Whether it is a new recipe for Taco Tuesday, a mid-day snack, or something to take to your next cookout, Guacamole will make every plate feel a little more festive. It is a refreshing, healthy, and an easy way to add some vegetables to your day. Check it out at CelebrateYourPlate.gov
Vegetables are low-calorie foods that provide us with nutrients that our bodies need. If you want to increase the amount of vegetables you eat (recommended amount is 2.5 – 3 cups/day), check out this 10-tip article from ChooseMyPlate called Add More Vegetables to Your Day.
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-add-more-vegetables-to-your-day
Need some inspiration for mealtimes? How does a refreshing, delicious 5-minute fruit smoothie sound for hot summer days? Cook with 4-H! Download the free digital Fresh Chefs Cookbook with recipes from 4-H youth, celebrity alumni and supporters, and featuring Celebrity Chef, Author, 4-H Healthy Habits Ambassador and Tennessee 4-H Alumna, Carla Hall!
Check it out! Click here.
Did you miss Carla Hall’s live cooking demonstration of her “Oven Smothered Chicken”? No worries, you can still watch it on the Fresh Chefs Facebook page, and whip it up in your kitchen!
Eating Healthy does not have to be hard. When we use MyPlate and shop smart, we can make healthy choices and still enjoy our food! By choosing fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy we can provide healthy meals for our family. Check out this tip sheet that can help us shop smart using MyPlate.
With temperatures rising, it is important to stay hydrated by
drinking water. One way to add flavor to your water without
added sugar is to include sliced fruit. CelebrateYourPlate.org
has created the recipe below.
Many people took an interest in gardening while in quarantine, therefore home food preservation is a big topic this year. Gardeners and other lovers of fresh produce are often interested in extending the season’s bounty by learning more about home-preserving fruits and vegetables.
The OSU Extension Food Preservation Team is hosting live “Office Hours” events to be held bi-weekly through the end of July. Each of these Tuesday sessions will be held from 4:00-5:00pm. Sessions will start with a short presentation and the remainder of time will be for open Q&A. The presentations will be recorded and posted for those who can not attend live. All recordings will be posted after each event at: go.osu.edu/FoodPreservationOfficeHoursRecordings.
Please register in advance by clicking the title below.
| June 16 | Canning & Freezing Vegetables |
| June 30 | Canning and Freezing Fruits |
| July 14 | Making Pickles |
| July 28 | Making Salsa |
Does your pressure canner need tested? Schedule an appointment with OSU Extension today to keep your family safe!
It’s just about time to fetch canners out of the basement or garage. Fresh summer produce is on its way. When was the last time your dial gauge pressure canner was tested for accuracy? If it’s been more than one year, it’s time for a re-check. OSU Extension Clermont County will be testing dial gauge pressure canners on Wednesday June 17, and June 24, from 10:00am-1:00pm at the OUS Extension Office located on the Clermont County Fairgrounds (1000 Locust St, Owensville, OH) by appointment only. There are additional pressure canner testing events happening across the state. You can register for an appointment at https://go.osu.edu/2020pressurecannertesting or by calling 513-732-7070. Appointments are 15-minutes, so please arrive on time. You only need to bring the pressure canner lid to be tested.
Home canning is a relatively simple process, but many variables can affect your finished product. There are so many resources with unsafe information that it is important to make sure you are following the most recent safe home canning guidelines. One guideline for home canning foods safely is using a pressure canner to process low-acid foods, such as vegetables, meat, poultry, and fish. These low-acid foods must be pressure canned at the recommended time and temperature to destroy Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism food poisoning. Home canning low-acid foods in boiling water canners is absolutely unsafe because 212 degrees F is not high enough to destroy botulinum bacteria.
With good reason, most people have a healthy regard for the possible dangers of pressure canners. Usually this respect is based on an old story of a pressure canner “blowing up” in someone’s grandmother’s kitchen. Regardless, it is important to realize that pressure canners are safe if the safety precautions are followed and the canner is used properly. Dangers arise when the unit isn’t maintained and/or used properly. To make sure your pressure canner is working properly, all dial-gauge pressure canners should be tested for accuracy each year.
Remember, home food preservation can be safe, simple and easy to learn!
