Time for Change
This is my last UNL for Families article. I retired May 31st but wrote this last article one of my last days. UNL for Families started shortly after I started working for Extension in 1998. All kinds of topics have been covered over the years that are important to families of all ages.
Nebraska Extension is different than many people believe. No longer is there an Agricultural and Home Agent in every county. Now the ‘agents’ are Educators in Nebraska and have been for close to 30 years. They work in one of 9 program areas including 4-H Youth Development, Agricultural Profitability, Early Childhood, Food, Nutrition and Health, Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems, Livestock Systems, Rural Prosperity Nebraska, Water and Cropping Systems, and Disaster Education. Each program area offers excellent research-based information, programming, and lessons for all Nebraskans. Every county is represented by an Extension Educator in each of these 9 areas. Even though they might not be sitting in your county Nebraska Extension office they can be contacted to answer any questions or programming needs you might have. Contacting your local extension office is still the easiest way to get in touch with the Educator you need, or they are online at extension.unl.edu. Depending on the need they might travel to you, ask for digital photos to be sent (don’t worry your local extension office will help) or will direct you to or send you the needed information. No matter what help is just a phone call away.
Most of my UNL for Families topics have dealt with Food, Nutrition, and Health topics and I want to leave you with four important facts. They are maybe not the most popular but are the most current information we have available.
First, home food preservation is a great way to preserve foods for later use, but please follow the latest research-based methods and recipes. How foods are preserved has changed, what was an accepted practice a few years ago might no longer be considered safe. No one wants to go to all the work of preserving food to have it spoil or make someone sick. For example, today’s tomatoes are less acidic so they need to have a little acid added and processed using the boiling water method to be safe. A research-based recipe for basic salsa should be followed when canning, then when you are ready to use it add your special ingredients to make your favorite salsa. Meats and vegetables are low acid foods and need to be pressure canned to get the temperature high enough to kill bacteria. A longer time at a lower temperature doesn’t work.
Second, poultry (or any meat) should not be washed before cooking. Cooking poultry to 165°F will kill any bacteria. Washing it before cooking moves the bacteria from the poultry to your kitchen surfaces and can lead to cross contamination of other foods. Even in a very clean kitchen those little tiny bacteria can hide.
Third, flour is considered a raw food and should be cooked before eating. E coli has been found in flour and has been the source of many e coli outbreaks. This means cookie dough shouldn’t be eaten unless it is marked safe to eat raw. E coli and other bacteria get into the grains from which flour is ground as it is growing outdoors, and the flour is never heated during the grinding process to kill the e coli. Heating (cooking or baking) products containing flour high enough to kill the harmful bacteria is the only way to insure they are safe to eat.
Finally, wash your hands! Your hands are the #1 way bacteria is spread. Soap and water is best. Hand sanitizers work best after handwashing to reduce any bacteria left and shouldn’t take the place of handwashing.
More information about all these topics and other food, nutrition, and health topics can be found by contacting your local Nebraska Extension Office or on the web at food.unl.edu check it out, it is amazing! Nebraska Extension In Our Grit, Our Glory.
UN–L for Families
Nancy Frecks, Extension Educator
Nebraska Extension