nol .v'.b'iulr,? flfumicl inieiionßJ 70—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. Jan. 17. 1976 Lamb adds variety to meals By SARA BECK. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Sophisticated tastes of American consumers today require greater variety in the meat diet. Consumers arc also more nutrition conscious. lamb provides variety by offering a welcome change from beef, pork and poultry. Lamb is an excellent source of high quality protein for growth and repair of body tissues. It is a good source of iron, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin nutrients that give us rich red blood, strong bones and teeth, and general good health To be in the know about lamb buying, you should leam what lamb “terms” mean I.amb falls roughly into two major categories, milk-finished lamb, fed on mother’s milk and tender grass; and feed-finished lamb, which has had supplemental feed to bring it to a proper finish for market. To be labeled lamb, the meat must be from an animal less than a year old. In fact, most lambs go to market before they are eight months of age. In order to be called “spring” lamb or “genuine spring" lamb, it must have been produced between March and October. However, lambs are available throughout the year. In January, February and March “hot house” or baby lambs may be available on special requests. These lambs are seven to eight weeks old and are usually roasted whole. Yearlings are sheep one year old but less than two. Mutton is usually one and a half to two years old or more when slaughtered. In this country there is little taste for mutton and about 94 percent of all sheep slaughtered for meat are lambs. Because lamb is from young sheep, the meat comes from little used muscles and, therefore, is tender. It has no marbling, because the animal hasn’t had time to store much fat and, there is usually only a thin layer of fat around the outside of the meat. The color of the lean meat is pinkish-red. The smaller the muscle, the younger and more tender the lamb. The texture of the lean should always be fine and velvety. The fat should be smooth, firm, white and rather “brittle”. The bones should be porous and reddish indicating a young animal. The outer fat is covered with a natural reddish-pink parchmentlike layer that is called the “fell.” This helps keep the meat fresh and helps roasts retain their shape and juiciness during cooking. The fell should not be removed from roasts before cooking. If it has not been removed from other cuts, such as chops, it should be removed before cooking, because it adds little or nothing to the smaller cuts. For low-cost meals, select the cuts from the forequarter: neck, shanks, shoulder, and breast. Although nearly all lamb cuts are tender enough to be cooked without added liquid, they could be braised or simmered (cooked by moist heat) to insure maximum tenderness. The nb, loin, and leg cuts are baked or broiled (dry heat methods). Always use low oven temperatures, 300-325 degrees F., when cooking lamb. The unpleasant odor sometimes associated with lamb is caused by high tem peratures that bum the fat. High temperatures also cause excess shrinkage and loss of juices. Lamb, like beef, is safe to serve rare, 140 degrees F. However, many people prefer to eat iamb cooked from medium to well done. Overcooking makes lamb dry and less tender as well as shrinks the meat. The most accurate way to determine the end temperature of the roast is to use a meat thermometer. For chops, make a small cut along the bone and check the interior color. Lamb should NJ. funds increased WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that Farmers Home Ad ministration (FmHA) housing loans to families of low and moderate income for single family homes will be made at an interest rate of 8% percent. The previous rate of nine percent had been in effect since Sept. 2. The new rate will apply to FmHA loans to eligible families for purchase or improvement of individual homes. FmHA’s rate is consistent with the current Candidate visits farm NINE POINTS - Robert S Walker, candidate for the Republican nomination to Congress from Penn sylvania’s 16th District, kicked off his campaign this week by working for a day on the Vernon Umble dairy farm near here. As part of a week when Walker worked for one day at a different job in various sections of the district, his day started with the 6 a.m. milking and continued through the morning feeding. Walker performed interest rate on housing loans insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Administration. The interest rate of nine percent will continue to be applied to FmHA loans for the development of rental and cooperative housing. Housing loans are ad ministered by FmHA in rural areas including rural towns of not more than 10,000 population, and in certain designated towns and cities with populations between 10,000 and 20,000. general farm labor including the cutting of rubber mats that line the cattle’s stalls. “When I announced my candidacy for this office earlier in the month I pledged my efforts to listening to as many people from this district as I possibly could. Farmers make up a large segment of the population here and that’s why I’m spending a day learning about their problems and listening to their opinions.” be served piping hot or cold never lukewarm. Roasts should ‘‘set’’ a short while to give the meat a chance to firm up and make carving easier. Serve all other lamb immediately. To add to lamb’s natural good flavor, choose any of these seasonings or a combination of several; basil, bay leaves, celery, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, onion, par sley, oregano, chili powder, lemon-pepper, mustard, nutmeg, curry powder, cinnamon, coriander, rosemary, savory, tarragon, and thyme. The kinds of amounts of seasonings you use will, of course, depend on your family’s preferences. Ground spices give up their flavors quickly. When they are used in a medium to long cooking dish, such as roast lamb, they should not be added until the end of the cooking time. Whole or "leaf” herbs should be finely crumbled just before using to release best flavor. Whole spices are especially tasty in long-cooking dishes, such as lamb stew. Thy should be added at the beginning of cooking. Place a bouquet of whole spices in a small cheese cloth or muslin bag. It can be easily removed when the desired flavor level is reached. Frozen lamb need not be thawed before cooking; if not, it requires extra cooking time. If you do prefer to thaw meats, they should be thawed in the refrigerator, because thawing meats at room temperature may permit dangerous bacterial growth. Fresh lamb, like all fresh meats, should be stored either loosely wrapped or, if prepackaged, in the original wrap at refrigerator temperatures between 35-40 degrees F. or lower. Chops, steaks and roasts will keep in the refrigerator for three to five days or in the freezer at 0 degrees F. or lower for six to nine months. Ground or stew lamb or variety meats will keep only one or two days in the refrigerator or for three to four months in the freezer. Cooked lamb and lamb dishes can be stored m the if you're a farmer. we have the money you need. As a farmer, you know that today's agri-business proves that it really takes money to make money You’re constantly up dating equipment investing in stock and supplies im proving your buildings And the Friendly First FARM LOAN CORPORATION has the money you need There are advantages to financing your needs with us because • You can arrange a long-term loan to reduce the size of your payments • You can get a loan for any size farm—whether you have 50 acres or even 500 • You discuss your needs with local people who have both farming and banking know-how A talk with our Bob Badger or Darwin Mowery can be helpful with current requirements and they’ll also help you plan for the future Funds are available now Stop at any office of the Friendly First for complete details on this new service that’s already helping farmers like you THE BANK THAT ALWAYS HAD NO-SERVICE-CHARGE CHECKING ACCOUNTS STRASBURG EAST KING STREET WILLOW STREET LANCASTER 397-4732 687-8611 refrigerator for three to four days and in the freezer for two to three months. It is important to remember when preparing food for freezer storage to keep it as clean as possible and handle it as little as possible to prevent the growth of bacteria. Freezing docs not kill bacteria. It only retards their growth. Wrap all foods for the freezer in moisture-vapor resistant material to keep them from loosing natural moisture. So, remember, when serving lamb for delicious nutritious meals with variety, serve it piping hot or icy cold. Always keep it dean! The Friendly First FARM LOAN CORPORATION a subsidiary of Hke First Tlatiorvii dokwik o^ - SbvoAbwwj, BUCK 464-3421 284-4175 MEMBER (OK
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