Cook’s Question
ANSWER Barbie Smoker, Quarryville, wanted a recipe
for Kiwi Jam. Thanks to Verna Moll, Temple, who sent in two
recipes that she clipped from last year’s newspaper recipes.
4 cups Kiwi puree
4Vi cups sugar
1 box powdered fruit pectin
Peel about 3 quarts ripe kiwi and put through food proces
sor to make puree. Follow directions on fruit pectin box for
preparing jam.
Kiwi-Pineapple Jam
3Vi cups prepared pineapple (from fresh)
1 cup kiwi puree
5Vi cups sugar
1 box powdered fruit pectin
For puree, stem ripe kiwi and put through food sieve. Fol
low directions on fruit pectin box.
ANSWER —ForC. Fields, Topton, who wanted the 30 Day
friendship cake starter, here is one from L. Fitz, Greencastle.
30 Day Friendship Cake Starter
Let the following mixture set 8 hours or overnight on coun
tertop. Put the following ingredients into a 1 gallon container
and cover with cloth and lid:
'A cup sugar
'A cup peach juice
Vi cup pineapple juice
Vi cup fruit cocktail juice.
Stir well. Do not refrigerate.
Day 1; Mix together Vk cups starter juice
2'/* cups sugar
1 quart homecanned or 29-ounce can peaches and juice.
Cover and stir once a day for next 9 days.
Day 10: Add 2 cups sugar
20-ounce can crushed or chunky pineapple and juice. Stir
once a day for next 9 days.
Day 20; Add 2 cups sugar
17-ounce can fruit cocktail and juice
14-ounce jar maraschino cherries and juice. Stir once a day
for next nine days.
Day 30: Drain juice from fruit and put into 6 jars.
1 'k cups juice in each jar. Divide fruit into 3 portions (about
2 cups each).
For each cake you will need:
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
% cup oil
Small box instant vanilla pudding
Vk cups chopped nuts
1 tablespoon orange extract
2 cups fruit mix
Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Mix together and pour
intp pans. Grease 3 tubepans or bundt pans.
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STOLTZFUS WELDING SHOP
Owner - Samuel P. Stoltzfus
RD 3, Box 331
Pine Grove, PA 17963
(Continued from Page 88)
Kiwi Jam
Family Living
Focus
Beth Van Horn
Centre Co.
Extension Agent
CONSIDER FOOD SAFETY
WHEN REUSING PLASTIC
AND PAPER
In the spirit of “reuse and recy
cle,” many of us feel good when
we microwave leftovers in plastic
margarine tubs we have saved and
reuse our plastic grocery bags as
food storage containers. Although
they are both ecologically sound
practices, the question is are they
safe food practices?
The answer is no, according to
the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA). Here is what
experts with USDA’s Meat and
Poultry Hotline have to say about
these and other food packaging
questions that consumers often
ask.
ANSWER—Phyllis Stauffer, Carlisle, wanted a recipe that
tastes like the hash brown casserole served at Cracker Barrel
restaurants. Thanks to Barb Bedard, North Lawrence, N.V.,
for sending the following:
2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes
14 cup butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
'A cup chopped onion
2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
Mix together all ingredients. Place in 3-quart buttered cas
serole dish. May be made the day before and refrigerated,
covered. Remove from refrigerator about two hours before
baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.
Serves 12.
Creamy Hash Brown Casserole
32-ounces frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes,
thawed
1 pound American cheese, cubed
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups sour cream
% cup butter, melted, divided
3 tablespoons chopped onion
% teaspoon paprika
2 cups cornflakes, slightly crushed
In a large bowl, combine hash browns, cheese, soup, sour
cream, % cup butter, and onion. Spread into a greased
13x9x2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Combine
cornflakes and remaining butter. Sprinkle on top. Bake,
uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until heated
through.
Question: Is it safe to micro
wave foods in margarine tubs or
cottage cheese containers?
Answer No. Cold food storage
containers are intended for cold
food storage only. They have not
been tested or approved for any
other use, including cooking. Mar
garine tubs and cottage cheese
containers are not heat stable, and
chemicals from the plastic may
migrate into the food during heat
ing, including microwave heating.
Question: What about the use of
plastic and other packaging mater
ials in the microwave oven?
Answer Microwave foods in
packaging materials only if the
package directs, and do so only
one time. Materials suitable for
Potato Casserole
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 18, 1999-69
microwave cooking include oven
bags, wax paper, and plastic wrap.
However, make sure the plastic
wrap does not touch the food, and
do not reuse the wrap.
Question: is it safe to use plastic
grocery or trash bags for food stor
age?
Answer This is not a recom
mened practice, especially for
plastic trash bags. Generally, they
are not made of food-grade plas
tic, and chemicals from them may
leach into the food, especially raw
food such as fresh produce.
Question: Is it safe to use paper
grocery bags for cooking?
Answer Again, USDA’s an
swer is no. Grocery bags are not
intended or formulated for cook
ing foods. Levels of components,
such as metal fragments, glue, and
chemicals, may be present at high
er than acceptable limits and can
migrate into the food. These bags
may not be sanitary, particularly
since they are stared under a varie
ty of conditions.
Question; What about packag
ing that accidentally gets cooked
in a conventional oven, such as the
giblet bag inside a turkey?
Answer The giblet bag and ab
sorbent pad that come with it
clearly ate not intended to be
cooked. However, if this happens
and the packageing materials re
main unaltered (that is, they do not
melt or come apart), the giblets
should not be used, but the sur
rounding turkey is considered safe
to eat However, if the packaging
materials have melted or changed
shape in any way, experts with
USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline
recommend against using the tur
key because of food safety con
cerns.
Credit Traps
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
Learn how to get more from
your credit dollar, obtain a copy of
your credit bureau file, and avoid
traps card issuers set to get more of
your money. The workshop, 10
Ways to Reduce Credit Card Debt,
is free. It will be held Nov. 4, from
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
To register, send your name,
address, and phone number to
Workshops, Penn State Coopera
tive Extension, 1383 Arcadia Rd.,
Room 1, Lancaster, PA
17601-3184.