Rawlins County

Category: Food

The Food Section of this blog will relay nutritional facts, label clarification, recipes and identify relevant food trends and topics.

Tomatoes Slow to Ripen?

Q: My tomatoes are not ripening! Do I have a problem with my soil or is there something I should be doing differently?
A: The extremely hot weather we have had recently not only interferes with flower pollination but also can affect how quickly fruit matures. The best temperature for tomato growth and fruit development is 85 to 90F. When temperatures exceed 100 degrees, the plant goes into survival mode and concentrates on moving water. Fruit development slows to a crawl. When temperatures moderate, even to the low to mid 90s, the fruit will ripen more quickly. Tomato color can also be affected by heat. When temperatures rise above 95 degrees F, red pigments don’t form properly though the orange and yellow pigments do. This results in orange fruit. This doesn’t affect the edibility of the tomato, but often gardeners want that deep red color back. So, can we do anything to help our tomatoes ripen and have good color during extreme heat? Sure, there is. We can pick tomatoes in the “breaker” stage. Breaker stage tomatoes are those that have started to turn color. At this point, the tomato has cut itself off from the vine and nothing will be gained by keeping it on the plant. If tomatoes are picked at this stage and brought into an air-conditioned house, they will ripen more quickly and develop a good, red color. A temperature of 75 to 85 degrees F will work well.

Caring for Cast Iron

Q: I am needing to know how to care for my cast iron pans and skillets to keep them in good shape!
A: With proper care cast iron cookware can withstand a lifetime of use. As pans and dutch ovens are passed down from generation to generation, they can actually handle several lifetimes! However, taking care of your cast iron does require some additional considerations. First, rinse your warm (but not hot), cast iron pan in an empty sink under hot running water and use a clean cloth or brush to remove any traces of food. If there are stuck on or burned on foods, use coarse salt as an abrasive. Dry the pan with paper towels and let it sit until it is bone dry (if it is already seasoned) or you can place the pan on a heated burner for just a minute to dry it. After it is dry, very lightly oil the inside of the pan using a paper towel. Use any food grade oil and be sure to rub it into the pan. The pan should have a sheen, but not be greasy. If you leave too much oil in the pan it will become rancid.
You may wonder if your cast iron pans and dutch ovens are clean enough by just running them under very hot water and using a brush to clean them. Remember it will get blazing hot in the five minutes that you will preheat it before using it. This high heat this will kill any harmful microorganisms. If you really feel you must, you can briefly wash cast iron pans in water that has a very small amount of dish detergent and then rinse and dry them thoroughly. This is not the most acceptable method since the soap disintegrates the seasoning on the pans. Seasoning is the term for oil baked onto the iron at high temperature; it is not a chemical non-stick coating.
After cleaning and drying your cast iron pans and dutch ovens place a couple of paper towels inside the pans to absorb any moisture that might form while they are stored in your cupboard. Store your cast iron cookware with the lids off especially in humid weather. When cast iron is covered moisture can build up and rust the pans. If that should happen they can be easily seasoned.
There are some do’s and don’ts when using cast iron pans. Do heat the pan slowly to desired temperature instead of placing a cold pan on high heat and do put room temperature foods into a heated pan rather than cold food from the fridge. Do not store leftovers in cast iron cookware, food and moisture will deteriorate the seasoned surface and cause it to rust. Never put cast iron pans in the dishwasher or let them soak in a sink of water. Never put cold liquid into a very hot cast iron pan as it can easily crack or warp. Some foods may stick to new cookware (especially eggs), so use a little extra oil or butter until you’ve built up the seasoning. Acidic foods such as tomatoes or beans can damage seasoning and should be avoided until the seasoning is well established.

Jerky Recall

Q: In lieu of the recent recall of Beef Jerky, let’s make sure our homemade products would pass a food safety test!
A: One establishment is recalling nearly five hundred pounds of beef jerky due to under-processing and potential survival of bacterial pathogens in the products. For more information on this recall, please visit: http://1.usa.gov/1OiSoEZ.
Drying is the world’s oldest and most common method of food preservation. The scientific principle of food dehydration is to remove moisture to a point where microbial growth (bacteria, yeast, and mold) and chemical reactions (enzymatic deterioration) cannot change the food during storage. The food shrinks, becomes lightweight, and is easier to store. However, illnesses due to Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 from homemade jerky raise questions about the safety of traditional drying methods. The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends heating meat to 160°F and poultry to 165°F to destroy bacteria. A dehydrator may not reach these temperatures, and most dehydrator instructions do not include this step. Maintain a constant dehydrator temperature of 130°F to 140°F. This speeds the drying process, removing water that allows microorganisms to grow and spoil the food. Do not rush the drying process by raising the temperature during drying. High drying temperatures cause “case hardening” which traps moisture inside the food and cause spoilage.
Jerky can be made from almost any lean meat, including beef, pork, venison or smoked turkey breast. Raw poultry is not recommended for jerky because of the texture and flavor of the finished product. Two methods can be used to heat jerky to safe temperatures: heating meat strips in marinade before drying, or heat dried jerky strips in an oven after drying. Both methods are described below. Heating marinated meat before drying may reduce drying time, but color and texture will differ from traditional jerky.
Partially freeze meat to make slicing easier. The thickness of the meat strips affects the safety. Slice meat no thicker than ¼ inch. Trim and discard all fat from meat because it becomes rancid quickly. If a chewy jerky is desired, slice with the grain. Slice across the grain if a more tender, brittle jerky is preferred. A tenderizer can be used according to package directions, if desired.
When arranging strips on dehydrator trays or in oven (preheated to 140°F), place the slices close together but not touching or overlapping. Dry until a test piece cracks but does not break when it is bent (10 to 24 hours for samples not heated in marinade). Samples heated in marinade will dry faster. Begin checking samples after 3 hours. Once drying is completed, pat to remove excess oil and cool. If the strips were not heated in marinade before drying, heat them in an oven afterwards to be safe. Place strips on a baking sheet, close together, but not touching or overlapping. For strips originally cut ¼ inch thick or less, heat 10 minutes in an oven preheated to 275°F. (Thicker strips may take longer to reach 160°F.)
Package dried jerky in glass jars or heavy plastic food storage bags. Vacuum packaging is also a good option. Homemade jerky is best used within 1 to 2 months. Refrigerate or freeze homemade jerky for longer storage.

Straw Bale Gardening

Q: We have lots of community interest in straw bale gardening, so I did a little research and here is what I found!
A: What better place to try this than in Kansas where straw is so abundant. First, some pointers.
It is best to use the “small” straw bales that are about 2 feet high and 3 feet long. Place the bale on edge so the twine doesn’t rot. Bales can be placed anywhere including concrete or asphalt, just make sure there is plenty of sun and watering is convenient. Bales must be conditioned before use. Water the bales and keep them wet for 3 days. The bale will start to heat up as it breaks down. On days 4, 5 and 6, sprinkle fertilizer on the top of each bale with 1 cup of ammonium sulfate (21-0-0) or ½ cup of urea (46-0-0). Water the fertilizer in. This speeds the decomposition process. On days 7, 8 and 9, continue to sprinkle fertilizer on each bale but cut the amount in half. Stop fertilizing on day 10 but keep the bale moist. Check for heat on the top of each bale for each day after day 10. When the temperature drops to below 100, the bale can be planted.
There are two methods of planting. The first is the Pocket Method. Make a hole for each plant several inches deep and fill with growing medium. You can also try the Flat Bed Method. Cover the top of the bale with 3 to 4 inches of growing medium. The growing medium can be well-aged manure, compost or potting soil. With either planting method it is possible to plant two cantaloupe, or two cucumbers, or three to four pepper plants, or two to three tomato plants.
Watering will be the most challenging aspect of management. The straw will dry quickly. A drip irrigation system on a timer can work well but may take some time to set up. Gardeners may also use soda bottles or milk jugs to water by poking drip holes in the lid, filling with water and then turning upside down next to the target plant. This information was taken from an excellent publication from Washington State University that includes much more detail as well as images. See http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/FS109E/FS109E.pdf .

Deep Cleaning Bakeware

Q: I am gearing up for lots of holiday baking, but have noticed a residue on my cookware. Any secrets to starting my holiday baking season with clean cookware?
A: Throughout the year, cooking certain types of food, such as recipes with cheese, gravies, eggs or pie fillings, can leave baked-on residue or food stains on your favorite dishes. In addition to having “recipe residue,” your non-stick cookware can also be susceptible to stains from minerals in water or excessive heat.
If you are using glass or ceramic bakeware, try soaking them in a solution of liquid dishwashing soap, a tablespoon of baking soda and water. You can use a plastic scouring pad with a mild abrasive cleaner or baking soda, but be sure to avoid metal scouring pads as these may scratch the surface.
If you are using non-stick cookware, plan on re-conditioning the pan with cooking oil or shortening after a deep clean and before its next use. Fill the pan with a solution of one quart water + one quarter cup coffee pot cleaner OR three tablespoons of oxygen bleach. Heat to simmering for fifteen to twenty minutes. Then wash, rinse and dry as normal.
For pots and pans, make a solution from one quart of water + two to three tablespoons cream of tartar, lemon juice or vinegar. Fill the pan and boil for ten to fifteen minutes. After cooling, scour the pan lightly with a steel wool soap pad.
Happy baking!

Effects of A Freeze on Forages

Q: What are the effects of freeze on forages?

A: If you haven’t experienced a freeze yet this fall, you soon will. When plants freeze, changes occur in their metabolism and composition that can poison livestock. But you can prevent problems. Sorghum-related plants, like cane, sudangrass, shattercane, and milo can be highly toxic for a few days after frost. Freezing breaks plant cell membranes. This breakage allows the chemicals that form prussic acid to mix together and release this poisonous compound rapidly. Livestock eating recently frozen sorghums can get a sudden, high dose of prussic acid and potentially die. Fortunately, prussic acid soon turns into a gas and disappears into the air. So wait 3 to 5 days after a freeze before grazing sorghums; the chance of poisoning then becomes much lower. Freezing also slows down metabolism in all plants. This stress sometimes permits nitrates to accumulate in plants that are still growing, especially grasses like oats, millet, and sudangrass. This build-up usually isn’t hazardous to grazing animals, but green chop or hay cut right after a freeze can be more dangerous. A hard freeze, down close to twenty degrees, will cause alfalfa to react in two ways. Nitrate levels can increase, but rarely to hazardous levels. Freezing also makes alfalfa more likely to cause bloat for a few days after the frost. Then, several days later, after plants begin to wilt or grow again, alfalfa becomes less likely to cause bloat. So waiting to graze alfalfa until well after a hard freeze is a good, safer management practice.

Ground meat safety from pasture to plate

Q: I have seen several recalls on ground meats lately and I am wondering what to look for. Is ground meat still general safe?
A: While contamination is a possibility, responsibility in preventing foodborne illness should be shared by everyone involved in the production chain to the consumer’s plate. When grinding meats, the outside surface of the product—where contamination is most likely to occur—is mixed with the untouched inside. If any contaminants are mixed in, they have the potential to multiply quickly. Contaminants that could be found include pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella, among others.
Ground meats such as beef are tested throughout the processing and packing process to help ensure any meat that could be contaminated doesn’t make it to the consumer. Therefore, recalls that occur mean the industry’s system is working to protect consumers.
At the store, consumers should look for the “best by” date on meat products. The ‘sell by’ date would just be an indicator for the store when it should be sold. If it’s a ‘best by’ date, that’s the date that you as the consumer could say, ‘It’s getting close to that date; maybe I won’t buy that one if I can’t eat or use it before then. Make sure the meat package isn’t torn and that it feels cold. After deciding to buy a meat product, make sure to keep it away from other groceries in the cart to prevent meat juices dripping onto other foods. Make the meat counter the last stop at the grocery store and the grocery store the last errand before returning home.
Once home, get meat into the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible. Check the temperature of the refrigerator to be sure it stays below 40 F. Bacteria such as listeria can grow at refrigerator temperatures, especially if the temperature creeps up to 50 F. It’s good practice to put raw meat into a plastic bag around the store packaging, so no juices drip into the refrigerator or onto other foods. Put meat on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator and ready-to-eat foods on the top shelves in case dripping occurs. Any other surfaces that raw meat products touch directly, such as countertops or sinks, should be cleaned and sanitized well.
The best way to thaw any meat is in the refrigerator. Do not thaw on the counter or in the sink, because the outside of the product could get up to room temperature while the inside is still frozen. Room temperature is a perfect environment for microorganisms to multiply. Consumers can also use the microwave to thaw meats, but be sure to cook that meat right away. Don’t thaw it in the microwave and try to put it back in the refrigerator. You can also thaw meat in cold water, just make sure the water is changed often and is staying cold. Don’t use hot water. Put a bag around the outside, so the package doesn’t leak and you don’t get water into your meat.
When cooking, always use a meat thermometer to ensure the product gets to the minimum temperature for doneness for the specific meat product. Color is not a good indicator of doneness, particularly for ground meats.

Tomatillo

Q: We had tomatillos growing in a community location, but they were ripped out early because it was thought they were poisonous prior to cooking. Are there precautions to growing tomatillos?
A: The tomatillo, otherwise known as the Mexican husk tomato, can be eaten both raw and cooked. It is a staple in Mexican cuisine, seen primarily in green sauces such as salsa verde. The tomatillo fruit is surrounded by an inedible, paper like husk. As the fruit matures it fills the husk, which turns brown and often splits open by harvest.
When planting your garden, it is important to note the tomatillos are highly self-incompatible, meaning it takes two or more plants for proper pollination. Isolated tomatillo plants will rarely set fruit. Several cultivars are available; sweeter purple and red varieties as well as more tart green and yellow varieties.
Ripe tomatillos will keep refrigerated for about two weeks, longer if the husks are removed and the fruit is placed in sealed plastic bags. They may be frozen whole or sliced.

Stocks vs. Broths

Q: I made a recipe that called for stock but I used broth. What is the difference?
A: Many recipes use stock or broth. Is there a difference? By definition, a stock is made from meat and bones. It may or may not have other ingredients such as vegetables and seasonings, known as a “mirepoix.” Typically the vegetables are roughly chopped and include onions, carrots and celery. The bones add body to the liquid. When it is chilled it will become thick. Stocks have a fuller mouth feel and richer flavor, due to the gelatin released by the bones during their long simmer. Stocks should be used when a sauce is to be reduced significantly or when clarity of the final result is preferred.
Broth is made from meat, vegetables and seasonings. The primary flavor is from the meat. It will also have a thinner consistency. Broths can be substituted for stock when the body of the liquid or clarity isn’t important and when the liquid will be thickened by addition of a starch.

Home Preservation – Freezing

Q: I am interested in freezing my garden produce and potentially some freezer meals, what do I need to know?

A: Freezing food is easy, convenient, and the least time-consuming food preservation method. But freezing food is a science because of the chemical and physical changes that occur over freezer storage time.

Freezing does not kill bacteria, it only slows down the growth of bacteria and slows the enzyme activity which can affect the quality of the food. Freezing will affect the texture of any food because the water in the food expands and breaks cell walls. This results in softer products, especially in fruit. Quality is also affected by fluctuating temperatures during freezer storage. Foods may thaw slightly, then refreeze and ice crystals form on the package. For best storage, keep the freezer below 0°F, this helps retain vitamin content, color, flavor and texture.
Freshness and quality at the time of freezing affect the condition of frozen foods. If frozen at peak quality, thawed foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen near the end of their useful life. The freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients. In meat and poultry products, there is little change in nutrient value during freezer storage.

Color changes can occur in frozen foods. The bright red color of meat as purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety. This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage. Freezing doesn’t usually cause color changes in poultry. However, the bones and the meat near them can become dark. The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or over-lengthy storage.

Enzyme activity does not harm frozen meats or fish and is neutralized by the acids in frozen fruits. But most vegetables that freeze well are low acid and require brief, partial cooking to prevent deterioration. This is called “blanching.” Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. Blanching cleanses the surface of dirt and organisms, brightens the color and helps retard loss of vitamins. Blanching also wilts or softens vegetables and makes them easier to pack. Blanching time is crucial and varies with the vegetable and its size. Underblanching stimulates the activity of enzymes and is worse than no blanching. Overblanching causes loss of flavor, color, vitamins and minerals. Be sure to look up instructions on blanching times for all vegetables. More information can be found at: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_freeze_veg.pdf