Harrison County

Extension Connection
Fall, 2001

The Turkey for You  (November 16, 2001)

Did you ever start out to cook or bake something and realize in the middle you didn’t have a certain ingredient? Or are there some ingredients that are sold in large quantities that you only use occasionally? Here are some substitutions that may come in handy this holiday season.

Source: FOOD REFLECTIONS Newsletter, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County  http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftfeb01.htm 

It’s over a week since Thanksgiving. Are you still eating on leftover turkey? I hope not. One way to keep yourself and those you feed healthier is to keep leftovers safe. With cold and flu season going into full swing, we don’t need to add food-borne illness to the mix.

Here are some tips for storing common leftovers safely:

If you decide to freeze leftovers, freeze them right away for best quality and safety in storage. For more information on storing foods, contact me or ask for A Quick Consumer Guide to Safe Food Handling, MP 689, from your local University of Missouri Extension Center.

Thursday is Thanksgiving. Here are some planning tips for preparing a meal with turkey.

If you’re going to buy a fresh turkey, buy it one to two days before the feast. If you’re buying frozen, better buy it soon if you haven’t already. Be sure there’s room in the freezer if you are buying well ahead of time though.

When buying a whole bird think about how many guests you plan to serve and figure about one pound per person. Each person may not eat a full pound of turkey meat but this estimate includes the weight of bones and innards too. If you’ll just serve the turkey breast, count on ¾ pounds per person. And if it will be a boneless breast of turkey, estimate ½ pound per person eating.

One safe way to thaw a frozen turkey is to take it from the freezer and place it in its original wrapper in the refrigerator. Lay it in a pan to catch any juices that may leak out in the process. Position it at the bottom of the fridge so that raw juices don’t accidentally spill onto other fresh foods.

Leave about 24 hours to thaw by this method per 5 pounds of turkey. So if your turkey is 8-12 pounds, you’ll need 1-2 days to thaw it. If it’s 12-16 pounds, it needs to go into the refrigerator 2-3 days before the big meal. 16-20 pounds takes 3-4 days and 20-24 pounds takes 4-5 days.

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Many have enjoyed carving up a pumpkin this week. Some see the food value of pumpkins besides and want to use every part of it. The roasted seeds can make a tasty treat for any time. Here’s how.

Remove the seeds and clean them thoroughly before roasting. Place in a colander and put under cold running water. It’s kind of squishy and slimy – a fun job that the children in your life may enjoy. Lay out in single layer to air dry.

The next step depends on how you like your seeds. For spicy seeds, toss pumpkin seeds with ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil and 1-teaspoon salt. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. Stir frequently for even roasting. Cool and store in an airtight container.

For Ranch-flavored pumpkin seeds, mix a small packet of ranch dressing mix and 2 tablespoons of oil and toss seeds with the mixture. Roast as before, in a shallow pan at 250 degrees for 1 hour. Again stir often for even roasting. Cool and store in an airtight container.

For salted seeds inside and out, combine 6 cups of water, 1-teaspoon salt and 2 cups of clean pumpkin seeds. Boil for 10 minutes and drain. This lets the seeds soak up that salty water. Place seeds in a shallow baking pan and bake at 225 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown. Remove from the oven. Cool and store in an airtight container. To keep roasted seeds longer, seal and store in the freezer.

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E, a good source of thiamin, and a fair source of iron, magnesium, copper, and zinc. Seeds also contain protein and fiber. So not only do they taste good, they are good for you too.

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Cold season is here. Colds are caused by viruses. This means they cannot be successfully treated with antibiotics since these drugs don’t destroy them. But colds don’t have to get us down. Students around Northwest Missouri receiving the Show-Me Nutrition series from University of Missouri Extension Nutrition staff are learning how to prevent the spread of colds and keep themselves from catching one. The most important way to fight off colds is frequent hand washing.

Here are the steps to success to keeping hands germ-free:

ü      Wet hands with warm water.

ü      Soap up and make lots of lather.

ü      The next step is very important: rub and scrub both hands for twenty seconds. That means getting front and back of both hands, between fingers, under fingernails, all the way up to the wrists, for twenty seconds. Twenty seconds is longer than you might think. Try timing it sometime, to see just how it feels. You may be surprised!

ü      Rinse the dirty, germy soap off.

ü      Dry hands on a clean towel or on a paper towel.

There are other measures we can take to lessen the chance of catching a cold. Keep body fluids level up by getting lots to drink. Water, juice and milk are good choices. Orange, grapefruit and other 100% citrus fruit juices are excellent sources of Vitamin C. Although Vitamin C has not been proven to cure a cold, studies show that it can help boost the immune system. Staying well rested also helps keep the immune system up and running.

Children are more susceptible to colds because they are more likely to share germs. Teach the children in your life to wash their hands well and often, to cover their sneezes and coughs and not share eating utensils or food. And remember, children learn by example.

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In early October a man came in the office rubbing his head. He shared a word of wisdom: “Don’t walk under the walnut trees this time of year!” Like Chicken Little, his sky was falling. Now the tree nut harvest is in full swing. So what can be done with all those walnuts (or hickory nuts or hazel nuts)? Here are some ideas.

Storing Nuts

Nuts are high in oil and so can become rancid or stale if not stored right. If left to their own devices, they can also become wormy. For year round use, store nuts as soon as they are thoroughly dry. For harvesting or collecting, hulling and drying walnuts, see Home Production of Black Walnut Nutmeats, G 5100.

Store unshelled nuts in airtight containers in a dry, dark place, 70°F or cooler. The nuts will stay fresh this way for about four months.

Freezing Nuts

Freezing nuts keeps them much longer. Avoid freezer burn or they can become pithy. To freeze walnuts, pecans, hickories and other nuts (except chestnuts), place nuts in a damp place overnight to prevent brittleness of the kernels while cracking. Shell nuts, keeping nutmeats as whole as possible. Spread in a thin layer to dry for 24 hours. Package in airtight bags for freezing.

If you have lots of chestnuts, choose fully mature ones to freeze. Slit shells of chestnuts to prevent exploding during heating. Spread chestnuts in a single layer on a shallow pan. Heat in a 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and package in a freezer container. Seal and freeze.

Roasting Nuts

Roasting nuts brings out their full flavor. Roasted nuts don’t stay fresh for more than 2 or 3 weeks, so only roast as many as can be eaten in that time. To roast, spread shelled nuts in a shallow pan and bake at 350°F for 5 to 12 minutes. Stir occasionally. Nuts are done when they turn golden brown. Nuts will continue to brown a little after they are removed from the heat.

For richer nut flavor and for adding other flavorings, mix each cup of nutmeats with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil before roasting. This also helps to produce more even browning. If you like, sprinkle the hot, roasted nuts with a little salt or other flavorings. Spread on paper towels to cool and drain.

You can also roast nutmeats on top of the stove in a heavy skillet. Just heat for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Stir frequently.

Source: Nuts – From Harvest to Health, MP 602

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In these days when the world seems to have been turned upside-down and inside out, Dayle Hayes, of EAT RIGHT Montana’s Real Guidelines for Real People campaign, put it very well when she wrote, “My nutrition thoughts today are not about what to eat, but about how to eat. Since the beginning of human culture, eating together has been important to families and communities – and rituals that bind us together.”

She goes on to suggest tips on how to go about doing this “sharing of food” to bring comfort to ourselves and to those we care about.

Cook together. Preparing food is a loving way to share time and bring generations together. Measuring, stirring, and chopping can be as comforting as other routine, everyday tasks.

Eat together. Make family meals a real priority as often as you can. If you live alone, reach out to family, friends or co-workers – and break bread together.

Turn off the television. Even in normal times, television makes it hard to eat well. The repetitive images of recent destruction and talk of impending hard times can literally make us sick to our stomachs. Take a break from the news and focus on the tastes, smells and textures of food.

Take time to share. Slow down and share – food, fellowship, memories, tears, laughter, and the joy of time together. Even small children can learn to share in conversations at the table. Give everyone time to share what is important to them.

Take the time to enjoy the food and comfort that sustains us.

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For more information on these or any other topics, please contact your local University of Missouri Extension center. University of Missouri Extension programs are open to all.

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		University of Missouri Extension Harrison County harrisonco@missouri.edu Updated 12/13/06 Barb Ubben