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Flavor: Consumer Questions Answered

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Mary K. Keith

Tribune Correspondent

Published: October 5, 2008

Q: Are there guidelines for what cooking methods work best for what cuts of beef? There are so many pieces in the store these days, I'm confused!
A: There are several things to remember about cooking beef.
For one thing, fat tenderizes meat. So a well-marbled piece of beef can be grilled and still be tender. A very lean piece will be very tough if it's not cooked properly. Also, tendons and cartilage are tough, so the pieces of meat that come from the hard-working parts of the cow — the shoulder (chuck cuts) and hips (round cuts) — tend to be tougher. But, slow cooking with a low temperature and moist heat will soften the cartilage and tenderize the meat.
So these pieces need crockpot, pot roast or braising cookery. And always use a thermometer to decide when it's done. You can't tell by looking, and overcooking ruins a lot of meat!
Ground beef needs 160 degrees, while roasts and steaks need 145 degrees.

Q:What is a standard-size bread pan? Is there such a thing? How much dough or batter does one hold?
A: Most older recipes reliably used a 9-by-5-by-3-inch pan, which holds 8 cups of batter or risen dough. Nowadays, with so much more variability in recipes, with smaller families and fewer people baking, many recipes work best in the 8-by-4-by-2µ1/2-inch pans, which hold 4 cups. So a recipe for one large loaf makes two smaller ones in a shorter baking time.

Q:How does applesauce compare with apples in nutritional value?
A: Commercially prepared unsweetened applesauce, what you get in a can, is about the same as an apple. Vitamin C is the nutrient lost most rapidly in the cooking, but many producers fortify their products with enough that the final content is about what it would have been in the fresh apple, or even higher.
Homemade applesauce is generally lower in vitamin C since slow cooking while exposed to air and light all destroy it. But the fiber and minerals are all still there.

Q: Is there a way to make instantized flour at home? I can't find it in the store anymore and have several recipes that call for it.
A: Sorry, but there's no way to make instantized flour from all-purpose at home. Wondra is still sold locally; call around to stores in your area to find it.

Q: Where can I find directions for canning tomatoes in the oven? I know my mother used to do it that way, and with prices so high, I want to can my own this fall.
A: There are no reliably safe directions for canning in the oven. Although the jar lids might seal, the food in the center of the jar does not get hot enough long enough to be safe.
Tomatoes can be canned in boiling water baths, but not ovens. We have directions for canning tomatoes, fruits, vegetables, even meat and seafood at the Extension office.

Q: Why do the directions say to add lemon juice or vinegar when I can tomatoes? I'm not using the low-acid varieties. Won't they come out sour this way?
A: If you use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per pint of tomatoes, you won't be able to taste the difference. But if you don't, bacteria, especially botulism, might be able to grow. U.S. Department of Agriculture research has shown that even varieties not sold as low-acid can be too low to prevent bacterial growth under certain conditions.
Never use overripe or frosted tomatoes for canning. They'll be lower-acid. And some varieties will be low-acid depending on the soil, hours of sunlight or other factors. It's too risky to skip.

Q: How long can I keep untoasted sesame seeds? Should I refrigerate or freeze them?
A: Because sesame seeds have so much oil that will go rancid, they do have a shorter storage time than many seeds. Depending on the temperature, in a cool, dark place, you should be able to expect at least three to six months of good quality. For longer storage, refrigerate them in an opaque container. For longest storage, over a year, freeze them.

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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