5
Pig« 8, West Cravei^lghlights, May 27,1982
Use Safe Methods
For Your Canning:
Your home canned foods can provide your family
with months of delicious, nutritious, and economical
meals this year. They can also give them food
poisoning.
Most cases of botulism in home canned foods occur
when the open kettle or oven canning methods are
used or when people resort to chemicals and
preserving powders, says Dr. Nadine Tope,
extension food and nutrition specialist at North
Carolina State University.
“Heat resistant bacteria aren’t always present in
the foods used in canning,” explains Dr. 'Tope, “But
if this bacteria does happen to be around, the food
will probably spoil unless you use safe canning
methods.”
The open kettle or pot-to-the jar method of canning
has one major drawback, according to Dr. Tope: it
seldom sterilizes food. It is also possible for food to
become contaminated with spoilage organisms on
the way from the pot to the jar.
If that happens, says the specialist, foods will spoil,
even if you get a good seal.
Oven canning should never be used, because there
is no accurate way to know or control the
temperature. The temperature of the oven can vary
according to the oven regulator and the circulation of
heat. And, jars may explode, damaging the oven and
cutting or burning people.
“There are no shortcuts to safe, home canned
foods,” the specialist notes. And the best bet is to
follow reliable canning recommendations. Your
county Extension office can provide further
information, if necessary.
Plan Ahead To Use
Seasoned Firewood
The severe winter may have melted away your pile
of seasoned firewood more quickly than you had
planned, forcing the use of recently cut green wood.
You can learn from experience and lay in a larger
supply of wood for next winter. While unseasoned
wood will burn, it makes a better fuel if allowed to
cure for several months.
N. C. Agricultural Extension forest resources
specialists suggest seasoning firewood for a
minimum of six to nine months. The seasoned dry
wood has more heat value and will not deposit
excessive creosote in chimneys and stovepipes.
The North Carolina State University extension
specialists point out that any moisture in wood
reduces the available heat, because some heat is lost
in the process of changing water to steam which
escapes and allows the wood to burn.
Here’s a tip from the tree specialists that may help
you speed up the drying process: When you cut a tree
during the growing season, allow the limbs and
leaves to stay on the tree for at least a week. The
leaves will draw moisture from the wood and it will
dry more quickly.
Seasoning can be speeded up by stacking firewood
in a single tier in a sunny location. Both ends of the
pieces should be exposed. The idea is to expose as
much of the surface of the wood as possible for
maximum air circulation.
You can speed the drying even more by covering
the stack with plastic. On sunny days temperatures
un the plastic will rise much higher than the outside
temperature. This will warm the wood and evaporate
the moisture.
Some water vapor will condense on the plastic, so
ventilation is desirable. The plastic should be held off
the ends of the firewood to allow air to flow and to
keep condensation from wetting the wood.
Seasoning time for different species varies under
different atmospheric conditions. Hot, dry, windy
days will take more moisture out of the wood than
cool, moist days.
If the end of the logs are showing a few cracks, the
wood is probably will seasoned.
Ninety percent of new products placed on the
market for sale fail within fouryearsof introduction.
Use your ice cream scoop to put muffin batter in
muffin tin cups. It’s easier and keeps muffins
uniform in size.
A Peachy Way To End A Southern Evening
Peachy Pecan Shortcake
Pecan Shortcake (below)
1 cup chilled whipping cream
cup powdered sugar
3 or 4 fresh peaches, sliced, or 2 packages (10 oz. each)
frozen peach slices, thawed and drained
Pecan halves
Bake shortcakes. Beat whipping cream and
powdered sugar in chilled bowl until stiff. Split
warm shortcakes: spoon peaches between halves and
over tops. Top with whipped cream and garnish with
pecan halves. 6 servings.
Pecan
Shortcakes
2-1/3 cps Bisquick baking mix
% cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
J4 cup milk
Heat oven to 425". Mix all ingredients until soft^B
dough forms. Gently smooth dough into ball on
lightly floured cloth-covered board. Knead 8 to 10
times. Roll dough inch thick. Cut with floured 3-
inch cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until
golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
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