Topics by Janet Hackert, Nutrition Specialist:

Fun Lunches (August 25, 2000)
Safe Produce – It’s in Your Hands (August 18, 2000)
Cucumbers Galore (August 11, 2000)
Wash those Melons (August 4, 2000)
Play Hard (July 28, 2000)
Canning Peaches (July 21, 2000)
Produce in Season (July 14, 2000)
Meat Thermometers (July 7, 2000)

Fun Lunches (August 25, 2000)

Now the challenge is to not only get those nutrients into a sack lunch, but to make it appealing enough to be eaten. For example, it’s good to have a serving of fruit at lunch, but be creative enough that it doesn’t come back home at the end of the day or get tossed out in the cafeteria. Many kids like peanut butter and jelly. Try peanut butter and banana or blueberry or apple sandwiches for a switch. Or stir cut-up fresh fruit into low-fat yogurt and freeze. This one not only is a chilly treat, in an insulated lunch box it can also help keep other perishable foods cold till lunch.

Be creative with sandwiches, too. There are lots of kinds of sandwich starters: whole wheat, rye or pumpernickel bread, corn or wheat tortillas, pita bread or crackers. And the fillers can be interesting too. Lunchmeat and pb and j are pretty typical, but there’s also tuna, packed in water, sliced leftover meat from a previous supper, or whatever sounds tasty to your student. At Summer School this year we made a bean dip that was a real hit and so easy to make: a can of kidney beans, drained and mixed with a little ketchup and vinegar for flavor. Top with salsa for zip, color and a little more veggie power. Served rolled in a tortilla or in a dish with tortilla or pita wedges to scoop it with could be a welcome change "the same old, same old."

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Safe Produce – It’s in Your Hands (August 18, 2000)

Keeping fresh produce safe to eat is not an impossible task. Here are some tips to follow to keep it safe.

Cucumbers Galore (August 11, 2000)

In Pack a Pickled Product (GH 1459), there are lots of recipes for pickling other foods as well as some specialty cuke recipes. The Reduced-Sodium, Sliced Dill Pickles or Refrigerator Pickles may be just the ticket for when you’ve run out of ideas of what to do with the harvest.

If you have a real overabundance of cucumbers, you may want to try this one: Freezer Pickles. They’re not really pickles; they’re really frozen cucumber slices and this recipe yields 7-8 cups. You need:

7 cups of thinly sliced cucumbers
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar (dark)
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. celery seeds

• Combine 2 cups sugar and 1 cup cider vinegar in a saucepan.
• Stir well before putting on stove, then bring to a boil for two minutes.
• Pour over sliced cukes and onions. Add celery seed and stir well.
• Refrigerate for 2 days, stirring occasionally.
• Pack in "single serving/meal" size containers.
• Be sure to pour juice over the top of cucumbers to prevent freezer burn.
• Freeze.

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Wash those Melons (August 4, 2000)

Salmonella bacteria may be found on the outside of cantaloupes. Salmonella food poisoning can cause upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea within 8 to 12 hours of eating a contaminated food.

At first glance you might say, "not a big deal since I never eat the rind anyway." In fact, if there is dirt or other contaminants on the outside of a melon and a knife slices through it, the knife can draw those contaminants into the flesh of the fruit. This can be avoided by washing all produce before eating them.

The July 2000 issue of Environmental Nutrition reports the recommendation of the California Department of Health Services – wash the rinds of cantaloupes thoroughly with hot running water and soap BEFORE slicing into them. Because of the risk of contamination, consumers should wash their hands after handling the cantaloupe and refrigerate leftover pieces immediately.

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Play Hard (July 28, 2000)

In setting off the campaign, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman talks about "the importance of balancing what you eat with what you do." He says, "[for children] the right behaviors now can prevent serious health problems later in life." I’ve talked before about healthy food choices. On the other side of the scales is being active. For kids that translates to "playing hard."

During the summer months there are lots of opportunities for active play. Swimming pools and parks are open providing relief from the heat in their shade and water. Biking, walking and hiking are great ways for the whole family to get moving. There’s also skate boarding, roller-skating, roller blading and in-line skating for a little more of a challenge. And there are lots of team sports and games that kids can enjoy, whether it’s with an organized team or just a neighborhood pick-up game.

Keep in mind, though, that being active doesn’t just mean strolling in the park or standing in the outfield. It means walking briskly. Many people prefer early morning or late evening for their walks. With the cooler temperatures, they’re able to get their hearts beating and breathing harder (signs that the walking is doing some good aerobically speaking), without getting too hot and bothered. That’s 3 miles per hour or more or at least a mile in 20 minutes.

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Canning Peaches (July 21, 2000)

First, there are approximately 48 pounds of peaches in a bushel of peaches. And from that bushel, you can get 16 to 24 quarts of canned peaches.

When selecting peaches, choose ones that are ripe and mature, ones that are basically ready to eat. If you’re buying them from an orchard far from home, you may want to buy them a little firmer and let them ripen once you get them home.

Peeling the peaches is the next step and can be made much simpler if they’re dipped in boiling water first for 30 to 60 seconds, then in cold water quickly. The skins slip right off then. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Slice if desired. To prevent darkening, slice the peaches directly into a mixture of water and ascorbic acid. (If you need more information about this step you can contact me or your local Extension Center.) Prepare and boil a syrup or pack in water, apple juice or white grape juice.

Raw pack peaches make a poor quality canned product. Instead, place drained fruit and syrup, water or juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Fill the jars with hot fruit and liquid. Leave ½ inch headspace. If you’re canning peach halves, place halves cut side down in layers. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner. If you live at an elevation of 1000 feet or less, process pints for 20 minutes and quarts for 25 minutes. If you live in a higher part of Missouri, where elevations are 1001-3000 feet, process pints for 25 minutes and quarts for 30 minutes.

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Produce in Season (July 14, 2000)

The best buys for July include beans, broccoli, cherries, corn, cucumbers, grapes, green beans, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, strawberries, summer squash, and tomatoes. In August look for good prices on broccoli, corn, grapes, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, tomatoes, and summer squash. Look for these in the produce section of your grocery store or when possible support local farmers directly at farm stands, orchards and farmers markets.

There are some wild fruit treats that may be available in your part of the world too. These include blackberries, wild plums, wild grapes and perhaps there are even some chokecherries left. And elderberries and crabapples should be ripening up in the next month or two.

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Meat Thermometers (July 7, 2000)

These days there are lots of options when it comes to meat thermometers. Perhaps the most commonly used kind in the past was the pop-up timer in the turkey. This type is imbedded right into the turkey and pops up when the meat is hot enough. It’s accurate to within a degree or two Fahrenheit.

Then there is the heavy-duty dial that’s oven safe. This bimetallic thermometer is placed in thicker cuts of meat and left in while cooking. Otherwise it takes up to 2 minutes to register an accurate reading. The temperature is sensed with these about 2-3 inches up the stem, so it’s important to insert the thermometer in at least this far. They often have a small mark indicating how far into the meat the stem of the thermometer has to be inserted. Similar in appearance is the bimetallic instant read thermometer. It takes only about 15-20 seconds to register. It also must be inserted 2-3 inches into a food to measure its temperature accurately. If it’s a hamburger or chicken breast that’s being measured, the thermometer should be inserted from the side of the food. Also with this type of thermometer, it’s recommended to measure the temperature for the first time when most of the cooking time has past.

There are other thermometers that read more quickly. These are called instant-read and are not usually oven safe. They come in a dial gauge, a digital read out or even, more recently, in combination with a meat fork. All of these thermistor types take about 10 seconds to register the internal temperature. The sensor is in the tip, so this is the part that needs to be into the meat.

Generally any meat thermometer sensing area should be at the center of the meat, to get an accurate reading of internal temperature. After taking the temperature of a piece of meat that is not yet done, be sure to wash the thermometer with hot soapy water, so as not to contaminate the finished product with possibly unsafe raw juices off the dirty thermometer.