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By MARY A. KEITH

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 24, 2008

When I try to fry scallops, they steam instead because they lose moisture and the pan ends up containing a lot of water. What can I do?

The first thing to do is let chilled scallops warm up a little before cooking. Then don't overcook. Depending on the size, you might need to reduce the heat just a little so the scallops are cooked through but not overcooked on the outside. When muscle protein is heated, it starts to contract, like a hand squeezing into a fist. The longer it is heated, the tighter the fist and the more water squeezed out.

Is smoked paprika really spicy hot?

Usually, smoked paprika is made from sweet paprika peppers, so it is not hot. I've had some with a bit of bite, but nowhere near a hot pepper. You can always adjust the amount you use to control any heat, too.

How long can I safely keep an opened bottle of brown gravy mix in the refrigerator?

Products such as brown gravy mix usually have a lot of salt. The salt and refrigeration should keep it safe for years. If it's moldy, pitch it.

I was given a set of small ramekins for custards, and they are labeled "do not broil." How am I supposed to brown the tops of custard without broiling?

The manufacturer is probably assuming that you will use a kitchen torch. This is a small handheld butane burner made specifically for the job of browning things such as custard. There are lots of models available in cooking supply stores.

Can I substitute calamondins in recipes for kumquats?

That would work for sour kumquats. The flavors are slightly different, but that's OK if you like calamondins. In recipes calling for the sweet varieties of kumquats, calamondins will be too sour.

If I were to make a big pot of spaghetti sauce for dinner and it thickened a lot faster than I expected, could I leave it on the stove or should it be refrigerated and then reheated later?

You can't turn the heat off and let the sauce sit for more then two hours and expect it to be safe to eat. The only way you could leave it on the stove is to put a thermometer in the sauce, set the heat to low and be sure the sauce remains at least 135 degrees or warmer until dinnertime. If the temperature falls below 135 degrees for more than an hour, you will have to reheat to 165 degrees. This is necessary to kill anything that has started to grow and may cause food poisoning.

Is there any recommendation for how much fiber to eat? Can you eat too much?

The recommendation is to eat 14 grams of fiber for each 1,000 calories in a daily diet. Most Americans eat close to 2,000 or more calories a day, and their average fiber intake is about 15 grams. That means most people aren't getting nearly enough fiber. If you want to increase the amount of fiber you're getting, add it to your diet gradually and always drink plenty of fluids. This helps avoid the side effects of an abrupt switch to a high-fiber diet, such as becoming gassy or constipated. Some studies have shown extremely high-fiber diets may cause certain mineral deficiencies over the long term. But the association has been made for diets with a very limited variety of foods, which isn't likely here.

What's the benefit of packing fish in salt to bake it? Don't we get too much salt in our diets?

Yes, most of us do get too much sodium. But the salt used to bake fish isn't usually eaten. It's used as insulation to keep the outer parts of the fish from overcooking and drying out while the interior parts finish cooking. You can do the same thing with a pastry crust, foil or parchment paper.

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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