Canning and Preserving Tips: Why Blanch?
Why blanch vegetables before freezing? Blanching vegetables before freezing is critical to quality, but not safety. Blanching is scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time. It is...
Category: Tasty Bites
Get Ready for Canning Season – Canning Tips from Dr. Susan Barefoot
Canning season is here! Here’s is a list of things to do RIGHT NOW so that your canning projects go as smooth and easy as possible! Start With Your Pressure Canner Three manufacturers, Presto,...
French Fry Alternatives
According to the USDA, the two highest consumed vegetables in the United States are potatoes and tomatoes. 40% of that potato consumption was frozen and 58% of the tomato consumption was canned. We...
Easter Ham Leftovers Make Great Ham Balls
Looking for a new recipe to help use up your leftover Easter ham? Move over egg salad sandwiches and ham casseroles, and let me introduce you to ham balls! If you have never heard of ham balls you...
Easter Egg Safety
A few years ago, I crossed paths with an individual who was eager to eat the dyed eggs after a lengthy outdoor Easter egg hunt. My reaction was “No! Don’t do that!”. Foodborne illness is a concern...
National Spinach Day
March is typically filled with just about everything green, from St. Patrick’s Day to a great time to start planting your spring leafy vegetables. March 26th is National Spinach Day and is also one...
Poke Bowls – This Year’s Food Fad
Poke bowls, fish salads, originated in Hawaii and then became popular in California. The popularity of this dish has spread across the United States in 2018 and into 2019. According to Eater.com,...
Snowman Hands Can Prevent Food-borne Illness
Yes, you read that right – snowman hands. When I started teaching food safety practices to children I wondered how to teach them about proper hand washing. We all know how important it is to...
Food Safety in a Power Outage – Tips from Dr. Susan Barefoot
I recently had a call from a South Carolina resident who lost power for more than 24 hours and wanted to know whether the foods in her freezer would be safe to eat. This is a very common problem in...
New Year, New Habits
Are you the person who every year swears that this is the year they are going to eat healthy and get in shape, but by February you’re back to your old habits? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most...
Q & A of the Week – Fruit Cake Storage
Q: The holidays have come and gone, but some of us still have leftover food lingering around, and others are stocking up on post-season grocery sales. We got an HGIC call this week from a gentleman...
Holiday Cooking
Reflecting on Thanksgiving and getting ready for round two. Here’s the takeaway: Start your kids in the kitchen early. One day they may make beautiful pies! Befriend someone who lives on a farm and...