Bonus Dairy Coverage For Producers Issue Date: Saturday, September 22 Deadline: August 31 Lancaster Farming’s Dairy Plus’to reach out to more than 100,000 readers in Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Booklet will feature bonus dairy news, information As milk production reaches new heights, dairy producers are not only looking for the latest news on expansion of herd or facilities, but for ways to get the most out of their equipment dollar. Lancaster Farming’s Dairy Plus Booklet will focus on large-scale producers who either are looking toward herd expansion, constructing new facilities or farm renovation, or looking for other ways to market their milk. Dairy Plus will feature news about dairying never before published in the Northeast’s largest weekly farm newspaper. That includes the latest information on business partnering, nontraditional dairy marketing (including goat and sheep milk production, cheesemaking, and ice cream), and news from milk cooperatives and processors. The booklet will include dairy farm features, additional DHIA information new to Lancaster Farming, business hirings and expansion, and regulatory news information. A big part of the booklet will be news and information about nutrient management, a key issue with dairies. Included in Dairy Plus will be columns about the latest in dairy management written by Penn State experts and a farm calendar of events • Dairy Herd and Facility Expansion • Dairy Farm Feature • Penn State Dairy Management Team Report • Nutrient Management Update • Dairy Business News • Dairy Calendar of Events • Extensive DHIA Reports Call your Advertising Sales Representative or 717-626-1164 Booklet Features Includes: Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 11,2001-813 Well Preserved The Well Preserved news column is prepared by Lan- caster County Cooperative Extension. It includes food preservation information and questions received in the office. Is it safe to process tomatoes in a boiling water bath? Yes, tomatoes and tomato juice may be safely processed in ei ther the boiling water bath or in the pressure canner if approved USDA guidelines are followed. Why should lemon juice be added to canned tomatoes or to mato juice? Although tomatoes are usually considered an acid food, some tomatoes are known to have pH values above 4.6—the upper limit for a high acid food. (pH is a measure of acidity; the lower its value, the more acid the food. Acidity can be increased by adding vinegar, lemon juice, or citric acid). If tomatoes are to be canned as acid foods, they must be acid ified with bottled lemon juice or citric acid. Add two tablespoons bottled lemon juice or Vi teaspoon citric acid per quart of toma toes. Use one tablespoon bottled lemon juice or 'A teaspoon citric acid per pint of tomatoes. Sugar to taste may be added to offset the acid taste. Vinegar usually is not chosen to acidify tomatoes because it produces a stronger flavored product. Properly acidified tomatoes are safely processed in a boiling water bath. Why have processing times changed? Today’s processing times have increased to make food safer. Increasing numbers of bacteria are killed as they are exposed to heat and pressure. The density of the product also influences processing time. Refer to USDA recommendations for process ing times to ensure a safe product. Count processing time when water comes to a vigorous boil in the boiling water bath or when specified pressure is reached in a pressure canner. Can other ingredients be added to tomatoes to improve flavor or make a vegetable juice blend? Whenever another ingredient is added to a tomato product it changes the acidity of the mixture. Therefore, always use a USDA tested recipe that takes the changed acidity into account for processing times and methods. Many of these additions lower acidity requiring the use of the pressure canner. Thicken ing ingredients as in stewed tomatoes should be added at the point of use—not before canning. Home canned tomato juice usually separates. What causes this and how can this be prevented? When tomatoes are crushed before they are heated through, enzymes start to break down the pectin that “cements” tomato cells together. To reduce separa tion, heat the tomatoes quickly so that the pectin that holds the tomato cells together remains intact producing a more homoge neous juice. The best method is to heat about one pound of quar tered tomatoes to a boiling temperature as fast as possible while stirring. Continue to quarter and add more tomatoes at a rate, which does not slow the boiling. After all tomatoes are added, cook them another five minutes. Then put them through a strainer to juice. The least desirable way to make juice is to put raw tomatoes in a blender. Blending raw tomatoes encourages the enzymatic breakdown of pectin. It also incorporates air into the juice, resulting in oxidative de struction of vitamin C. Adding baking soda to prevent separation is not recommend ed because it reacts chemically to destroy vitamin C. Can tomatoes be frozen? Freezing of tomato products is an acceptable practice but not recommended for these reasons. Frozen whole tomatoes become limp after thawing. Quality of canned products is very accept able, and overall costs of preserving tomatoes favor canning. A Home Economist is available to answer your food preserva tion questions on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m.—l:oo p.m. Call 717-394-6851 or write Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lan caster County, 1383 Arcadia Road, Room 1, Lancaster, PA 17601. Keeping It Frozen Workshop And Pressure Conner Testing DAUPHIN (Dauphin Co.) Now is the season when fruits and vegetables are plentiful. Making sure food is safely pre served is the focus of the “Keep ing It Frozen Workshop” Tues day, Aug. 21, by Penn State Cooperative Extension, Dauphin County Office, 1451 Peters Mt. Road, Dauphin. Jane Landis, extension agent in family living, will cover the nutritional benefits of home freezing, proper blanching tech niques, and provide a demonstra tion. Choose between a 10 a.m. to noon session or an evening ses sion at 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The Tomatoes cost of the workshop is $3 per person. Deadline to register is Tues day, Aug. 14, late reservations will be $5 per person. Information will also be avail able on home canning and indi viduals can bring their pressure canning lids to be tested for accu racy. To register, send your name, address, phone number, choice of a.m. or p.m. workshop, check payable to Extension Special Fund, Attn: Tamie Herb, Sec., PSU Extension Dauphin County, 1451 Peters Mt. Road, Dauphin, PA 17018 or call (717) 921-8803 for more information.
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