Sunday, August 19, 2012

BERRIES GALORE!






It's berry season!! So I like to save money on pre-packaged, frozen fruit by buying what's in season  and freezing my own. 

But if you're like me, and over purchase berries because they're on sale or looked SO delish at the store, no worries. To store Summer berries for the Winter, follow these simple steps: 

1) Wash the berries in a colander. Discard any that are smashed, over/under ripe or otherwise unsuitable. 

2) Line a baking sheet with clean paper or dish towels. Spread berries on baking sheet and allow to air dry. 

3) Place air-dried berries in freezer.

4) Once berries are frozen, place them in Ziploc (or other high quality) freezer bag(s). Squeeze out any additional air and place back in freezer. 

Quick tip: Lay washed/air-dried berries in Ziploc. Arrange in bag as flatly as possible and place flat in freezer. 





Great for smoothies, milkshakes, ice cream topping, parfaits, cocktails...the list goes on! 






WASH YOUR SKIN!



....I'm not speaking of the skin on your body. In light of the recent salmonella outbreak with cantaloupe, I thought it would be a good time to reiterate how important it is to wash the skin of melon & citrus before cutting. Many often assume that since we don't consume the skin of melons and citrus, that there's no need to wash before cutting. On the contrary....

Portion of article courtesy of Huffington Post: 


Aug 17 (Reuters) - "A salmonella outbreak blamed on cantaloupe grown in Indiana has killed two people in Kentucky and sickened some 150 people in the past month, health officials said on Friday, urging consumers to throw away melons bought recently from the region.
The outbreak traced to the cantaloupe began in early July and has struck consumers in Indiana, Kentucky and Minnesota. Indiana officials said there were about 150 cantaloupe-linked cases nationwide....
The illness caused by the food-borne organism usually causes a week-long bout of diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain, but can be fatal for the elderly, young children and people with weakened immune systems. Thousands of Americans contract salmonella illness each year, often from uncooked chicken."

The bacteria on the outside can...and does...easily transfer to the flesh upon cutting. To prevent the transfer of bacteria, wash skin with a gentle detergent (i.e. vegetable wash or diluted vinegar) before cutting.

Think about where that melon or lemon has been before you got it home. Think about how many times YOU have dropped a lime on the grocery store floor, then put it back into the pile....like it never even happened. You wash grapes before eating, right? The same needs to go for fruit with inedible skins. 

Enjoy your fruit this Summer, just don't get sick while doing so!