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t’s no longer grandma’s world and, just as in many other fields, lots of things have changed with home food preservation. This was the message shared at three short Roundtable Sessions at the Women in Agriculture Conference on April 12, in Parsons.
We discussed the points highlighted on a display called “Just Because It Seals, Doesn’t Mean It’s Safe”, fielded lots of great canning questions, and distributed K-State fact sheets outlining the latest research regarding home canning techniques, recipes, and equipment; as well as pointing out the science behind why using updated methods is critical to a safe jar of food. Canning season is almost here. If you know of a group that could benefit from brushing up their skills with this program, please give me a call.
ServSafe Food Handlers Workshop in Coffeyville
In April we had the privilege of sharing our three-hour ServSafe Food Handlers Workshop with 22 employees of Windsor Place in Coffeyville. All surveys returned were very positive and included comments such as:
- I intend to pay more attention to make sure I am doing everything correctly because it really makes a difference.
- I liked being refreshed, we do become complacent. Simple reminders of very important information. Thanks.
- I plan to do better at making sure all foods at home are cooked to the proper temperature for the safety of my family.
More ServSafe Workshops are being planned for other parts of Wildcat District this summer.
Local Tastes of Independence Features Cooking with Fresh Herbs
“Cooking with Fresh Herbs” was the topic I was asked to share about at the April “Local Tastes of Independence” which is a monthly Sunday afternoon event at the Independence Public Library. To compliment my topic, another speaker shared her herbed butters which were served on a variety of locally made breads. What a great opportunity to share a nutrition message about ways to use fresh herbs to add enticing flavor and eye appeal to foods while reducing the amount of fat, sodium, and added sugar used in cooking. We also shared tips and ideas to help participants be successful when growing their own herbs.
Baking Bread and Making Healthy Choices
A small school called our office recently asking if we could provide nutrition related programs for both their elementary and high school students. We were happy to be able to accommodate their requests.