March 15 is National Agricultural Day! Below is a link I found interesting – 10 reasons to thank a farmer. http://pin.it/w2FmnBM 10. American’s spend only 10% of their incomes on food. The lowest percentage of any country. 9. The world’s population will grow from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050. Farmers will need to DOUBLE food production to keep pace. 8. Only 210,000 full time U.S. farmers produce 80% of our food and fiber. 7. Most farms are family-owned enterprises. These families brave exceptional risk and tight margins. 6. For every $1 spent on food, farmers receive less than 12 cents for the raw products. 5. The average U.S.…
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Food Expiration Dates
For the exception of infant formula, food expiration dates are not required by federal law. Some states require particular products to carry “use by” dates or “sell before” dates. These dates are actually not for the consumer, but are mainly for the retailer to judge when a product should be pulled from the shelf. “Open dating” is used for perishable items. Once this date has past, the quality of the food may diminished, but it is not an absolute “expiration date,” for the product. If proper refrigeration has occurred, most perishable items will be consumable beyond the stamped date. “Closed/coded dates” are used for shelf stable items, such as rice…
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Berry Basics
This is the season for berries. Just wanted to write about a few basic tips when buying, storing and cooking with berries. Buying: Always buy berries that are plump, firm, dry and free of blemishes or mold. Follow your nose; the most fragrant berries will taste the best. Storing: Never wash the berries until you are ready to use or eat them. Moisture promotes mold. You do not want damp berries sitting in the fridge. I leave my berries in the container I purchased them in (you know the one with the air slits). Cooking: Large, heavy berries (blackberries) will always drop to the bottom in a thin cake batter.…
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Mango salsa anyone?
Last night, I made my first mango salsa. Not being a friend of many fruits, this was a big deal for me. I get apprehensive about anything I don’t heat, cook or chill? Menu consisted of grilled lemon shrimp and grilled cod with a mango-mint salsa, over a rice pilaf. I wanted a light, refreshing dinner due to the extreme heat wave we have endured. Plus I wanted to use my recently harvested, burpless cucumbers. I knew I needed to use some cod fillets I had in the freezer and being a sturdy, flexible piece of fish…tonight was the night. It is important to use rather large peeled & deveined…
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Farmer’s Markets
This weekend many local farmer’s market’s will open. Homegrown or homemade products will be sold directly by their growers, without the costly distributor. Freshness is the biggest advantage to buying at farmer’s markets. Direct communication with the grower can be beneficial if you are inquisitive about chemicals or pesticides being applied to the food you will eat. Growers can tell you exactly what they may have put on the food. Also, supporting your own community is gratifying. Usually, farmer’s markets feature vendors within 50 miles or so, of the city in which the market is advertised. I plan to visit 4-5 local area farmer’s markets this Saturday morning. I will…
