, you can ensure that the filling is precooked and thickened before adding it to the pie crust. Fruit fillings often release a lot of liquid during the baking time and if you have not added enough thickener, you can have a really runny pie. If you thicken the filling before placing it in the crust, you can reduce the chance of a soggy bottom crust.

Another issue that bakers have is taking a custard pie out of the oven and having the custard become thin and watery. This happens if you don’t heat the custard filling hot enough to destroy an enzyme found in the egg yolk that can liquefy the custard. Bake the custard pie to 180°-190° F to destroy the enzyme.

Use these tips if you want to cure a soggy bottom.

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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My favorite hobby is sewing; especially quilting. When I started having grandsons, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to share my love of sewing and quilting with grandchildren. After I thought about it a bit, I realized that I can share my love of sewing and quilting with boys as easily as with girls. We may be sewing different things with the grandsons than I would have with granddaughters but it is just as much fun. Every year, when we head out to Idaho to visit our grandsons I plan a sewing project.

The boys are finally old enough to work with patterns and follow the written directions. I like to choose the pattern before we leave Iowa as I can ensure the pattern will be easy to follow with a little guidance from me.

This year and last year, we opened the patterns and looked at the instructions before heading out to the fabric store. We circled the size we planned to make so that we were prepared when we selected fabric. They boys choose a fabric, take the bolt to the cutting counter, and tell the clerk how much fabric they need. The also read the pattern to select any thread or notions they might need to construct their garment. Of course, this is the fun, easy part of the process. They do love to shop at the fabric store.

I find it easiest to work with one child at a time. We preshrink fabric if needed and then cut out the pattern pieces. Pinning the pieces onto the fabric and explaining straight of grain makes this process take a bit of time. Explaining that careful cutting saves time later is often a difficult concept for them to understand.

I’ve taught them to pin the pieces together and I try to get them to sew slowly enough to follow the seam guide imprinted on the needle plate. Their skills have improved over the years, but it is still hard to sew a long seam or a curvy seam. This year, I set in the sleeves on a pajama top and I always take out mistakes for the boys when they make an error. I want sewing to be fun and challenging, not discouraging.

Choosing pajama or shorts patterns ensures that the finished garment will be useful. They are always proud to wear something they made themselves.

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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This winter started out so mild that it didn’t seem that we would need to even think about frostbite or take precautions to prevent it. Now that the weather has turned much colder, frostbite is something that everyone should consider. My daughter was outside for a long time shoveling snow in the driveway and noticed that her face was red and painful when she went inside the house.

Frostbite can damage both the surface of your skin and the structure underneath. If the frostbite is severe enough, it can even damage muscle and bones. This damage can be permanent. Exposed skin is the most vulnerable but even skin covered by clothing can be frostbitten.

A milder form of frostbite is called frostnip. I think that this might be what my daughter experienced. This form does not cause permanent damage. Actual frostbite does require medical treatment to prevent complications such as infection and possible nerve damage.

If you spend much time outside in the cold, pay attention if you feel a prickling sensation on your skin. This is the first sign of frostbite. After the prickling sensation, your skin can become numb. It can also change color; it may turn red, white or blue-gray. It can feel hard or look waxy. You may notice that your are moving slow or feeling clumsy. After the skin warms again, you may notice blisters if you have a severe case of frostbite. Seek medical attention. The most common places on the body for frostbite are your ears, fingers, toes, or face.

Take precautions to avoid frostbite when you are spending prolonged time outside this winter. Go inside and warm up if you begin to feel uncomfortable in the cold.

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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Now that the holidays are past, we see people leaving our cold Iowa and Minnesota winter weather for a warmer location. Depending on the length of time you plan to be gone, there are some steps you should take to prepare your home.

There are some things that we do every time we leave home for a vacation. Stopping the mail and newspaper delivery is common. Putting one or two lights in you home on a timer to give the appearance that someone is home. Asking your neighbor to park a car in your drive occasionally while you are gone. These efforts are pretty common. If you plan to be gone for an extended time, there are other things you might want to consider.

Lowering the thermostat can save you money; it isn’t necessary to keep an empty home toasty warm. Just be sure that the temperature inside your home is high enough to prevent frozen pipes during an extended period of really cold weather. Unplugging small appliances, think toaster or computer, can help conserve electricity and prevent fire. Shutting off the water, or draining the water heater can prevent problems if pipes do freeze.

There are a few steps you may not consider but are worth doing. Often credit card companies try to protect us if there are a number of charges not typical for your account. Notify your credit card company before you leave town. Check your smoke detectors; it could help stop a fire from getting out of control in your absence. Of course, you will want to leave contact information and a key with a trusted neighbor. You may want to arrange snow removal in your absence; some towns have fines if the sidewalks are not cleared within 24 hours of a snowstorm. Cleaning out the refrigerator and discarding food that will spoil in your absence will make life easier when you return. Remember to take out the trash. Cleaning out the garbage disposal with some lemon can also eliminate odor while you are gone.

Enjoy your travels, knowing that you have taken steps to ensure your home will be safe while you are gone.

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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Our first prolonged winter weather has many callers cleaning and organizing their cupboards. We are always happy to answer caller’s questions about food safety.

The most common call we have about food expiration dates is the shelf life of eggs. We tell callers that the date marked on an egg carton is a sell by date not a use by date. We remind them they have an additional month to use the eggs.

Callers often want to know if a can of food they found at the back of the cupboard is still safe to eat. The quality of the food will decline over time, but the contents remain safe. The best if used by date on a can of food refers to the manufacturers estimation of the time frame that their food will be at peak quality if the food is eaten on or before the date marked on the can. If the can is dated within the past 3 years, the food inside should be safe to eat. However, if the can is dented, bulging, or rusty, the food should be discarded

Our new copy of the Joy of Cooking has a great chapter on Keeping and Storing Food. The book provides guidelines on storing pantry items, canned food, spices, cereals, oils, pasta, and other things you might have on hand. We also use a research based website for information on the safety of food.

We often get questions from callers about food that has been frozen for several years.Callers often ask about a date on the package that says use or freeze by a particular date. If the freezer has been continuously running below zero degrees, then the food inside the freezer will remain safe to eat. The quality of the food will decline over time, but the food will not make you sick from bacterial contamination. We often advise callers to have a back up plan for a meal they make from older frozen food, just in case it is not unpalatable.

Remember that we are just a phone call away if you have questions about food you find when you are cleaning. In Iowa, 1-800-262-3804 or Minnesota, 1-800-854-1678. If you have a phone that has neither Iowa or Minnesota area codes on it, call 515-296-5883. We look forward to hearing from you.

Reference to any commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporate name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind. Persons using such products assume responsibility for their use and should make their own assessment of the information and whether it is suitable for their intended use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.

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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It may seem a bit early to be thinking about County Fairs, but the updated Foods for Iowa 4-H Fairs – Quick Reference Guide is now available in the Extension Store. Each year, for the past few years, we have updated this guide to assist 4-H members, their parents, 4-H leaders, and fair judges in preparing and evaluating exhibits. At times, the rules may seem confusing, arbitrary, or even unfair to some people. The rules are actually designed to ensure the safety of fair judges as they evaluate foods at the fair and the safety of the general public as they view exhibits and gain knowledge from the exhibits.

We get a lot of questions about what foods can be exhibited at both county fair and the Iowa State Fair at AnswerLine. We consult the publication and advise callers to the best of our knowledge. Often callers want to know why we did not list everything in the guide. It really would be impossible for us to list everything that a 4-H member might want to exhibit. We have tried to use broad categories to describe different food products. Listing the foods in the chart style allows for a quicker reference than reading through several pages listed in paragraph form.

The only two real changes for this year are the discontinuation of using the Ball brand books as safe tested resources for food preservation exhibits. At this time, Iowa is one of several states in the midwest disappointed at the direction the Ball brand has taken with research and development of their recipes. This year only, 2020, we will allow exhibits using the Ball branded information at the fair. The reasoning for this is that 4-H members may have already processed their exhibits for the 2020 fair in the fall of 2019 and it would be unfair to disqualify those exhibits. Next year, we will strictly follow the change in the rules that only allows USDA, National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Extension information as trusted resources.

The other change is in frosting allowed on exhibits. We are waiting on some research being done by Kansas State University on butter cream frostings to ensure that frostings on baked goods will be safe when sampled at the fair. Many of the frostings that members choose have too much moisture in them and could potentially harbor bacterial growth.

Please call or email AnswerLine if you need some clarification on what foods are considered safe to exhibit at the fair this summer.

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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I have to admit – this was a new one to me. My sister was planning a Galentine outing for friends and I had no idea what she was talking about! Apparently this is a widely celebrated fake holiday invented by Amy Pohler’s character on the show “Parks and Recreation”. 

Galentine Day is recognized on February 13th and celebrates platonic friendships, usually among women. It’s a day for showing some of the most important people in your life how much you care about them.

Some Galentine Day celebrations center around brunch or a wine and cheese happy hour. Others celebrate by making a reservation at a fancy restaurant or going as a group to get manicures and pedicures. Whatever you choose to do, it’s a nice way to celebrate friendship.

Happy Galentine Day!

Marcia Steed

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Home Economics Education. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and traveling.

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A real perk of working for AnswerLine is that we are housed in the same building (MacKay) as the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom!

If you are not familiar with the Tearoom, it is run by students who take the semester long class. They plan, prepare and serve each meal. Once the semester gets going they are open for lunch Tuesdays through Fridays. Reservations are required to eat lunch at the tearoom but if you happen to be on campus and did not make a reservation they also have a grab and go option available as supplies last.

Getting to the Tearoom is easy. Free parking is available at the ISU Commuter Hub just south of CY Stephens Auditorium. From there you can get on the CyRide Free Circulator bus and it will drop you off right in front of MacKay!

It is a wonderful experience for the students and they take great pride in their work. If you are in the Ames area or are planning to be before the end of the school year I hope you will consider enjoying and supporting the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom!

Marcia Steed

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Home Economics Education. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and traveling.

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We have recently been getting some calls about ways to boost Vitamin D in diets. It is especially hard during the Winter months to incorporate enough vitamin D in our diets without the help of the sun. 

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin essential for bone health and helping the body absorb and use calcium in bones and teeth. It also helps build the immune system and regulate cell growth. It is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. 

Foods that are good sources of Vitamin D include egg yolks, milk, cheese, fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel, sardines and beef liver. Vitamin D fortified products include some cereals, bread, orange juice, yogurt and soy milk.

Vitamin D is often considered the “sunshine” vitamin. This is because a vitamin D precursor is produced in the skin upon exposure to the ultraviolet B rays of the sun. This precursor travels through the bloodstream to the liver and kidneys where it is turned into the active form of Vitamin D. Typically 5 to 15 minutes three times a week with exposure to the sun on bare skin is more than enough to get the benefits. Of course that effectiveness is affected by several things: geographic location, sunscreen use, and age being at the top of the list.

If you are not getting your daily dose of Vitamin D from foods and/or sunlight, you might want to consider taking a supplement. The current RDA for Vitamin D is 400 IU for infants up to 1 year of age; 600 IU for ages 1 to 70; and 800 IU for ages 71 and above. Because Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, it is best to take the supplement with food. Always consult with your medical professional before starting a Vitamin D or any supplement.

Marcia Steed

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Home Economics Education. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and traveling.

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