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Pass the ice cream, but hold the salt

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By MARY A. KEITH

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 28, 2009

Can I use ice cream salt in my salt grinder for use at the table or for cooking?

I checked with the folks at Morton Salt on this. They do not recommend using ice cream salt for food use. Because it is not manufactured with the intention of being in food or in contact with food, there is no guarantee that there are no impurities, or even small rocks, in it. So it might wreck your grinder, and worse, it might be unhealthy for you.

I have this great chicken casserole that I've been making for years. Everyone loves it. But when I told a friend recently how I make it, she was shocked and said it was not safe. Is this safe or not? Bake for 15 minutes, let sit in hot oven for two hours, then reheat and serve?

Unfortunately, I'll have to agree with your friend on this one. The initial 15 minutes of baking won't get the chicken and vegetables hot enough to kill bacteria the whole way through the casserole. So that means that the ones inside might get warm enough to grow comfortably during the two hours while the oven is cooling down. While the reheating might be enough to kill bacteria (you didn't say what temperature you use), it won't be enough to destroy any toxins they might have produced while growing.

If you want to slow-cook something, use a Crock-Pot or other slow-cooker. They are calibrated to get the temperature above 140 degrees and keep it there during the cooking. That's a safe zone for holding foods, including mixed dishes such as the chicken and veggies, for long periods of time. Remember, it only takes 15 to 20 minutes for bacteria to double their numbers.

How much fiber should I be eating in a day? I'm a middle-age woman. The doctor says my brown bread and oatmeal are not enough.

Women should get 25 to 30 grams a day; men need 30 to 38 grams, depending on age (generally, ages 50 and older require the lower amount). A slice of whole wheat bread has 2 grams, a half-cup serving of oatmeal 3 to 4, depending on the brand. Fruits and vegetables have fiber, too, as well as other whole-grain products. Fiber helps prevent diverticulitis, reflux, hemorrhoids and gallstones and assists with weight management and controlling hunger. Some kinds lower cholesterol, too.

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

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