Food Safety

Buying large to break down into small is not practical and possibly unsafe. Buying large tins of canned foods, such as tomatoes and vegetables, can certainly save a lot of money, but not if you can’t consume the product before it spoils. Buying in bulk with the intention of breaking the contents (or…

That's rutin; weird looking, but perfectly safe to eat If you’ve ever canned your own pickled asparagus, you may have been surprised at some point to find little crystals deposited along the spears. These crystal formations are rutin, which is a pigment that occurs naturally in asparagus. Usually…

Safe Preserving Resources  There are many books and websites covering food preserving, but unfortunately not all of them provide good advice. Some sources provide processes or recipes that are downright dangerous. So where do you turn for research-based, reliable information? Or to find safe information…

Safe ingredient swaps for home-canned salsa Salsa contains a combination of high- or borderline high-acid ingredients (such as tomatoes or fruit) and low-acid ingredients (such as peppers, onions, or other vegetables). Acid in the form of vinegar or bottled lemon juice is added to ensure the appropriate…

Salt is salt is salt - except when it's more than salt Salt is an essential mineral for health and one of the five basic human tastes. It’s indispensible in the kitchen for many reasons beyond taste. Whether gathered from coastal or inland salt pans, evaporated from sea water, or mined from salt…

Slow cookers are safe devices when used correctly Slow cookers (aka “crock pots”) work by cooking food at a low temperature (generally between 170-280°F) for several hours. Direct heat from the pot, steam, and long cooking times combine to destroy bacteria, making foods safe to consume.Some specific…

From a food safety perspective, the answer is out The USDA recommends against cooking stuffing inside the cavity of whole turkeys, for one main reason: bacteria. Warm, moist stuffing is an ideal environment in which bacteria can proliferate, potentially causing foodborne illness. Stuffing that’s cooked…

Sure, you can, but they may not be the best pick Supersweet varieties of corn are popular because – well – super sweet! They are wonderful for fresh eating, but supersweet and white varies of corn are not necessarily the best choices for canning. Canning supersweet and white varieties of corn do not…

Pressing T-Day turkey questions need fast answers! It’s the big day, you’re wrangling the big bird (and many other things), and YIKES, you have a question about how to defrost it or cook it or stuff it or whatever. If you don’t have a knowledgeable friend or family member around, who do you turn to?…

A thermometer is only helpful if it's accurate  A kitchen thermometer is one of the best tools to have on hand to ensure quality and safety when cooking and preserving. They come in a variety of types, from dial-stem meat thermometers to glass candy thermometers to digital thermometers with wireless…