BS-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 10, 1998
If you are looking fora recipe but cant find it, send your
recipe request to Lou Ann Good, Cook's Question Corner,
in care of Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609, Ephrata, PA
17522. There’s no need to send an SASE. If we receive an
answer to your question, we will publish It as soon as pos
sible. Sometimes we receive numerous answers to the
same request, and cannot print each one.
Answers to recipe requests should be sent to the same
address.
QUESTION Nancy Kramer, Lebanon, is interested in
recipes for drop sugar cookies that remain soft and also molas
ses drop.
QUESTION Elizabeth Beaver, Ringtown, would like a
recipe for apple butter cake.
QUESTION Joyce Shoemaker, Mount Joy, would like
recipes for different flavors of angel food cake such as raspber
ry, strawberry or orange.
QUESTION A reader from Ephrata writes that when she
cold packs string beans, she boils them for three hours. The
jars seal, but some get a white settlement at the bottom of the
jars and the liquid at the bottom looks cloudy. She asked what
causes this problem and are the beans safe to eat. Perhaps our
readers have an explanation; however, recent research shows
that beans should be pressured canned to eliminate all bacter
ial and the risk of food poisoning.
QUESTION Dolly Getz, Manheim, is looking for a recipe
for Friendship Brownies, which are chocolate and nuts and the
dry ingredients layered in a quart jar to be given as gifts. The
receiver adds the liquid ingredients and bakes in 9-inch square
pan when ready to use. She would also like other recipes pre
pared like this for cookies, muffins, etc.
QUESTION Deirdre from New York wants a recipe for
chocolate spice cake.
QUESTION—HeIen Hertzler, Morgantown, wants a recipe
for pizza crust in which the dry ingredients can be mixed and
stored until ready to use and then warm water added, which is
similar to store-bought packs of pizza crust mix.
QUESTION—A reader from Annville would like recipes for
food that can be given as gifts. Examples; oil, vinegar, and herb
mixtures to seal in bottles, candies, cake in a jar, cookies, etc.
She would also like a small cookie that contains anise and is
rolled in confectioners' sugar, which is similar to those made by
Archway.
QUESTION Robina Watson, Blackwood, N.J., needs
recipes for sugarless muffins for a diabetic.
QUESTION A reader wants recipes for black bread and
for pumpernickel bread.
QUESTION Donna Beyerbach, Oakdale, would like a
recipe for zucchini cake that is canned in a jar.
QUESTION—Lois Eby, Greencastle, would like a recipe for
hard pretzels.
QUESTION—L.A. Martin, Canandaigua, N.Y., would like a
recipe for seafood salad using imitation crab meat, celery,
mayonnaise, and onions.
QUESTION A Shippensburg reader would like a recipe
on making cottage cheese that is soft and creamy like the
store-bought variety.
QUESTION A Shippensburg reader would like a recipe
for corn crackles.
QUESTION Toni Levan, Galeton, would like a good
recipe for garlic pickles.
QUESTION—Betty Lou Gambler, Concord, writes that her
tother purchased a pickle compound at the former People’s
rug Store during the 1940 s and 19505. There were four pack-
ies in one recipe and contained rock salt, saccharine, clove
» , and an acid of some kind that was mixed into 1 gallon of cold
v egar and poured over pickles. The pickles were ready to eat
<a bin several days and tasted delicious. She has tried many
si - es and has not been able to locate the pickling compound.
C. i any one help her?
UESTION Barbara from Kutztown would like a recipe
for le sauce that is used to dip steamed dumplings into at a
Chi ?se restaurant.
Cook’s
Question
QUESTION J. Gramiccioni, Stockton, N.J., wants to
know where to purchase real Italian vinegar without preserva
tives. Her father brought some from Italy, but she can't find it
over here. Does anyone know how it can be made or
purchased?
QUESTION Estella Fink would like a recipe to make chili
beans.
QUESTION A reader from Orange County, N.Y. would
like a recipe for Half Sour Pickles, she believes the cucumbers
are soaked in brine overnight and can be eaten the following
day.
QUESTION—A reader from Finger Lakes, N.Y., would like
a recipe to can together sliced onions and green bell peppers
(not pickled).
QUESTION A Snyder County reader would like a recipe
for white chocolate mousse cake.
QUESTION A reader wants a recipe for the bretzel
QUESTION Rose Diehl, Bloomsburg, wants recipes for
turkey scrapple and turkey bologna.
ANSWER Here’s a recipe from Ruth Bricker, Glen Rock
who sent in a recipe that had been requested for spiced tomato
jam.
Begin with 2V* pounds tomatoes and 2 lemons. Scald, peel,
and chop fully ripe tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes. Measure 3
level cups prepared tomato (add water if needed to make 3
cups) into 8-quart saucepan. Add to that 1 'A teaspoons grated
lemon rind, 'A cup lemon juice, 'A teaspoon each allspice and
cinnamon, and % teaspoon ground cloves.
Put tomato mixture into large saucepan and mix in 1 box
Sure Jell. Bring quickly to a hard boil, stirring constantly. At
once, add 3 cups sugar. Bring to a fully rolling boil that can’t be
stirred down.
Boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Quickly skim off foam with metal spoon.
Pour quickly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving '/«-inch head
space. Wipe top edge and threads of jars with clean, damp
cloth. Put on seals. Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
After processing, invert jars to prevent floating fruit. After 30
minutes turn upright again. Cool and store.
ANSWER To make your own spices, try these from
Deiphine Zimmerman, Newmanstown.
Italian Seasoning
V 4 cup dried oregano
'/«cup dried basil
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
'A teaspoon crushed hot pepper flakes
'A teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf, crumbled
Combine and whirl briefly in a blender.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Vi cup cinnamon
Vi cup ground ginger
2 tablespoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground cloves
Combine ingredients. Use 3% teaspoon for each VA cups
canned pumpkin.
ANSWER Richard Kophazy, Moorestownship, wanted
recipes using eggplant. Thanks to Elizabeth Beaver, Ring
town, for sending this recipe.
Caponata
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 A cup chopped onion
2 minced garlic cloves
7 cups chopped, peeled eggplant
1 chopped tomato
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
'A teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
'A teaspoon salt
% teaspoon black pepper
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Cook onion and garlic over
medium heat about 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in eggplant
and tomato. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in
remaining ingredients. Refrigerate at least two hours.
ANSWER Debra Allgyer, Womelsdorf, wanted a recipe
for Elephant Ears. Numerous readers have sent recipes for
funnel cakes, which is another name for Elephant Ears.
Thanks to Tina Forry, Palmyra: Rebecca Case, Glenville; Betty
Mcßride of Jim Thorpe and others for sending recipes.
3 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
IVi cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
VS teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla or nutmeg
Hot oil
Combine eggs and sugar. Stir in milk. Sift together dry ingre
dients and mix with egg mixture until smooth and glossy. Heat
Vt -inch oil in frying pan. Pour VS cup mixture through narrow
funnel into hot oil moving from center to outer edge making cir
cles. Fry 2 minutes, turning once. (Tum te Pag# B 9)
Spiced Tomato Jam
Funnel Cakes
Beware
Of
Silo Fire
Danger
UNIVERSITY PARK (Cent
Co.) In the wake of a rect
rash of silo flies in Fennsylvani
fire safety and farm safety expo
ate advising farmers to use a
Heme caution when filling silts
this fall
“We’ve investigated four silo
fires in the last seven)
weeks,"said Lloyd Henry, stale
fire instructor and chief of the
Lampeter Fire Company in Lan
caster County. “These fires wen
unusual because they occurred
within several hours of the silts
being filled, and started not inside
the silo but in the access chutea,
where dried-out debris and cob
webs can act like kindling. We'ie
still trying to pin down the cause."
Henry and Dennis Murphy,
professocr of agricultural engi
neering and a farm safety expert in
Penn State’s College of Agricul
tural Sciences, say a combination
of factors could be causing the
blazes. “Dry weather in many
areas may be causing poor fer
mentation of silage, which in tun
might lead to the production ol
greater amounts of volatile gases,’
Murphy said.
Murphy explained that seven!
gases, including hydrogen and
methane, are by-products of fer
menting silage. But it’s not known
whether either of these gases, or
some other substance, is involved
in the recent fires.
“If excess gases are present,
they could burst into flames if ex
posed to a iouree of ignition, such
as static electricity 01 sparks
created during the loading a
blowing of silage," Murphy said
“Other potential ignition sources
are bam lights or other elec trial
equipment near or at the base of
unloading chutes.”
Murphy said farmers should
take die following precautions lo
help reduce the risk of silo fires;
• Water down silo unloading
chutes.
• Provide plenty of ventilation
around the silo, especially at load
ing areas and up chutes. “Use i
bam fan to keep extra oxyga
moving up the silo chute,” said
Murphy. “This helps prevent the
generation of excess silo gasei
and dilutes the gases present
keeping them from reaching ex
plosive concentrations.”
• Clean out chaff and other de
bris from the silo chute and from
around the rungs or frame of chute
doors.
Murphy said farmers also mutt
remember that besides the poten
tial fire hazard, silo gases are tox
ic, especially in the first 48 to 60
hours after filling. “If you mutt
enter the silo within the first 48 to
60 hours, protect yourself by
wearing a self-contained breath
ing apparatus,” he said. “If you
don’t have access to one. stay out
of the silo.
“Dangerous levels of silo gn
may be present for an additions!
two to three weeks,” he said. “To
enter without a self-contained
breathing apparatus during this
period, ventilate with the silo
blower. Open all doors, run the
blower fan for 20 minutes, and
leave it running while you are is
the silo. Enter only after you have
put on a respirator for toxic dust,
and have a second person with yos
to assist in an emergency.”