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Category: December 2022

The Cost of Holiday Cooking and Baking

holiday cookies
Happy Holidays!
Photo: Canva.com

It is no secret that the price of groceries has increased this year. In fact, the cost of food at home has increased 13 percent from this time last year. Reasons include production disruption by Mother Nature to supply/demand.

The recent Avian Influenza infection in poultry has led to the loss of at least 49 million commercially raised poultry. Therefore, eggs for baking and holiday turkeys will be more expensive.

Consumers are using more butter because of the desire to use natural foods. Butter is used in many baked goods so be prepared to pay the price as it has almost doubled from last year.

Will the higher costs dampen your holiday spirit? Be a smart shopper to help save some money. Study grocery ads for sale prices and buy a few extra if you can. Share those savings with others who may not have the time to shop.

For holiday meals, share the expense by asking guests to provide a menu item. Plan the menu now to take advantage of sale prices. Consider a progressive meal as a group and travel to each others homes for different stages of the meal. And the holidays don’t always have to be a full meal. Keep it simple with other activities and less food for a cost savings and less stress.

Sources: www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf and University of Minnesota Extension

 

Prepared Turkey Dinner Safety Tips

Save time and stress by ordering a prepared holiday dinner. Here some tips.

  • If picked up or delivered hot, keep the temperature above 140°F and eat within two hours.
  • If holding turkey longer than two hours, remove stuffing from turkey cavity, cut into smaller pieces and refrigerate. Reheat to 165°F.
  • If it is cooked and chilled, keep it cold. Serve within two days. If buying a whole turkey, divide it, keep cold, then follow directions to reheat. Do not reheat a whole turkey.

Go to the USDA Turkey from Farm to Table website for more information.

What is Listeria monocytogenes?

Listeria monocytogenes
L. monocytogenes can grow within a temperature range of 34-113°F.
Photo: CDC

A recent food recall tied to deli meat and cheese has identified Listeria monocytogenes as the bacteria causing illness in 16 people and one death. So what is this bacteria?

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by L. monocytogenes.  It primarily affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.

In pregnant women, symptoms can be fever and flu-like symptoms. Infections have led to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection in the newborn. In other people, symptoms include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions.

Symptoms typically appear 1 to 4 weeks after eating a contaminated food and even up to 70 days after exposure.

Other associated foods include hot dogs, deli salads, unpasteurized dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables. Prevention tips include cooking foods to safe temperatures, using pasteurized dairy products, preventing cross contamination and keeping surfaces and utensils clean.

 

Farmers Market Workshops

It is time to starting planning for the next season of farmers markets in Kansas!

Save the dates for the 2023 Farmers Market workshops to be held February 6-10, 2023. These will be held via Zoom from Noon to 1:00pm each day. Many topics are on the schedule to help you with many aspects of a farmers market.

Details will be coming soon and registration. Look for this information, and view the 2022 workshops, on the From the Land of Kansas website.

 

Can I Can My Favorite Soup Recipe?

Vegetable soups with or without meat or meat broth may be safely canned using the process time that takes the longest time as an individual ingredient. Most soups will take 60 to 90 minutes to process in a pressure canner depending upon size (pints or quarts) and ingredients. Never can soup in half-gallon containers.

Use caution to avoid packing ingredients into the jars. For vegetable soup, fill the jars half full of solids, add broth allowing 1 inch headspace and process in a pressure canner. Space is needed for the hot liquid to circulate between the food particles. Pieces of cooked beef or chicken can be added to the vegetables to make a vegetable meat soup.

There are no instructions for canning creamed soup or adding any flour, cornstarch, rice, pasta or cream.

Source: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/soups.html

 

Tomato Soup

Bake It, Then Taste It!

cookie
Photo: USDA ARS

One holiday tradition is making cookies to share. It is important to handle cookie dough safely to not spoil holiday fun.

Many cookies are shaped with your hands. Resist the temptation to lick your fingers or sample the cookie dough! Risks from eating raw eggs and uncooked flour, can increase your risk of getting a foodborne illness. Regardless of the brand or source of flour or eggs, the risk of foodborne illness is present when consumed raw.

Be sure hard surfaces to roll out cookie dough are clean and sanitized before and after dough has been in contact with the surface.

Wash your hands before and after handling cookie dough or any raw foods. Follow recipe instructions for baking cookies at proper temperatures and specified times.

For more information, see:

www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm508450.htm

 

No Recommendations for Canning Bacon

There are no science-based recommendations for canning cured, brined or corned meat. This includes ham and bacon.

Canning these forms of meat has not been in any USDA recommendations for decades. The texture of these meats can be firmer which slows heat penetration during canning. That would change the processing time. The canning procedures that are available are for fresh meat only and should not be used for any other form of meat.

The best method to preserve bacon, or other cured meat, is to freeze it for later use.

Bacon should not be added to vegetables, such as green beans, when canning.

Source: Clemson Cooperative Extension

Instructions for canning fresh meat, poultry and seafood can be found at the National Center for Home food Preservation.

Use Care with Stuffing!

Use these tips for preparing stuffing.

  • All stuffing and dressing must be cooked to 165°F.
  • Add stuffing to the turkey just before cooking the turkey.
  • Stuff turkey cavity loosely to allow heat to reach inside faster. Use 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey.
  • As an alternative, bake the stuffing in a casserole dish.

Food Safety Tips for Healthy Holidays can help guide you with easy tips for a food safe meal.

stuffing

Removing Odors from Refrigerators and Freezers

refrigerator
Monitor temperatures with an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer.
Photo: USDA Flickr

As winter approaches, so does the possibility of power outages. Refrigerators and freezers can hold cold temperatures for a short amount of time. But if power outages linger, food can become unsafe, spoil and can leave residual odors.

Food odors can be hard to remove. Dispose any spoiled or questionable food. Remove shelves, drawers, and ice trays to wash in hot soapy water. Rinse with a bleach sanitizer of one tablespoon bleach per gallon water. Wash the appliance interior with a mix of hot water and baking soda, then sanitize. Leave the door open to air dry. These steps may need to be repeated several times. Some other tips to remove odors are on the USDA website.

If meat juice or spoiled food has lingered in an appliance, it may have seeped into the insulation. At this point, the appliance may need to be discarded. Remove the door, if possible, or lock it in some manner to make it child proof.

 

Mailing Food Gifts Safely

Mailing foodReceiving food gifts can be a treat during the holidays. But not if they are not safe to eat.

Many food businesses ship food, including perishable food, and should be done overnight if possible. These foods must be kept cold. If there is any evidence of tampering, the temperature of the food is above 40°F, or anything else suspicious, do not consume and contact the company.

Shipping food yourself? Use a sturdy box, frozen gel pack or dry ice, label clearly, and be sure to notify the recipient it is on the way.

Many other tips can be found at Mail Order Food Safety from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.