by Samantha Kennedy | Jul 2, 2019
Picnics are a great way to share food and fun with friends and family. By following a few simple food safety tips, you can make sure foodborne illness doesn’t crash your party. (Photo source: UF/IFAS file photo)
There are few things more iconic during summer than a picnic. There’s just something fresh and fun about sharing a meal in the park or at the beach with family and friends. But just because you’re enjoying the warm, gentle breeze doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind. By following a few simple food safety tips, you can ensure that your perfectly planned picnic doesn’t make you sick.
Plan appropriately. Not all foods are picnic-appropriate. Anything that requires a lot of perishable ingredients and/or a lot of preparation should be avoided. Stick with foods that require little or no cooking and that contain just a few ingredients. Foods such as fruits and vegetables (especially whole ones), hard cheeses, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, bread, and crackers are ideal picnic items. Anything made with commercially processed custard or mayonnaise will stay safe as long as it is kept cold.
Pack it safely. Use a cooler, if possible, and store cold foods together so they can help each other stay colder longer. Use ice or frozen gel packs to help keep foods cold. Pack foods directly from the refrigerator into the cooler; don’t leave them sitting out before packing. Store ready-to-eat foods separately from raw meats. If packing up hot foods, be sure to keep them in a thermos or other insulated dish. DO NOT store them in the same container as the cold foods. Paper towels, disposable utensils, and a food thermometer are ideal picnic accessories. Remember, keep cold foods below 41 degrees F and hot foods above 135 degrees F. Do your best to keep the cooler away from direct sunlight by storing it in the shade and be sure to replenish the ice and/or frozen gel packs when they melt. If possible, store drinks in a separate cooler so cold foods are not exposed to warm air with frequent openings of the lid to retrieve drinks. This also reduces the risk of cross-contamination, with fewer hands reaching into the food cooler.
Prepare it carefully. All food items should be kept at the proper temperature at all times. When cooking raw meats, use separate plates for the raw and cooked products and clean and sanitize utensils between uses. Cook meat to the proper recommended internal temperature to ensure doneness and safety. Click here for a list of recommended internal cooking temperatures.
Clean up quickly. Discard any perishable foods that have been left out for longer than two hours. In really hot weather (generally above 90 degrees F), foods should not be left out longer than one hour. Keep food protected in storage containers such as coolers and lidded dishes to minimize contamination from flies and other pests. Serve small portions of food at a time and keep the rest in the cooler.
Picnics are an important part of summer and with just a little bit of planning and a few useful tips and tools, they can be safe and delicious for everyone!
Related links:
Food Safety at Tailgating (University of Florida/IFAS)
Picnic Safety (Iowa State University)
Checklist for the Perfect Summer Picnic (foodsafety.gov)
Extension classes are open to everyone regardless of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.
by Heidi Copeland | Jun 20, 2019
Part of cultivating a healthy, sustainable food system is to learning eat seasonally and locally. This means enjoying foods at their seasonal peak. In addition, there is value knowing when produce items are in season as these products are often tastier, healthier, fresher and more economical. Additionally, eating seasonally encourages a varied diet.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Fresh From Florida produce is plentiful! The month of June is especially productive! June claims: Fresh From Florida avocado, cantaloupe, carambola, eggplant, guava, lychee, mango, mushroom, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, peanut, potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes and watermelon!
Tropical Fruit Day, 2005. UF/IFAS Photo Source: Thomas Wright.
Most of the listed produce items are pretty conventional. But what about something not so straightforward like the lychee?
The lychee (Litchi chinensis), linked to the Sapindus genus, is native to warm temperate tropical regions of southern China. The lychee is harvested ready to eat. The lychee is covered with a hard, non-edible covering and contains a crisp, juicy, sweet pleasant inner (tasting a bit like a cross between a strawberry and a grape). Lychee are a great source of nutrients, containing, energy (carbohydrates) as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Lychee can be consumed fresh off the tree, frozen, canned, pickled, dried or even as ingredients in salads, marinades, sauces or desserts.
Try it! You just might like it! The University Florida UF/IFAS Extension has a great publication if you are interested in growing lychee. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG05100.pdf The World Wide Web has a plethora of interesting recipes for the lychee as well that you can check out.
Lychee Growing in the Florida Home Landscape https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/MG/MG05100.pdf
Florida Crops in Season https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Consumer-Resources/Buy-Fresh-From-Florida/Crops-in-Season
by Ginny Hinton | Jun 4, 2019
America’s favorite superfood is ripe in the Florida Panhandle! Well, it may not actually be everyone’s favorite, but it’s definitely a tasty superfood. Of course, I’m talking about the blueberry. If you love the sweet nutritious little blue fruit, now is the time to pick or purchase fresh from a local source.
Blueberries: Spectacular, Summer, Superfood
Photo source: Ginny Hinton
When it comes to antioxidants, blueberries are king. Antioxidants help protect our bodies from oxidative stress, which is linked to many diseases including arthritis, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. They also help strengthen our immune system. Blueberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all common fruits and vegetables.
Blueberries are high in fiber (about 4 grams per serving), vitamin C and vitamin K. Of course, they’re also low in calories. Blueberries are available fresh in the Panhandle from late May into June.
When you’re picking blueberries, look for ones that are firm, dry, plump and smooth-skinned with a light greyish bloom. Stick to the deep blue ones for the sweetest flavor. Cover them and they’ll stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to ten days, or they can be easily frozen. Put them in a single layer on a baking sheet or cookie tray and freeze, then store them in airtight, resealable plastic bags. That way, they won’t stick together and you can use just the amount you need. Once you thaw them out, just be sure to use them within three days. Store blueberries unwashed and don’t rinse them until you’re ready to use them.
Don’t love to eat them plain? Nutritious, delicious blueberries are great in lots of dishes. For a quick breakfast or snack, add them to yogurt or cottage cheese and enjoy! Use them to flavor pancakes, waffles or muffins. Add them to a green salad for a sweet flavor burst. However you eat them, know that you’re doing a good thing for both your health and your taste buds.
Enjoy blueberries!
by Dorothy C. Lee | May 25, 2019
Herbs are like people; each herb has its own personality. Some herbs have bold flavors and should be used with care while others are mild and can be used more freely. View Shopping for Health: Herbs and Spices for more about this.
Herbs can be divided into two categories. Accent herbs and herbs that add character to dishes. Parsley, chives, and dillweed are a few of the accent herbs. They are milder in flavor and are often combined within the same recipe. The character herbs; basil, marjoram, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, sage, and tarragon add dominant flavor to dishes.
Getting to Know Herbs
Photo source: Beth Bolles
A little heat releases the flavor of herbs. Herbs are bitter, however, when cooked too much. Add accent herbs during the last few minutes of cooking time. Character herbs, such as bay leaves, can withstand longer cooking times and usually are added at the beginning of the cooking process.
When selecting fresh herbs, look for plants with an all-over green color. Yellowing indicates old plants, while black, watery areas are a sign of bruising.
To refrigerate fresh herbs for future use, rinse herbs under cold water, pat dry, wrap in paper toweling and refrigerate in a plastic bag. To use, just cut or pull off leaves. Most refrigerated herbs will retain freshness for up to four days to a week.
Herbs can be frozen or dried for longer storage. To freeze fresh herbs, wash herbs, pat dry and freeze in airtight bags or containers. Frozen herbs should be thawed just before use. Fresh herbs can be dried for later use.
When experimenting with a new herb, pull off a leaf and crush it, let it warm in your hand. If it has a delicate aroma you can add more. If it is strong and pungent, use it sparingly. It is always easier to add more of an herb than subtract.
Dried herbs are more concentrated. When cooking with dried herbs use one third of the dried leaves to substitute for the fresh. One teaspoon of dried leaves is equal to one tablespoon of fresh. The fresh leaves are more pungent than the dried.
Cooking with Herbs
Try these herb blends to enhance the flavor of beef, poultry, and seafood dishes.
Salt Free Blend
1 Tablespoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons thyme
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dill weed
2 teaspoons savory
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons lemon peel
Garden Blend
3 Tablespoons dried parsley
3 Tablespoons dried basil
3 Tablespoons dried thyme
3 Tablespoons dried marjoram
3 Tablespoons dried rosemary
3 Tablespoons dried chives
3 Tablespoons paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
“What is paradise, but a garden of herbs full of pleasure and nothing there but delights”
William Lawson, 1617
by Samantha Kennedy | Apr 10, 2019
One way to be more sustainable when shopping for groceries is to use reusable shopping bags. They’re durable and sturdy and can help reduce the number of plastic bags that end up in the landfill each year. (Photo source: Samantha Kennedy)
Sustainability should not just be a buzzword during Earth Month. The fact that everybody either shops for or eats groceries means the whole grocery shopping experience is a good time to reflect and improve upon what we can personally do to embrace issues of sustainability.
This year in April, the Earth Month theme focuses on Returning to Nature. There is no better place to start a quest for personal sustainable improvement than the grocery store! Grocery shopping truly embraces the three main areas of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. In fact, it has been well documented that the average family wastes about 25% of the food it purchases. (Much of this ends up in a landfill and creates problems of its own.)
With a bit of forethought, meal planning before grocery shopping can help individuals and families apply sustainable best practices for environmental, economic, and social well-being. In fact, many of the principles of sustainability can be effectively applied to both meal planning and grocery shopping.
RESPECT yourself. Good nutrition is one of the keys to a healthy life. Improve health by keeping a balanced diet. Vow to make healthier food choices for personal health and the environment.
REFUSE to use food products that do not fit your principles of sustainability. This may mean buying food with less packaging, eating more locally-grown fruits and vegetables, or looking for foods labeled as more responsibly sourced.
REDUCE the amount of food thrown out. Planning meals ahead of time and writing out a grocery list are excellent ways to start living sustainably. Planning not only saves money on groceries, it can save time and decrease the amount of personal food waste a family contributes. (Remember, freezing products can prolong their life, so if you find that you’ve overbought, try preserving some of your bounty for later use.) Reducing the number of trips to the grocery store also can help save on fuel and transportation costs.
REUSE /REPURPOSE food for another occasion. Careful meal planning helps ensure that leftovers from one meal can be incorporated into the next one, thereby reducing food waste.
RETHINK! Healthy, nutritious, delicious, and inexpensive grocery choices can be found in every food group. Not all food has to be prepackaged. In fact, with a bit of planning, dinner can be on the table in 15 minutes. (That’s less time than it takes to wait in line at a fast food restaurant.)
BE RESPONSIBLE! Use what you buy.
Stock up on low-cost healthy grain products like whole-wheat noodles, brown rice, and store-brand cereals and oatmeal.
Purchase fruits and vegetables that are in season and cost less. In addition, do not forget that frozen, dried, and canned fruits and vegetables can play an important part in meal planning.
Buy the largest size you can effectively use before it reaches the expiration date – and look for the items with the latest dates. Purchase store brands or generic brands whenever possible. Keep in mind smaller containers tend to cost more, no matter what the food group. Buying larger packages and dividing them into smaller portions can save money and reduce the amount of packaging that ends up in the landfill. Investing in small, reusable storage containers will save money and reduce waste in the end.
Practice Meatless Monday. The protein group provides inexpensive protein sources like beans, lentils, and eggs, which can be substituted for meat in many meals.
Protein does not have to be the most expensive item purchased. Consulting the store’s weekly sales flyer during meal planning can help you plan meals around meat and poultry items that are on sale.
Prepare food your family will actually eat. There are two schools of thought here: preparing just enough for one meal or preparing big-batch recipes that provide leftovers which can be frozen for later use. Either practice can be sustainable. Freeze leftovers only if you’re going to use them. Otherwise, cut down on the amount of food cooked to help reduce food waste.
Learn how to cook. Prepare and eat more meals at home. It is sustainable, good for you, and delicious. Meals cooked at home are more nutritious, less expensive, and result in less overall waste, such as packaging.
Two additional ways to be more sustainable when grocery shopping are to use reusable shopping bags and to stop using single-use plastic produce bags. Plastic grocery bags choke our landfills and end up in our water bodies. They are not biodegradable and can last thousands of years virtually intact. Reusable shopping bags are made from recycled materials and can drastically reduce the number of plastic bags that end up in the trash each year.
For more information on making your grocery shopping more sustainable, check out these related articles:
Freezing: Nature’s Pause Button (UF/IFAS Extension)
What’s in your FREEZER? (UF/IFAS Extension)
Best Practices for Shoppers at the Farmers’ Market (UF/IFAS Extension)
Sustainable Grocery Shopping (University of Northern Iowa)
UF/IFAS Family and Consumer Sciences Agents Heidi Copeland and Samantha Kennedy
by Kendra Hughson | Feb 28, 2019
Not all front of the box labels are approved and defined by the FDA. Learn what health claims are approved for use. Photo Source: Kendra Zamojski
For those of us who read food labels, grocery shopping can be a confusing maze of health claims enticing us to make what look like healthy choices. But, are these choices really healthy? When I noticed that my shampoo was gluten-free, I decided it was time to refresh my knowledge on food and product labels and figure out what is behind the label.
The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990, regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requires the labeling of most food and sets consistent standards for certain nutritional content and health claims. Much of the consistent information we find on food products is the result of this regulation. Food products must contain the Nutrition Facts panel, use common household measurements for serving sizes, and clearly identify any food allergens. Ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight using common names and clearly identifying certified color additives such as “FD&C Red No. 40” or “Red 40.” Raw vegetables, fruits, and seafood are exempt from nutrition labeling requirements.
The FDA regulates the use of the word “healthy” on food products. To use this term, a food product must be low in fat and saturated fat, low in cholesterol, contain less than 480 mg of sodium, and contain at least 10% of the Daily Value per serving for vitamins A, C, calcium, iron, protein, or fiber. Exceptions include raw fruits and vegetables; or a single ingredient or mixture of frozen or canned fruits and vegetables; and enriched cereal-grain products. Seafood and meat products and main dishes or meals have slightly different regulations to meet the “healthy” criteria.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates and enforces the use of “certified organic”. To use the USDA certified organic seal, the final product must follow strict production and handling standards. Products with this seal have completed a certification process meeting standards in soil quality, animal raising practices, and pest and weed control, and certifying that they have not used synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, or genetic engineering.
The USDA also regulates labels for meat and meat products. “Certified” means the USDA has officially evaluated a meat product for class, grade, or other quality characteristics (e.g., “Certified Angus Beef”). Products labelled “natural” must not contain artificial ingredients, added color, and must be minimally processed. The label must explain the use of the word “natural” such as “no artificial ingredients; minimally processed”. Meat and meat products claiming “no hormones added” cannot be used on the labels of pork or poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.” Beef products can make the claim if the producer has documentation showing no hormones have been used in raising the animals. Meat and poultry producers must also provide appropriate documentation that animals were raised without antibiotics to use the label “no antibiotics added”. The term “Chemical free” is not allowed on labels.
Not all front-of-the-box marketing terms and labels are defined by the FDA. When reading labels and deciphering health information, watch out for misleading terms and health claims that seem to good to be true. Learn what health claims are approved and which ones are not. Remember, packaging is designed to attract your attention and entice you to make a purchase. Read the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list to make the healthiest choice for you and your family.
Read the Nutrition Facts panel to make healthy food choices. Photo Source: Kendra Zamojski
Here are some other approved labels:
Juice: Juice must be 100% juice. If less than 100% juice, the product must use the terms cocktail, beverage or drink.
High or Excellent Source: Contains more than 20% of the Daily Value per serving.
Good Source: Contains 10-19% of the Daily Value per serving.
Lean: Seafood or meat contains less than 10 g total fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving.
Extra Lean: Seafood or meat products contain less than 5 g total fat, less than 2 g saturated fat and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving.
Fiber Claims: If a product makes a fiber claim but the food is not low-fat, then the label must state the total fat per serving.
Antioxidant Claims: The nutrients must be included as part of the claim for example, high in antioxidant vitamins C & E.
Whole Grain and Heart Disease Claims: Food product contains 51% or more whole grain ingredients.
Gluten-free: This is a voluntary label for food products that are either naturally gluten free or gluten (e.g., wheat flour) has been removed to less than 20 ppm.
References:
A Food Labeling Guide: Guidance for Industry. 2013. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/guidance%20complianceregulatoryinformation/%20guidancedocuments/foodlabelingnutrition/foodlabelingguide/ucm265446.pdf
McEvoy, M. Understanding the USDA Organic Label. 2016. Available at: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/07/22/understanding-usda-organic-label
Questions and Answers: Gluten-Free Food Labeling Final Rule. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/Allergens/ucm362880.htm
Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms. Available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms
Family and Consumer Sciences Agent III
Interim -Northwest District
155 Research Road, Quincy, FL
Office: 850-875-7135
Email: hughson@ufl.edu
