Scott County

Mayonnaise | Egg Safety | Corn | Food Preservation Publications

SAFE  FOOD  FOR  PICNICS

Warm weather is the ideal time to cook out, but warm temperatures are also ideal for bacteria and other pathogens to multiply and cause food borne illness. Never fear, because proper food handling and storage can prevent a food borne illness from happening to you.

Be sure to pack food right from the refrigerator into the cooler immediately before leaving home. Keep the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car and at the picnic site either in the shade or shelter. Use an insulated cooler with sufficient ice or ice packs to keep the food at 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid opening the cooler's lid, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in another cooler.

Before grilling, so meat and poultry cook more evenly, be sure it is completely thawed. Thoroughly cook raw meat, poultry and fish. Hamburgers should be cooked until there is no pink in the center and the juices run clear. Poultry should show no red in the joints and fish should be flaky. Cooking meat thoroughly will kill any food poisoning bacteria present. 

If take-out foods such as fried chicken or barbecued beef will be reheated on the grill, buy them ahead of time and chill thoroughly. This is especially ideal if the food will not be eaten within two hours of pickup. Be sure there are plenty of clean utensils and platters for separately handling the raw foods and food after cooking. Don't use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked meat and poultry. Any bacteria present in raw meat or juices can contaminate the safely cooked meat. This is a prime cause of summer food borne illness.

Remember to pack clean, soapy sponges, cloths and wet towelettes for cleaning surfaces and hands. Enjoy picnic time with family and friends. Keeping foods safe will make the memories pleasant and happy.

It May Not Be the Mayonnaise

Since mayonnaise is a perishable spread, it needs to be kept chilled.  Homemade mayonnaise is more perishable than its commercial counterpart.  Commercial mayonnaise and salad dressings are made with vinegar or lemon juices, which actually slow bacterial growth.  Salt is also added to both  commercial mayonnaise and salad dressings to help retard bacterial growth.  In un-refrigerated mayonnaise based salads such as chicken, tuna, or egg salad, it's not the mayonnaise that poses the risk but rather the chicken, tuna, or eggs.  In fact, adding mayonnaise to these foods slightly increases its resistance to food poisoning.  The proper storage for mayonnaise is in the refrigerator after opening and can be stored there for approximately two months.

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 Eggs -- Let's Get Cracking

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on earth and can be part of a healthy diet. However, just like raw meat, poultry, and fish they are perishable. Today it is possible for some unbroken, clean, fresh shell eggs to contain Salmonella enteritidis bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. While the number of eggs affected is quite small; there have been cases of foodborne illness in the last few years. To be safe, eggs must be properly handled, refrigerated, and cooked.

Cooking eggs removes some of the protective oil coating that processors spray on the shells, bacteria can enter the egg through the pore or cracks.  Hard cooked eggs don't keep as well as raw shell eggs.  Unlike fresh shell eggs that can safely be kept in the refrigerator for three to five weeks from the date of purchase; hard shell eggs need to be used within one week.

For optimal safety, eggs should be thoroughly cooked so both yolks and whites are firm. Use cooked yolks in recipes that call for raw eggs by cooking the yolks in a double boiler or heavy skillet with liquid from the recipe: 2 tablespoons liquid for each yolk. Beat it while it cooks until the yolk coats a spoon or the temperature reaches 160 ° F. This advice is particularly important for those people most at risk for food borne illness--the elderly, the very young, pregnant women, and those with weakened immune systems. People unwilling to give up their favorite "runny" eggs can minimize their risk by following these helpful cooking methods.

A frittata is an unfolded Italian version of the omelet.  A frittata cooks on top of the stove until almost set.  It is finished off under the broiler or turned over or the pan may be removed from the heat, covered and allowed to stand until the top of the omelet is completely cooked.

A frittata may contain any combination of cooked vegetables, seafood, meat, poultry, grain, or cheese you like.
 

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Corn Facts

At some time this summer, we have driven past a corn field or have noticed how much more available sweet corn is getting at our farmers markets or the grocery store. Well it is now time to harvest that good sweet corn so be sure to look for corn with tender kernels that are milky and well developed. Kernels should be large enough to be compact on the cob with no space between the rows. Also, the ear should be filled to the tip with no rows of missing kernels.

It is best to eat corn as soon as possible after harvest for maximum sweetness. However, if it cannot be eaten right away, leave in husks, remove long shanks and store uncovered in the refrigerator. For best results, do not store sweet corn in the refrigerator for more than two days. For longer storage, preserve by freezing, canning or drying.

To preserve the corn by freezing: Water blanch small ears (1 ¼ inches or less in diameter or 4-6 inches long) 7 minutes, medium ears (1 ¼ to 1 1/12 inches in diameter or 6-8 inches long) 9 minutes, and large ears (over 1 ½ inches in diameter or 8-12 inches long) for 11 minutes. Blanching helps to clean off surface dirt and organisms, brightens the color, reduces enzyme activity, which cause color and flavor changes, and removes air and softens texture so vegetables are easier to pack into containers. Once blanching is complete, cool the ears promptly and completely to prevent an off taste. Dry pack without liquid. Pack loosely to facilitate rapid freezing in containers not larger than ½ gallon and no deeper than 3 inches. Pack corn into rigid-plastic freezer containers, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Or pack into flexible containers; squeeze out air, seal and freeze. Remember to freeze not more than 2 pounds of food for every cubic foot of freezer capacity within a 24-hour period. This will enable the freezer to freeze the food rapidly enough to possibly prevent food spoilage and /or foodborne illness microorganisms having enough time to grow. Corn still on the cob can be stored in the freezer at 0 F for about 10 months.

Corn may also be canned or frozen as whole kernel or creamed. Keep in mind that preserving will not improve the quality of the corn, so always start with high quality produce. Tender, freshly gathered corn in the milk stage should be selected for canning. Husk and trim the ears, remove silks and wash.

To prepare whole kernel corn for freezing or canning: Place the ears in 1 gallon of boiling water and blanch 3 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Cool the ears and cut the kernels from the cob at about three-fourths of their depth. Do not scrape the cob.

To prepare cream style corn for freezing or canning: Blanch the ears 4 minutes in boiling water. Cool the ears and cut the kernels from the cob at about one-half of their depth. Scrape the cob with a knife to remove the remainder of the kernels and combine them with the half-kernels.

To package whole kernel or cream style corn for freezing: Fill pint or quart size freezer bags to a level of 3 to 4 inches from the tops. Squeeze out the air, leave 1- inch headspace, label, and freeze. Before freezing, the bags may be inserted into reusable, rigid-plastic freezer containers for added protection against punctures and freezer burn.

Since corn is a low-acid vegetable, it must be processed using a pressure canner for safety. To hot pack: Add 1 cup of hot water to each quart of kernels in a saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. If desired, add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart, ½ teaspoon per pint, or ¼ teaspoon per half-pint. Fill clean canning jars with corn and cooking liquid, leaving 1- inch headspace. Adjust jar lids and process.

To raw pack: Fill the jars with the raw kernels leaving a 1- inch headspace. Do not shake or press down, (add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart jar, ½ teaspoon per pint, or ¼ teaspoon per half-pint if desired), add fresh boiling water leaving 1- inch headspace, adjust lids and process. Since cream-style corn is thicker than whole kernel corn, it should be canned in pint jars only so that heat can penetrate throughout the product.

To process in a pressure canner: Place the jar rack, 2 inches of water, and closed jars in the canner. Fasten the lids, and heat the canner on a high setting. After exhausting the steam for 10 minutes, add the weighted gauge or close the petcock to pressurize the canner. Start timing the recommended process when the desired pressure is reached.

Regulate the heat to maintain a uniform pressure. When the processing is completed, remove the canner from the heat. Air-cool the canner until it is fully depressurized. Then slowly remove the weighted gauge or open the petcock, wait 2 more minutes, and unfasten and carefully remove the canner lid.

Remove the jars from canner with a jar lifter and place them on a towel or rack. Do not retighten the screw bands. Air-cool the jars 12 to 24 hours. Remove the screw bands and check the lid seals. If the center of the lid is indented, wash, dry, label, and store the jar in a clean, cool, dark place. If the lid is unsealed, examine and replace the jar if defective, use a new lid, and reprocess as before. Wash the bands and store separately. Canned sweet corn is best if consumed within one year and safe as long as the lids remain vacuum-sealed.

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Freezing
GH1501     Quality for Keeps:  Freezing Basics
GH1502     Quality for Keeps:  Freezing Fruits
GH1503     Quality for Keeps:  Freezing Vegetables
GH1504     Quality for Keeps:  Freezing Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, and Dairy Products
GH1505     Quality for Keeps:  Freezing Home Prepared Foods
GH1506     Quality for Keeps:  Freezer Problem Solver
GH1507     Quality for Keeps:  Freezing Unusual Fruits and Vegetables

Drying
GH1562     Drying Foods
GH1563     How to Dry Foods at Home
GH1564     Using Dried Foods

XPLOR  HES Publications
Food and Nutrition Publications

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		University of Missouri Extension Scott County scottcou@missouri.edu Updated 02/19/08