Russian Beverages for Russian Brides in the US

Ancient Happy Cherry HoneyDescription Honey beverage was an obligatory drink of the nobility. Monastery honey beverages were known as the most famous. Many tzars sent their cooks to perfect honey cooking skills to monasteries. To improve the taste and colour, they could add fruit juices or berries. Diluted with juice, honey didn’t contain any alcohol and was considered as the most splendid vitaminous beverage. Method Put honey in enamel pan, add water and boil stirring regularly and taking froth off. Put well washed cherries without bones in the bottle with a narrow neck and pour warm syrup over. Cover bottle with a wet sheet and leave in a warm place for three days to ferment. After that cork the neck with a sackcloth up and put in the cellar. You can taste honey beverage three months later, it will be as better as longer will be season. Ingredients
1 kg honey.     2 c water.     2 kg cherries.
Apple CiderDescription Cider is an ancient low alcohol beverage, made from apple juice and sugar. Cider is known for itd tender apple aroma an sour-sweet taste. Any apples, except rotten ones, can be used to make cider. Method Wash apples carefully, slice and core them. Coarse in a grinder, put in a container, add sugar (1 kg apple mince – 150 g sugar) and tie up with gauze and leave in a warm place for 2-4 days. Apple mince float to the surface and the juice is on the bottom. Strain the juice and squeeze apple mince. Add more sugar (1 l apple juice – 120 g sugar), cover the container tightly and leave for 15-20 days to ferment. When the fermantation is over, bottle cider and cork up.  Ingredients
apples.     sugar.
Beet KvasDescription Interesting recipe for lovers of new taste. Method Slice beet and pour over cold water/ Bring to boil and cook on low heat until done. Strain beet water in a jar, add vinegar, and cool down. Then add sugar, yeast and leave to brew. In 24 hours kvas can be served.  Ingredients
3 ea beets.     3 l water.     1 ts yeast.     1 ts 9% vinegar.     4 tb sugar.
Berry KiselDescription Kisel is a fruity, smooth and creamy dessert which is served cold in bowls or, if diluted with milk, served as a delicious drink. Kisel is often made with fresh fruit juice (with or without the pulp) or with milk or almonds. Method Hull, wash, and dry the berries. Puree in a blender or food processor, then push through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving the juice and the pulp. Put the pulp into a 3-quart saucepan, add 1 1/2 quarts of water and all but 1-2 tablespoons of sugar and stir the mixture. Stir the potato starch into the bowl of berry juice. Bring the pulp mixture to a boil and vigorously stir in the starch-juice mixture. Return to a boil and remove from the heat. When cooled somewhat, pour the Kisel into desert bowls or glasses. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for 1 hour.Kisel could be served as is, or accompanied with glasses of milk or half-and-half.Ingredients
1 quart strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, or a combination.     1 cup sugar.     6 tablespoons potato starch.     6 cups milk, or half-and-half.
Cherry NalivkaDescription Nalivka is Russian beverage with alcohol, made from different fruits and berries(apple, pear, apricot, cherry, black current, blueberry, strawberry, cowberry, birdcherry, rowan). It has much common with liqueur, but it is not the same. Method Wash cherries very well, dry on the sun for 2 days. Put cherries in a big bottle almost up to the top and fill up with vodka. Let stew for 1-2 months in the room, then filter in small bottles, cork them up. Keep the bottles in the cellar. Sugar on your taste is added before serving.  Ingredients
Cherries.     Vodka.     Sugar.
Cherry-Lemon DrinkDescription This incredibly delicious beverage can become the hit of any season. Method Combine cherry juice with lemon one, add sugar to it and stir until dissolved. Then add salt to taste and bring to a boil on low heat for 5 minutes and cool down. Pour in cold milk and mix in a mixer. Serve cold.  Ingredients
1 c cherry juice.     2 tbs lemon juice.     3 tbs sugar.     2 c pasteurized milk.     salt to taste.
Cranberry KiselDescription Kisel is sweet dense beverage made from berry or fruit juices with sugar and starch. Kisel is very useful for kids and adults as well. Method Wash cranberries carefully,squeeze the juice and put it in the fridge. Pour over squeezed berries hot water and bring to boil on a low heat. After that drain through the sieve. Add sugar and bring to boil. Dissolve starch in cold boiled water and pour in stirring regularly, bring to boil. Take from the heat and add cranberry juice stir thoroughly.  Ingredients
1 l water.     1 c cranberries.     3/4 c sugar.     3 tb starch.
Dried Fruit CompoteDescription This is one of the favorite wintertime desserts in Russia. Dried fruit contains a lot of vitamins that are so necessary in cold winters. Method In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the dried fruit and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the honey, sugar, and stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into compote and then add the bean. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 ? hours. Add the lemon juice. Refrigerate before serving.  Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds mixed dried fruit compote.     5 cups water.     2 tablespoons honey.     3 tablespoons sugar.     1 small vanilla bean.     2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
Fruits and Nuts in CognacDescription This drink will be not only a delicious dessert on the holiday table, but also an excellent gift if you pour the cognac in a beautiful bottle. Method Put all the ingredients in a glass bottle and pour over cognac. Cover tightly and leave in a dark place for 3 weeks.  Ingredients
250 g dried figs.     125 g dried dates boneless.     125 g walnuts.     a pinch of cinnamon.     1 ts vanilla.     4 ea cardamom seeds.     1/2 ea lemon peel.     50 g sugar.     0,75 l cognac.
Gogol-MogolDescription Mysteriously named Gogol’-Mogol’ is a deliciously rich and sweet dessert reminiscent of eggnog, made of raw egg yolks beaten with sugar, lemon juice, and cognac. It’s considered the best remedy for a singer’s sore throat. Without cognac, it can be served to children. Method Combine raw egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat at low speed for 1 minute. With a rubber spatula, scrape up any sugar that may have stuck to the bottom of the bowl. Beat for 10 seconds more, gradually turning to maximum speed, then beat for 3-4 minutes, or until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Add the brandy, liqueur, lemon juice, and grated rind of 2 lemons, and beat at maximum speed for 4 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more, up to 2-3 hours.  Ingredients
12 egg yolks, raw.     9 tablespoons sugar.     2 tablespoons brandy.     2 teaspoons orange liqueur.     2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional).
KumisDescription Kumis, favorite Kazakh drink is a milk product from mare (cow) milk, considered restorative and tonic. Method Bring to boil milk, water and sugar, then coll down. Add kefir or clabber and leave in a room until it is sour. After that add yeast and leave until fermentation. Mix carefully, strain and bottle. When kumis bubbles, it is ready to be served.  Ingredients
1 l milk.     1 c water.     3 tb sugar.     2 tb kefir or clabber.     5 g dry yeast.

Russian Appetizer Recipes for Russian brides in the US

Russian SaladDescription Wonderful salad will be a great appetizer with vodka and decorate your holiday table. It will take at most 10 minutes to make it. Method Combine grated cheese with chopped eggs and dress with mayonnaise. Ingredients
200 g grated cheese.     5 ea hard-boiled eggs.     100 g mayonnaise.     greens
Apple SaladDescription Unexpected combination, but really tasty. Refreshing light salad will go fine at th end of the dinne to relieve the feeling of satiety. Method Cut apples into small cubes. Chop eggs finely. Add peas, mayonnaise and stir thoroughly. Decorate with greens. Ingredients
4 ea apples cored and peeled.     3 tb green peas.     2 ea eggs hard boiled.     3 tb mayonnaise.     greens
Beet SaladDescription A very good appetizer for any occasions. Beet is very useful for digestions and contains a lot of trace elements necessary for a man. Method Grate beets and cucumbers, chop garlic cloves finely. Combine all ingredients and stir in mayonnaise. If you don’t like garlic, don’t use it, the salad will be tasty anyway. Ingredients
2 ea beets boiled and peeled.     2 ea pickled cucumbers.     2 ea garlic cloves.     mayonnaise.     salt.
Boiled Potatoes with PicklesDescription Boiled potatoes with pickles is a true Russian dish at any time of a day or a year. Method Cut potatoes in small cubes, add finely chopped pickled cucumbers and onion. Add salt to taste and dress with oil. Stir carefully.Ingredients
250 g potatoes boiled.     80 g pickled cucumbers (sauerkraut).     60 g onion.     60 g oil..
Cabbage SaladDescription Cabbage Salad is very delicious and healthy food, rich of vitamin C. This salad can be a wonderful snack or delicious appetizer. Method Serves 6Cut the cabbage in half and carve out the core. Using a long sharp knife, cut the cabbage into julienne strips. Discard the thicker ribs of the cabbage leaves. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and rub the strips with your hands to make them softer and juicier. Cut the onion and apple into julienne strips and combine with the cabbage, mayonnaise, and carrot shavings. Add salt and sugar to taste, then chill.Ingredients
1 firm head of cabbage (as white as possible) about 1 1/2 pounds.     1/2 teaspoon salt.     1 medium onion.     1 large apple, peeled and cored.     1 cup mayonnaise.     3-4 tablespoons thin carrot shavings.     Sugar to taste.     Parsley sprigs and/or thin wedges of red-skinned apples.
Carrot SaladDescription Carrot Salad is really healthy appetizer full of vitamins. It is better to dress the salad with oil or sour cream, as carotene is assimilated better in rich medium. Carrot salad is very good for the sight. Method Serves 6Peel and grate the carrots and apples. In a bowl combine them with the remaining ingredients except walnuts for garnish. Chill and serve decorated with the apple slices and walnuts. Ingredients
3/4 pound carrots.     2 large apples.     1 tablespoon Horseradish.     1 tablespoon olive oil.     1 tablespoon vinegar.     1 tablespoon sugar.     Salt to taste.     Walnut halves.
Cheese SouffleDescription Cheese soufflГ© is a delicious appetizer for the holiday table. Bake soufflГ© in a different small molds and your guests will be astonished by the beauty, piquant taste and tempting aroma. Method Melt cheese in a small pan, add yolks, milk, flour and pepper. Whip egg whites until there is foam and stir in cheese mass.Pour in well greased baking molds and put in an oven on low heat for 5 minutes. Then make the heat higher. Ingredients
4 ea yolks.     2 ea egg whites.     1 c milk.     2 tb flour.     40 g butter.     pepper.     250 g cheese.
Chicken or Veal in Aspic “Holodets”Description Chicken or Veal in Aspic “Holodets” is a perfect appetizer for the holiday and the best snack with vodka. Holodets can be also called Studen, there is no difference between these two dishes. Holodets is served with horseradish sauce. Method Serves 8-12 as an appetizer or 6 as an entreeRinse the calf or pork feet, put in a 4-quart pot, and add 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 4 hours. The stock should have reduced by half, and gristle should fall away from the bones.Add the beef, onion, carrot, parsley and celery root, and ? teaspoon salt to the pot, bring to the boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes. Add the chicken breasts, peppercorns, allspice, and bay leaves, and continue to simmer until the beef and chicken are tender, about 20 minutes. Cool, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours.Remove all the fat from the top of the aspic. Melt the aspic over low heat. Remove the calf’s feet, beef, and chicken, add the garlic and salt to taste to the broth. Skin and bone the chicken. Remove the meat from the calf’s feet, discarding the bone and the gristle. Cut all the meat into 1-inch pieces and place in a 2- to 21/2-quart serving dish or in individual 1- to 1 1/2 cup dishes. Strain the broth over the meat, discarding the vegetables and spices. Top with slices of hard-boiled egg and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.Cut the meat into as many slices as you will need and serve from the dish, accompanied by horseradish.Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound), or 1 pound boneless veal.     2 pounds calf or pork feet.     1 pound beef round.     1 onion.     1 carrot.     1 parsley root.     2 ounces celery root.     1/2 teaspoon salt plus additional salt to taste.     10 black peppercorns.     5 allspice berries.     2 bay leaves.     3-4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped.     3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced Horseradish or Mustard.
Chopped Egg PateDescription Easy to make, delicious and festive! No wonder this recipe is so popular! Serves 6 Method Chop the hard-boiled eggs finely, to a grainy pate. Add the scallions, dill, butter, mayonnaise and salt to taste. Mix carefully with a fork and chill.Mound the pate in a serving bowl and decorate it with cucumber slices and olives interspersed with parsley sprigs. Serve at room temperature. Ingredients
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled.     6 finely chopped scallions.     1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill.     1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter.     2 tablespoons mayonnaise.     Salt to taste.     Cucumber slices.     Black olives.     Parsley.
Corn SaladDescription Corn salad has become very popular for last years. It is very easy to make, will bring pleasure to you and your kids as well. Method Chop boiled eggs and crab sticks . Add corn and salt. Stir mayonnaise into the salad.Mix the salad and refrigerate for a while. Ingredients
250 g canned sweet corn.     250 g crab sticks.     5 ea hard boiled eggs.     200 g mayonnaise.     salt.

Growing Your Own Herbs for Tea

If you love herbal teas, as I do, you know they are just a little bit pricey. However, growing your own herbs is easy and so much fun!
Here are just a few of the herbs you might want to consider for a tea garden:
Chamomile: Remember the favorite tea of Peter Rabbit? Only the flowers of this fragrant herb are used when making tea. Chamomile tea can be enjoyed by itself or you might enjoy adding mint or lemon verbena.
Lemon Balm: This herb is lemony with a touch of mint and makes a soothing cup of tea. It’s easy to grow (almost too easy) so remember to keep it clipped back.
Lemon Verbena: An excellent herb to grow in a sunny spot, it makes a delicious tea. You might try combining it with orange mint or spearmint.
Mints: There are many mints available. Generally, they are aromatic plants and they are aggressive. It may be a good idea to plant mint in a pot and then put the pot in the ground so it doesn’t take over your herb garden. Spearmint, peppermint, orange mint all make wonderful teas, alone or along with chamomile or any of the lemon herbs.
Herb teas can be made with fresh or dried herbs and can be enjoyed either hot or cold.
For one cup of hot tea, use one teaspoon of dry herbs or up to 3 teaspoons of fresh herbs. Bruising the leaves of fresh herbs will help release the flavor. Pour boiling water over the herbs in a glass or china pot. Metal pots can sometimes leave a metallic taste. Let steep for 5 or so minutes. Strain and enjoy with a little honey to sweeten.
Sun tea can be made simply by filling a jar with water, throw in a handful of crushed fresh herbs, and set in the sun for 3 or 4 hours. Stir in a little honey to sweeten, pour over ice and enjoy.
Trying different combinations of herbs is fun. Remember you can also add spices you have on hand, such as cinnamon, cloves, etc.
There are many benefits to growing and making your own herbal teas. Gardening itself is very relaxing and rewarding. With herbs from your garden you can soothe away your troubles with a cup of chamomile tea or make yourself a refreshing cup of peppermint tea after a hard day at work.

Bananas: All That Potassium And Carmen Miranda Too!

Bananas: All That Potassium And Carmen Miranda Too!
“We have old-fashioned tomahto, Long Island potahto, but Yes, we have no bananas. We have no bananas today..”- Folk song by Frank Silver and Irving Cohen (1923)
Whether you are off to Rio following the colorful trail of Carmen Miranda’s fruit-filled hat or seated on your couch contemplating the universe, the banana can always come along for the ride. There are so many aspects to this strange and wonderful fruit. Even its shape is a bit mysterious; conjuring images of tropical islands and sun-filled days. Did you know that the word “banana” originates from the Arabic and means finger?  Doesn’t that make you wonder where the rest of the hand is? I have been hooked on bananas ever since I was a child, and Miss Chiquita, drawn by Dik Brown who also created the Campbell kids, used to sing to me through the television in my parents’ living room. (I always wondered why she never had her own show. She was so much cuter than Ed Sullivan.) You remember her words:
I’m Chiquita Banana and I’m here to say
Bananas need to ripen in a special way
When they are flecked with brown and have a golden hue
Bananas taste the best and are the best for you.
The banana is so popular in America today that four million tons of them are imported every year. Not to compare apples to oranges, but rather apples to bananas, a banana has less water, fifty percent more food energy, four times the protein, half the fat, twice the carbohydrate, almost three times the phosphorus, five times the Vitamin C and iron and at least twice the other vitamins and minerals as a single apple! The average American eats 33 pounds of bananas a year. An excellent source of potassium and carbohydrates, they can be eaten any time of the day because of their digestive properties. Natural sugar provides energy for those sports requiring endurance and low proportions of sodium chloridium render a good recommendation for salt free diets.
That’s all quite impressive, I know, but where did the banana come from in the first place? Did it arrive as a conundrum along with the chicken or the egg, or did both of them precede it? Buddhist texts from 600bc mention the banana for the first time in history. Alexander The Great tasted bananas in the Indus Valley in 327bc and in his day they were called pala. China records the presence of banana plantations as far back as 200ad (way before the birth of Scarlet O’Hara). In 650 ad Islamic conquerors brought bananas back to Palestine and through trade spread them all over Africa. They were unknown to the New World until 1516 when the first root stocks were brought here by Spanish missionary, Father Tomas de Berlanger.
So much for traveling. How do they grow? The whole matter is extremely confusing. The banana tree itself (even though it is not a tree but a giant plant) is by definition an herb. What is an herb? Without passing go or collecting $200, the answer is a flowering plant with a fleshy, rather than woody, stem. Each stem consists of ten to fourteen hands, each carrying from eighteen to twenty bananas. The stem, however is a false one, formed by tightly wrapped overlapping leaves, resembling stalks of celery. The plant belongs to the same family as lilies, orchids and palms and the fruit is a berry. By definition, a berry is a simple fruit having a skin surrounding one or more seeds in a fleshy pulp. A banana cut lengthwise will reveal very tiny black seeds within its center. Therefore, a banana is a fruit, herb, berry and plant all at the same time. The expression “going bananas” probably came into vogue during the time all of these terms were being defined, don’t you think?
There are about four hundred different varieties of this fabulous fruit, but don’t tell Carmen Miranda. (Apart from the fact that she is dead and you couldn’t possibly, there is no way the woman could fit one more piece of anything on top of one of her hats!)  The three chief imported brands are Chiquita, Bonita and Fyffes. The Chiquita (according to her whom I trust implicitly) is always a guarantee of quality. Its production sites are located in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Columbia. The Bonita banana hails from Ecuador and is the cheapest of the three, but only because it is never advertised. Fyffe’s founded in 1888, has the distinction of being the oldest fruit brand in the world. These bananas are produced in Belize, Columbia, Honduras, Suriname, Jamaica and The Windward Islands.
Harvesting is a race against time that starts while the banana is still green. From harvest to delivery at the supermarket twenty days remain before spoilage occurs. Transportation is done with specialized refrigerated cargo ships, each containing some 250,000 boxes of bananas collected the day before. The bananas are stocked in “ripening rooms” for six to eight days at a temperature that can not exceed 14.5C. This temperature allows a homogenous ripening of the bananas of different sizes.
The color of a banana’s skin indicates its degree of ripeness, but here is a more precise guide. Green bananas are not ripe, but can be safely used in soups and stews. Yellow with green tips indicates the fruit is partially ripe and it can be broiled, baked or fried. All yellow bananas are ripe and are best eaten raw or baked into cakes or pies. Yellow bananas with brown freckles are fully ripe and can be eaten raw, in a salad or in any other dishes calling for uncooked fruit. All brown bananas are over ripe, but if the flesh is firm they are still in prime eating condition. Blackened areas indicate bruised fruit and should be avoided.
Bananas can be utilized in hundreds of dishes prepared in as many ways. Roasted, fried, broiled, par boiled, baked, sautГ©ed or eaten raw, the results are always delicious. They wear many hats, so to speak, and can serve as relishes, stuffing for goose, duck, turkey or chicken, sauces, spreads, jellies, jams, candies, cake and pie filling, flour for breads and fresh fruit in salads. There is little that one cannot do with a banana ( except maybe pay a utility bill.) I am sure that Carmen Miranda loved bananas in every way, but dying as she did at such an early age, I wonder if she didn’t put more of them on her hats than she ever ate. Chiquita could have told her the truth, but would she have listened? Somehow I tend to doubt that those two would have ever gotten along!

Banish Boring Brown Bag Lunches!

One way that money slips through our fingers without our realizing it is by eating out at lunch every day.
Did you know that by taking your lunch 3 days a week instead of eating out, you could save as much as $800 a year?  Think what you could do with that much extra money!
Your lunch doesn’t have to be a sandwich and chips, either.  With just a little bit of creativity and planning, brown bag lunches can be pretty delicious!
Try these ideas for starters:
Invest in a few of those 1-serving plastic  storage containers with lids.  These are so handy–when you have just one serving left of any dish at dinner, put it in one of these dishes.  Designate a shelf in the fridge for these leftovers.  In the mornings, anyone in the family can choose what to put in their lunch bag!
Those little containers can also be used to hold dip for carrot or celery sticks; fill  with peanut butter and pack a zipper bag of pretzels for dipping.  Maybe salsa for dipping tortilla chips (not so healthy, but really good!)
Or make your own pudding cups with your homemade pudding!
Fill tortillas or pita pockets with egg or tuna salad.
Spread cream cheese on a tortilla, add a little salsa, and top with sliced turkey or ham.  Place another tortilla on top, cut in fourths and put in zipper top bag.
A good way to carry deviled eggs (that lunchbox staple)– after filling, put the two halves back together, and wrap in plastic wrap or put in a small container!
Muffins hold up well in a lunch bag or box as do slices of banana nut bread, or most any other quick bread.  Great for morning or afternoon breaks.
Of course, if your workplace has a microwave oven,(lucky you!)you can always bring  leftover soup, stew or chili.  A quick  recipe for Chicken Corn Chowder:
1 pouch Chicken Noodle Soup Mix with diced chicken
2 1/4 cups milk
1 can cream-style corn
Combine all ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until noodles are tender, uncovered,  stirring frequently, because it will stick!
Mix this up in the evening or on the wekend and store in serving-size  containers.  Just grab a container in the morning, along with some crackers, and you’re good to go!
Try some of these ideas for your lunches this week and start saving some money!
And at the same time, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you and/or your spouse will be having a more nutritious meal than you would get at a fast-food restaurant.

Cooler Summer Expected

(NC)-A long, hot summer is the right time to sample the growing number of coolers now available. They come in just about every flavour imaginable from the traditional lemonade to the exotic passion fruit. But, just as new favourites are introduced each year, some old favourites become difficult to find. A perfect example is Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails. No longer in general distribution in Canada, many consumers are having trouble finding their Jack Daniel’s favourites. Fear not, hope is on its way! Corey Ball, Group Brand Manager for Jack Daniel’s in Canada, has the answer: you can mix your own. “After numerous requests,” says Ball, “we developed these recipes to give consumers the great taste they enjoy with Jack Daniel’s Country Cocktails. Here are two favourites for you to try:”
Jack Daniel’s Blackberry Jack
1 Part Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
2 Parts Blackberry Brandy
4 Parts 7-UpВ® or SpriteВ®
Jack Daniel’s Downhome Punch
1 Part Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey
1 Part Peach Schnapps
1 Part Sour Mix
2 Parts Orange Juice
1 Part 7-UpВ® or SpriteВ®
Splash Grenadine
Mr. Ball reminds us that these and other delicious recipes can be found by visiting the Jack Daniel’s website at jackdaniels.com, where you’ll find lots of good ideas to have a cooler summer this year.

10 Simple Ways To Safely Store Food

Storing foods can present its own set of problems. And different types of foods have different storage requirements to prevent bacteria from setting in. Here’s some tips to protect your family and yourself.
Storing Vegetables
1. Vegetables should be stored in the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator. However, keep potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and garlic in a cool, dark, well ventilated place, but not in the refrigerator. Tomatoes have better flavor if they are not refrigerated. Once cut, tomatoes should be refrigerated like any vegetable.
2. Store vegetables in the refrigerator crisper in plastic bags to prevent loss of moisture and nutritional values. However, eggplant and capsicums should be stored open in the crisper as they sweat if stored in plastic bags. Put mushrooms in a paper bag (not in a plastic bag) before placing them in the crisper.
Storing Fruits
3. Apples and berries should always be kept in the refrigerator for maximum crispness. Summer stone fruits and melons should sit at room temperature until they are ripe, then go into the refrigerator. Grapes & fruits that are not yet fully ripe can be left in a fruit bowl in the kitchen.
4. Citrus fruits are fine at room temperature unless it is very hot, in which case, put them in the refrigerator. Bananas should be kept at cool room temperature. Their skins become black if they are refrigerated, although the flesh is still fine to eat.
Storing Dairy Products
5. Always check the expiry date on dairy products, especially milk. Don’t buy milk if it will expire in 2-3 days. Milk generally starts giving smell before its expiry date even if you store it in the refrigerator! Generally, milk bottles at the front of the shelf in the supermarket have an expiry date of only a few days. Look for bottles at the back of the shelf.
Storing Frozen Foods
6. Pack all your frozen foods together in an insulated container to keep them frozen until you get home. If foods defrost on the way home and you re-freeze them in a domestic freezer, large ice crystals will form and can rupture cell membranes in the food allowing nutrients to escape. Keep frozen foods frozen to maintain quality, as bacteria will begin to multiply when the food is thawed.
Storing Meat Products
7. Fresh meat, chicken, and fish always carry some bacteria so these foods must always be kept cold. Bacterial growth slows down in the refrigerator; at room temperature, they grow rapidly. Cooking kills these bacteria. Store meat, seafood and chicken in the coldest part of the refrigerator. See that any uncooked products do not come into contact with other foods in the refrigerator. They should be stored at the bottom part of the refrigerator so that any juices that drip out won’t contaminate other foods on lower shelves.
8. Make sure that fish or other seafood are wrapped and use as soon as possible. Throw them out if not used within two days.
9. If you are going to freeze meat, seafood or poultry, enclose it in freezer wrap and freeze as soon as possible after bringing it home. Store eggs in the refrigerator, preferably in their cartons, as it provides protection and prevents moisture loss through the shell.
Storing Other Products
10. Do not allow pet foods to come into contact with human foods. Pantry items (canned foods, cereals, etc.) should be stored in a dark place like in a cupboard or pantry. Keep oils out of direct light.

10 Wide Open Tips For Food Safety In The Great Outdoors

Hiking, camping, and boating are good activities for active people and families. However, if the food isn’t handled correctly, food-borne illness can be an unwelcome souvenir.
1. Choose foods that are light enough to carry in a backpack and that can be transported safely. Keep foods either hot or cold. Since it’s difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source, it’s best to transport chilled foods. Refrigerate or freeze the food overnight. What foods to bring? For a day hike, just about anything will do as long as you can fit it in your backpack and keep it cold — sandwiches, fried chicken, bread and cheese, and even salads — or choose non- perishable foods.
2. Keep everything clean. Remember to bring disposable wipes if you’re taking a day trip. (Water is too heavy to bring enough for cleaning dishes!)
3. It’s not a good idea to depend on fresh water from a lake or stream for drinking, no matter how clean it appears. Some pathogens thrive in remote mountain lakes or streams and there’s no way to know what might have fallen into the water upstream. Bring bottled or tap water for drinking. Always start out with a full water bottle and replenish your supply from tested public systems when possible. On long trips you can find water in streams, lakes, and springs, but be sure to purify any water from the wild, no matter how clean it appears.
4. If you’re backpacking for more than a day, the food situation gets a little more complicated. You can still bring cold foods for the first day, but you’ll have to pack shelf-stable items for the next day. Canned goods are safe, but heavy, so plan your menu carefully. Advances in food technology have produced relatively lightweight staples that don’t need refrigeration or careful packaging. For example:
==> peanut butter in plastic jars;
==> concentrated juice boxes;
==> canned tuna, ham, chicken, and beef;
==> dried noodles and soups;
==> beef jerky and other dried meats;
==> dehydrated foods;
==> dried fruits and nuts; and
==> powdered milk and fruit drinks.
5. If you’re cooking meat or poultry on a portable stove or over a fire, you’ll need a way to determine when it’s done and safe to eat. Color is not a reliable indicator of doneness, and it can be especially tricky to tell the color of a food if you’re cooking in a wooded area in the evening. It’s critical to use a food thermometer when cooking hamburgers. Ground beef may be contaminated with E. coli, a particularly dangerous strain of bacteria. Illnesses have occurred even when ground beef patties were cooked until there was no visible pink. The only way to insure that ground beef patties are safely cooked is to use a food thermometer, and cook the patty until it reaches 160В° F. Be sure to clean the thermometer between uses.
6. To keep foods cold, you’ll need a cold source. A block of ice keeps longer than ice cubes. Before leaving home, freeze clean, empty milk cartons filled with water to make blocks of ice, or use frozen gel-packs. Fill the cooler with cold or frozen foods. Pack foods in reverse order. First foods packed should be the last foods used. (There is one exception: pack raw meat or poultry below ready-to-eat foods to prevent raw meat or poultry juices from dripping on the other foods.)
7. Camping supply stores sell biodegradable camping soap in liquid and solid forms. But use it sparingly, and keep it out of rivers, lakes, streams, and springs, as it will pollute. If you use soap to clean your pots, wash the pots at the campsite, not at the water’s edge. Dump dirty water on dry ground, well away from fresh water. Some wilderness campers use baking soda to wash their utensils. Pack disposable wipes for hands and quick cleanups.
8. If you’re planning to fish, check with your fish and game agency or state health department to see where you can fish safely, then follow these guidelines for Finfish:
==> Scale, gut, and clean fish as soon as they’re caught.
==> Live fish can be kept on stringers or in live wells, as long as they have enough water and enough room to move and breathe.
==> Wrap fish, both whole and cleaned, in water-tight plastic and store on ice.
==> Keep 3 to 4 inches of ice on the bottom of the cooler. Alternate layers of fish and ice.
==> Store cooler out of the sun and cover with a blanket.
==> Once home, eat fresh fish within 1 to 2 days or freeze them. For top quality, use frozen fish within 3 to 6 months.
9. If using a cooler, leftover food is safe only if the cooler still has ice in it. Otherwise discard leftover food.
10. Whether in the wild or on the high seas, protect yourself and your family by washing your hands before and after handling food.

10 Convenient Ways To Eliminate Food Poisoning With Your Microwave

Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but special care must be taken when cooking or reheating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs to make sure they are prepared safely. Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave “cold spots,” where harmful bacteria can survive. For this reason, it is important to use the following safe microwaving tips to prevent food-borne illness.
Microwave Cooking
1. Arrange food items evenly in a covered dish and add some liquid if needed. Cover the dish with a lid or plastic wrap; loosen or vent the lid or wrap to let steam escape.
2. Large cuts of meat should be cooked on medium power (50%) for longer periods. This allows heat to reach the center without overcooking outer areas.
3. Stir or rotate food midway through the microwaving time to eliminate cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive.
Microwave Defrosting
4. Remove food from packaging before defrosting. Do not use foam trays and plastic wraps because they are not heat stable at high temperatures.
5. Cook meat, poultry, egg casseroles, and fish immediately after defrosting in the microwave oven because some areas of the frozen food may begin to cook during the defrosting time.
Reheating In The Microwave
6. Cover foods with a lid or a microwave-safe plastic wrap to hold in moisture and provide safe, even heating.
7. After reheating foods in the microwave oven, allow standing time. Then, use a clean food thermometer to check that food has reached 165 В°F.
Proper Containers
8. Only use cookware that is specially manufactured for use in the microwave oven and that is labeled for microwave oven use.
9. Plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take- out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers should not be used in microwave ovens. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.
10. Microwave plastic wraps, wax paper, cooking bags, parchment paper, and white microwave-safe paper towels should be safe to use. Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving.

10 Critical Ways To A Perfectly Food-Safe Kitchen

Food poisoning is related to unsafe food, a dirty kitchen, and dirty kitchen appliances. If you follow some safety rules, food poisoning will never occur.
Your Refrigerator
1. Freezing does NOT kill bacteria; it only controls their growth. Common bacteria grow rapidly at 60┬░ F to 120┬░ F. Keep the temperature of the refrigerator below 50┬░ F. Keep the freezer temperature at about 0┬░ F.
2. Don’t take foods out of the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook them.
Dishwashing
3. Clean well with hot water to kill bacteria.
4. If washing dishes by hand, leave them to drain rather than using a tea towel. If you use a tea towel, change it often. Paper towels are a better option.
5. Dishcloths are a prime spot for bacteria to grow and multiply. Wash them regularly with hot water or in the washing machine using the hot cycle with antibacterial products.
Cooking
6. Cook thoroughly to kill bacteria but don’t overcook to the point of charring. It may form amine compounds that may cause cancer. Don’t cook food partially and leave it to cook later.
7. Wash your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial soap before and after cooking.
8. Wash vegetables thoroughly. Wash all lentils, legumes, rice, etc. with lots of water. These are often treated with powder, polish, and even colors, to make them attractive.
9. When you want to use leftovers, heat them to a high temperature so that any bacteria that may have multiplied in the refrigerator will be killed. Throw away any leftover food still left after it has been reheated once.
10. Don’t cook if you have a cut on your hand as cuts and scratches harbor many bacteria.