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DYE JOB

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By MARY A. KEITH

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 14, 2008

How much red coloring goes into a red velvet cake? This recipe just says "1 bottle," but not the size of the bottle.

I found red velvet cake recipes that called for anywhere from 1 to 3 ounces. Most of the little bottles of coloring are 1-ounce bottles, so if you buy little bottles, that's one to three bottles. If you get the big bottle, then you'll need to measure it by the spoonful. There are 2 tablespoons per ounce, so use 2 to 6 tablespoons, depending on how red you want it to be.

I tried to make calamondin marmalade. This morning I had the best calamondin syrup on my pancakes, but that's not what I wanted! Is there a way to add pectin and make it stiffer? The directions I had did not use pectin.

If you are in a real rush, you could try reworking it. But calamondins usually have plenty of their own pectin. I would first suggest that you simply stick the jars under the bed and forget about them for a month or so. Then take a look and see whether they haven't stiffened by then. Sometimes it just takes longer for them to set. If you decide to try another batch, grind the fruit, add the water and then let it sit overnight before you add the sugar. The longer soak helps extract more pectin to speed its set.

How can I tell what is a good winter squash? I'd like to try the different ones I see in the stores, but I never know what I should look for in a good one. And how do I cook them?

Do try them, they're great! Each one has a slightly different flavor and texture, but most can be interchanged in recipes. The most important things to look for are weight and firmness. It should feel heavy and full for its size. A winter squash should have a firm to hard outer rind so you can't squeeze it and no soft spots. Although the color will vary on each squash, there should not be any watery-looking spots. Check around the stem end to be sure there's no mold. The easiest way to cook one is to cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, put it in a pan cut-side down and bake or microwave until it's soft enough to stick a fork through. Then season, fill or mash it as you want. Or you can cut squash into chunks, peel off the skin and boil or cook in a soup or stew.

Mary A. Keith, a nutrition and health agent at Hillsborough County Extension, can be reached at (813) 744-5519 or mkeith@ufl.edu.

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