Flexible salsa recipe

In the salsa canning classes from MU Extension's food preservation series, many participants ask if they can use their own recipe to can salsa. The answer to that is no, due to safety reasons.

Salsas are a mix of low acid (peppers, onions) and mid- to high-acid (tomatoes, lemon juice/vinegar) ingredients. If the proportion of those is off and the salsa is not acidic enough, botulism can survive the canning process and possibly make someone sick. Botulism does not like an acidic environment, so it is vital to make sure we follow a tested recipe with enough acidity to safely can our salsa in a boiling water bath canner. That's why low-acid foods are canned in a pressure canner, the temperature is much higher and will kill any botulism spores. Acidic foods (like a tested salsa recipe, as well as fruits, jams/jellies, pickles) can be canned in a boiling water bath canner. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has more information about safety on their "Ensuring Safe Canned Foods" webpage.

It is only recommended to use a tested recipe to can salsa, such as one from Ball Blue Book, USDA, National Center for Home Food Preservation, or a state Cooperative Extension (like University of Missouri Extension). It is perfectly fine to make your own recipe and freeze the salsa, or eat it fresh.

There is no inexpensive way to test homemade salsa recipes, but recently the National Center for Home Food Preservation tested and released a "choice" salsa recipe.

This recipe uses 6 cups of tomatoes, 9 cups of peppers/onions (you can choose the types of onions and peppers and what combination you want, but it must equal 9 cups), 1 1/2 cups of commercial lemon juice, and 3 teaspoons canning or pickling salt. Make sure you read through all of the instructions to properly prepare the ingredients.

You must also know your altitude before using a boiling water bath canning because the processing time will vary depending on altitude. In Missouri, you can find a map of the altitudes on the MU Extension guide sheet, "Before You Start to Can, Learn the Basics."

Other resources:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
National Center for Home Food Preservation choice salsa recipe
MU Extension Home Food Preservation guide sheets
MU Extension Tantalizing Tomatoes guide sheet

Coffee Day is September 29

This blog posting was also posted last year - but it deserves a repeat!

Many people like to start the day with a fresh cup (or cups) of coffee. In the past, it was believed that coffee could be harmful. But research has shown that, overall, there is little evidence of health risk and there is actually evidence of health benefits for adults consuming moderate amounts of coffee (3-4 cups per day, providing 300-400 mg per day of caffeine).

September 29 is National Coffee Day and there are reasons to celebrate this beloved beverage. Coffee has many health benefits. Preliminary studies have indicated these possible valuable benefits:

·         Lowers risk for Type 2 diabetes

·         Lowers risk for Parkinson's disease

·         Protects against development of colorectal cancer

·         Lowers risk for cirrhosis and liver cancer

·         Reduces risk for all-cause mortality

However, some people are more sensitive to the adverse effects of coffee so they should eliminate or reduce consumption. This includes:

·         Those that drink more than moderate amounts of coffee

·         Those with borderline or high blood pressure

·         Those who are sensitive to caffeine

·         Women who are pregnant (should limit to no more than 2-3 cups daily)

·         Older adults need to make sure they get plenty of vitamin D and calcium, because coffee can interfere with calcium absorption

·         Drinking coffee with meals that contain nonheme iron (non-animal sources of iron) can inhibit absorption of the iron. However, vitamin C can help offset that effect, or you can drink coffee between meals rather than during meals.

 

A plain cup of brewed coffee only has between 2 and 5 calories. But adding extras to our coffee can add extra fat and calories. Here are some common coffee drinks and the amount of calories and/or fat in each:

·         Iced coffee (without syrup or with sugar-free syrup) – 16 ounce has 90 to 140 calories and may have anywhere from 0 to 5 grams of fat, depending on how it is made

·         Hot chocolate (with 2% milk) – 16 ounce has between 300 and 400 calories and 9 to 18 grams of fat

·         Vanilla latte (with syrup and 2% milk) – 16 ounce has between 250 and 300 calories and 6 to 8 grams of fat

·         Sugar-free vanilla latte (with nonfat milk) – 16 ounce has between 90 and 150 calories and no fat (this option has quite a bit less fat and calories than the regular vanilla latte)

·         Pumpkin spice latte (with 2% milk) – 16 ounce has about 300 calories and about 6 grams of fat (switching to nonfat milk saves you about 50 calories)

·         Mocha (with 2% milk) – 16 ounce has between 200 and 450 calories and 8 to 12 grams of fat, depending on what type (switching to nonfat milk saves you 50+ calories)

·         Cappuccino that you buy at a convenience store would be similar to the mocha amount, and could have even more fat and calories if made with whole milk

·         Medium frappe or frappuccino (coffee with ice cream) – 16 ounce has 500+ calories and anywhere from 5 to 20 grams of fat, depending on what type

·         Whipped cream will add over 100 additional calories to any of these drinks

Many of these drinks only have small amounts of coffee, so the benefits would be less than drinking a cup of brewed coffee. It's best to limit these drinks and just stick to the plain cup of brewed coffee.

 

References:

Micronutrient webpage on coffee from Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University;
Starbucks and McDonalds nutrition webpages

This article is also available on the MissouriFamilies website

 

Storing herbs and garlic in oil

Storing herbs and garlic in oil for cooking may seem like a great pair for cooking and flavoring, but in fact, this can provide the perfect environment for the botulism toxin to survive and thrive.

Herbs, garlic, and oil are all low-acid foods. Botulism can make low-acid foods unsafe to eat if they haven't been properly stored or processed. Other low-acid foods include vegetables, meat, and mixtures of those two (spaghetti sauce with meat). All low-acid foods must be canned using a pressure canner to reach a safe temperature of 240 degrees F. Heating to that temperature for a specific amount of time (determined based on the food and size of the jar being used) will kill any botulism spores. There are currently NO recommendations to pressure can herbs, garlic, or oil mixtures. Cooking the garlic does not help prevent botulism either.

Commercial prepared mixtures of herbs, garlic, and oil have strict procedures that aren't available for home use. There is no safe way to prepare these at home. You cannot add vinegar or acid to a mixture to make it safe.

Herbs, garlic, and oil mixtures can be prepared fresh and stored in the refrigerator to be used within 2-3 days. They cannot sit out at room temperature because the "danger zone" (temperatures of 40-140 degrees, which includes room temperature) favors conditions for botulism to grow and reproduce. This toxin can cause serious illness if a food is consumed that has been contaminated. There is no way to smell or taste the toxin.

If you have done this before, do not do it again. Maybe no one got sick the time before, but all it takes it one time for someone to become very ill. There is no surefire way to tell if someone had a light case of botulism, sometimes we attribute food borne illness to something else - like indigestion or "I ate too much." Food borne illness can range from very light to very severe.

Herbs, garlic, and oil can be mixed and stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Or, just mix them into your recipes and cooking. Commercially prepared mixtures are fine, but don't try this at home!

 Resources:

• Colorado State University Extension also has some more information about flavored vinegars and oils. 
• The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a little more information about herb and oil mixtures.

Safe and healthy tailgating and barbeques

With football season underway and the end of the summer approaching, tailgates and barbeques are being enjoyed by many. Food safety is especially important during those two fun celebrations. Here are some ways to keep you and your family safe to prevent food borne illness, but still enjoy barbequing and tailgating.

1. Food should not be left out for more than two hours. When the temperature reaches 90 degrees, this is decreased to one hour. Temperatures lately have been in the 90's, so this is very important to remember. Bacteria grow very rapidly and can reach an unsafe level in that amount of time. A better idea is to keep the food cold in a cooler or refrigerator, but just place out what is needed and refill accordingly.

2. Keep everything clean. Wash your hands often and make sure plates and utensils are clean. Washing your hands is best, but if water is not available, hand sanitizer is a second option. Keep your kitchen (especially the sink) clean and clean up any messes from food.

3. Prevent cross-contamination. It is not necessary to wash "ready-to-eat" or "pre-washed" bagged greens or raw meat, because the risk of cross-contamination is high. Keep raw and cooked foods separate. If you are working with raw foods, make a bleach solutions of one tablespoon of bleach to one gallon of water to sanitize. Use this to wipe down surfaces and either wait 30 seconds to wipe off, or just let air dry.

4. Use a meat thermometer. This is the only surefire way to tell if a food is done. Poultry should be cooked to a temperature of 165 degrees F, steaks should be at least 145 degrees F, and ground meat should be 160 degrees F.

5. It is necessary to wash fruits and vegetables before eating. Think about how many people may have touched those foods before you eat them. Don't forget the ones that have a peel (bananas) too. The exception is "pre-washed" or "ready-to-eat" bagged greens. You should also wash canned goods before opening, to get off any dust or contaminants on that lid.

6. Do not thaw meat on the counter. If it reaches a temperature of 40 degrees for more than two hours, it is unsafe to eat and could potentially cause someone to get sick. Bacteria grow rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees, which is the temperature foods reach when you thaw on the counter. Plan ahead and thaw in the refrigerator, thaw in a cold water bath in the sink (change the water every 30 minutes), or thaw in the microwave just before cooking.

7. Cooking does not kill all bacteria. Cooking to a proper temperature does kill some harmful bacteria, but if that food has been left out and bacteria were able to multiply rapidly, they may have left behind dangerous toxins.

For more information, check out the FoodSafety.gov website.