If you are landing on this page on Thanksgiving morning after discovering a partially frozen turkey, this advice is for you. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be alright. Put your icy turkey in a large plastic bag (food grade, think crockpot liner or oven bag). If the turkey is still in its original, …
How to clean produce after cross-contamination in the refrigerator.
Heather says: Food safety is serious business. This is why I harp on it. There are times where I’m less stringent than the FDA, but that’s in my own home where no one has a compromised immune system. When I make recommendations here on Home-Ec 101 I try to make sure they stick within those …
Dear Home Ec 101, Why is it that sometimes when I heat foods in the microwave, the bowl is screaming hot, and the food is still a block of ice? Signed, Scalded in Scranton* Dear Scalded in Scranton, Here on Home Ec 101, we’ve written previously about how microwaves work. So if you missed it …
It has just been brought to my attention that Pyrex cookware has been receiving some attention from Consumer Reports via the Consumerist. I love glass cookware and I will continue to use my glassware for baking; however, there are a few precautions one should always use. Glass, even tempered glass, is fairly rigid and doesn’t conduct heat …
Yesterday when I wrote the post on how to cook with dried beans, I had that nagging feeling, you know the one that says I was forgetting something important. It turns out I was, I edited it into yesterday’s post, but I wanted to be sure everyone saw the update. Unless you are willing to …
Heather says: Yesterday’s post on How to Freeze Food inspired a few more questions. Rather than extend an already long article, this is the second installment on freezer tips. Can you do a post on freezing leftovers? I’m a single gal, and while I do cut down most recipes, sometimes I have a couple stuffed …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m completely lost when it comes to freezing food. I know this is a great way to have meals on hand, but once it’s in the freezer I don’t know what to do with it. Just last night I made too much enchilada filling. So I made an extra pan, covered it in foil …
Dear Home Ec 101, I’m just starting to get into building an emergency pantry and there’s a great sale on my kids’ favorite cereals. I was thinking of using the sale and coupons to lay in a good supply for the pantry, but I don’t know how long the cereal will last on the shelf. …
Dear Home-Ec 101: I’m taking your advice about building an emergency food supply seriously. I’d like to do some of it by canning and preserving foods from my own garden. Besides pickles, jams and jellies, (which are yummy, but don’t exactly fill a belly) what kinds of foods should I be growing so that I …