TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Consumers Ask

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARY A. KEITH Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 2, 2008

What temperature tells when bread or cakes are done?

Most bread will be done when it reaches a temperature between 190 and 210 degrees. Cheesecake should only be baked to 150 degrees but must be chilled to completely solidify.

I'm trying to bake yeast bread and not having much success. Either the yeast doesn't work or it works too fast.

How do I fix this?

Start with a thermometer. The water to dissolve the yeast should be about 110 to 115 degrees. Or if you add warm liquid to a flour and yeast mixture, it should be 120 to 130 degrees.

If you want the process to work slowly - such as for an overnight- or refrigerator-rising dough - then start the yeast at a temperature of about 80 degrees.

We're planning a big weekend party. How far in advance can I set out the food so I can be greeting guests instead of working in the kitchen?

To be safe, you can't leave cooked foods at room temperature for any longer than two hours.

Hot foods should be at least 140 degrees or higher, and cold foods should be lower than 40 degrees.

Remember to keep cut melons, sliced tomatoes and hard-cooked eggs refrigerated or on ice.

A relative insists drinking beer or wine with a meal will take care of bacteria in food, and we can leave tomatoes and burgers out all afternoon.

Is this true?

Sorry, but no. Alcohol actually slows your immune system down, so you're more likely to get sick.

If the alcohol were directly on the food, it might kill a few bacteria, but that's not likely to protect you, either.

My bread recipe calls for one cup of "biga." What is this?

Biga is a substitute for dry yeast in making dough and usually is a mixture of yeast, flour and water that sits overnight.

It's like a sourdough starter but not as sour.

Is eating dried fruit just as good as eating fresh?

It's hard for me to carry fresh fruit along on my job.

Dried fruit has the minerals, carotene, lycopene and fiber of fresh fruit in a concentrated form. But it also has concentrated fruit sugar.

This means half a cup of dried fruit has a lot more calories than half a cup of fresh. Plus, dried fruit is sticky and harder on your teeth unless you brush immediately.

When you do eat dried fruit, watch the amount. A quarter cup is a serving.

I stuck the bone and some meat from a spiral ham into the freezer recently. Will it be OK to use for soup?

It will be safe, but it might be too sweet for soup. Scraping off any visible glaze will help, but you'll still probably notice the sugar.

How does baking powder compare with baking soda for sodium content?

One teaspoon of baking soda has 1,259 milligrams of sodium. A teaspoon of ordinary double-acting baking powder has 488 milligrams.

There won't be that much in each serving of the food you make. Remember, this will be divided among 16 slices of bread or 12 biscuits or whatever you use it in.

You also can get low-sodium baking powder that is almost sodium-free, only 5 milligrams per teaspoon.

Can corn on the cob be frozen or does it need to be cooked first?

For good flavor, ears of corn should be blanched first. You can cut off the kernels and dip them in boiling water for four minutes.

To freeze ears of corn, blanch small ears for seven minutes and large ears for 10 to 11 minutes; chill in ice water, then pack and freeze.

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT