TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

CONSUMERS ASK

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARY A. KEITH

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 18, 2008

If I cut a casserole recipe in half, should I also halve the cooking time? It's a brown rice dish with eight servings. The recipe says to bake for two hours.

If the recipe starts with raw rice, the time won't change a whole lot. Plan on at least 11/4 hours. If the rice comes out too firm, finish cooking it in the microwave.

Recipes that use soup or a thick, salty liquid will take longer than those that use water or broth. But if the dish calls for precooked rice, the cooking time will be shorter. It just needs to be reheated, not cooked through.

Is it safe to eat carrot leaves?
Carrots belong to a family of plants that contain some toxins. The only thing I can find in my toxicology references is that eating large amounts can lead to photosensitivity. That means you could get rashes on skin exposed to the sun. Carrots, though, are fine. You'd need to eat several tons to get enough toxins to cause problems.

Some chickens wander wild through the yards where we live. Are their eggs safe to eat? I saw one of the hens lay an egg and wanted to use it.

For an egg that fresh, I'd only be concerned if the hens are foraging around junkyards or places where old batteries, cars or chemicals are exposed. If the chickens only are getting into flower beds and yards, the eggs should be OK. But if you just find a nest, there's no way to know how fresh the eggs are. Don't bother using them.

Which is better to store for hurricane supplies: canned food or food in foil pouches like the kind now being used for tuna?

Cans are less likely to be damaged by water or blowing objects. Even if they end up underwater, they can be soaked in bleach water to sanitize them. Pouches are more susceptible to being punctured. If you do use pouches, protect them by packing them in large cans, like those used for holiday popcorn.

What size cans should I get for the hurricane box, single-serve or economy size?

In a storm emergency, it's likely the power will be out. That means there won't be any refrigeration to store leftovers. Food in an opened can will be safe for four hours, max.

Get the size cans your household will be able to use in one meal. In a two-person household, cans with two to three servings will be the right size. Big families can use the large-sized cans.

I keep seeing "inulin" on food ingredient lists. Is this something like insulin? Why is it in so many foods?

Inulin is a dietary fiber. It's extracted from chicory roots. It has become popular because it promotes growth of good bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria help protect against intestinal problems and infections and help the immune system. Fiber also slows down the rise of blood sugar after a meal.

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

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT