816-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 19, 2000
Consuming
Thoughts
by
Fay Strickler
Penn State Extension Home
Economist For Berks Co.
Wouldn’t it be nice to open the
front door on a cold winter even
ing and be greeted by the invit
ing smells of beef stroganoff or
turkey Creole. These smells can
be a diner’s dream come true if
you learn to use your slow cook
er properly.
Winter is not the only time a
slow cooker is useful. In the
summer, using this small appli
ance can avoid introducing heat
from a hot oven. At any time of
year, a slow cooker can make life
a little more convenient because
by planning ahead, you save
time later. And it takes less elec
tricity to use a slow cooker
rather than an oven.
Many consumers ask if slow
cookers are safe? Yes, the USDA
has stated that the direct heat
from the pot, the length of cook
ing time, and the steam created
by a tightly covered container
increases the temperature quick
ly and makes slow cooking a safe
process. The low heat helps less
expensive, leaner cuts of meat
become tender and shrink less.
It’s important to begin with a
clean cooker, clean utensils and
a clean work area Wash hands
before and during food prepara
tion
Keep perishable foods refrig
erated until preparation time. If
you cut up meat and vegetables
m advance, store them separate
ly in the refrigerator The slow
cooker may take several hours
to reach a safe, bactena-killing
temperature Constant refriger
ation assures that bacteria,
which multiply rapidly at room
temperature, won’t get a “head
start” during the first few hours
of cooking.
Always defrost meat or poul
try before putting it into a slow
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cooker. Choose to make foods
with a high moisture content
such as chili, soup, stew, or
spaghetti sauce.
Cut food into chunks or small
pieces to ensure thorough cook
ing. Do not use the slow cooker
for large pieces like a roast or|
whole chicken because the food
will cook so slowly it could
remain in the bacterial “danger
zone” too long.
Fill the cooker no less than
half full and no more than two
thirds full. Vegetables cook slow
er than meat and poultry in a
slow cooker so if using them, put
vegetables in first, at the bottom
and around sides of the utensil.
Then add meat and cover the
food with liquid such as broth,
water or barbecue sauce. Keep
the lid in place, removing only to
stir the food or check for done
ness.
Most cookers have two or
more settings. Foods take differ
ent times to cook depending
upon the setting used. Certainly,
foods will cook faster on high
than on low. However, for all-day
cooking or for less-tender cuts,
you may want to use the low set
ting. If possible, turn the cooker
on the highest setting for the
first hour of cooking time and
then to low or the setting called
for in your recipe. However, it’s
safe to cook foods on low the
entire time-if you’re leaving for
work, for example, and, prepara
tion time is limited.
While food is cooking and
once it’s done, food will stay safe
as long as the cooker is operat
ing.
If you are not at home during
the entire slow-cooking process
and the power goes out, throw
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(Continued from Page B 14)
3) The herd must have an ex
cellent dry cow program. “Don’t
just let the cows out on pasture
and forget about them,” said
Snyder. “Make sure you keep
them clean and are giving them
the nutrition they need.”
4) The feeding program for
the entire herd should be well
monitored and “up to snuff.”
5) Milking system should be
checked out every six months.
Inflations should be changed ac
cording to the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
The Snyders also give their
cows MuSe (selenium) shots and
JS vaccinations when they dry
off and when they freshen.
“The J 5 vaccination works
like a flu shot,” said Snyder. “It
may not prevent the cow from
getting mastitis, but it keeps her
from getting it really bad.”
The J 5 shot is given right
when the cow begins leaking
milk and showing signs of
freshening. “We want to make
sure she has it when she’s at her
highest level of stress,” said
Snyder.
“A low somatic cell count is
away the food even if it looks
done.
If you are at home, finish
cooking the ingredients immedi
ately by some other means: a
gas stove, the outdoor grill, or at
a house where the power is on.
When you are at home, and if
the food was completely cooked
before the power went out, the
food should remain safe up to
two hours in the cooker with the
power off.
Store leftovers in shallow cov
ered containers and refrigerate
within two hours after cooking is
finished. Reheating leftovers in
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something you really have to
work hard to maintain,” said
Snyder. “It takes good manage
ment and some extra time in the
barn. But it’s worth it.”
The Snyders also have a
Johnes-free herd. “We tested
free for Johnes the last two years
and are testing again in March,”
said Snyder. “If that test comes
back Johnes free, that we will be
a certified Johnes-free herd.”
With a cull rate that stays
around 10 to 12 percent, the
Snyders have sold some of their
heifers as dairy replacements for
other herds. “Once were certi
fied Johnes-free, we hope to sell
even more replacements,” said
Snyder.
Snyder attributes the low cull
rate to corrective breeding. “We
try to maintain a higher stan
dard of type and good udders on
our cows so they stay in the herd
longer.”
Although Snyder farms as a
way of life, not just to make a
living, he is concerned about the
current milk prices. While visit
ing area farms as an ABS techni
cian, Snyder has heard a lot of
farmers talking about the cur-
a slow cooker is not recommend
ed. However, cooked foods can be
brought to steaming (165'F) on
the stove top or in a microwave
oven and then put into a pre
heated slow cooker to keep hot
for serving.
For additional food safety
information about meat, poultry
or eggs, call the toll-free USDA
Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-
800-535-4555. It is staffed by
home economists from 10 a.m. to
4 p.m. year round An extensive
selection of food safety record
ings can be heard 24 hours a day
using a touch-tone phone.
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rent low milk prices. He has
even seen farmers protesting at
area milk plants.
“When I took over my fa
ther’s farm in 1978, I never ex
pected milk prices to be as low
now as they were then,” said
Snyder.
According to Snyder, the cur
rent overproduction driving the
lower milk price is partially gen
erated by improved genetics and
a better way of managing cows.
One of the fundamental com
ponents of improved manage
ment should be lower somatic
cell counts. A lower somatic cell
count can actually improve a
farmer’s bottom line through
quality premiums and higher
milk production per cow.
“Consumers deserve a quality
product, and lower somatic cell
creates a better product,” said
Snyder.
Annette handles the financial
end of managing the dairy oper
ation. Joseph keeps track of the
herd, including monitoring the
breeding records, keeping the
calf books up to date, registering
new animals, and monitoring
overall herd health and produc
tion.
They work together closely on
the farm and feel fortunate to
have their children involved in
the farm. While Joseph likes to
spend what little spare time he
has fishing and hunting, An
nette enjoys sewing and reading.
But they both treasure the time
they can spend with their two
grandchildren.
Snyder says his energy and
enthusiasm for farming comes
from his desire to keep the farm
that his father worked so hard
for all his life. “When you want
something really bad, you would
do anything to keep it going,”
said Snyder.
Through maintaining good
production, ideal herd health,
and excellent somatic cell
counts, the Snyders hope their
dairy will continue to succeed
for many years to come.
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