Feature Articles
Food, Fitness and Cooking and Produce
It’s about time for asparagus!
It won’t be long until the first succulent spears of asparagus are cut from the stalk. It is important to know how to prepare and store fresh asparagus for the best taste and maximum freshness...more
Acai berry health claims – more hype than substance
The popular Brazilian acai berry has been touted as a “superfood” that can promote weight loss, reduce wrinkles, cleanse colons and bolster the immune system; however, a University of Missouri Extension nutrition & health education specialist encourages consumers to be skeptical...more
Edamame is a new, healthy snack
Edamame is a great food to add to your family’s food repertoire. It’s new, it’s different, and it’s fun...more
Sooty Blotch in Apples Not a Health Concern
The good news is that sooty blotch is only ‘skin deep.’ Because it is confined to the surface of the fruit, it is easy to remove it...more
The black walnuts in your back yard are healthy
It’s that time of year when walnuts will start dropping off the trees and black walnuts are a tasty, healthy addition to your diet...more
Cooked or raw, tomatoes are a healthy choice
Is a tomato a fruit or vegetable? Botanically, tomatoes are a fruit with healthful benefits of both lycopene and vitamin C...more
The first sign that you have pantry pests is the presence of small brown beetles, moths or worms in your cupboards or even on the kitchen counter. They can come from a lot of places...more
There are lots of varieties of apples and knowing how to select the best apple for the preparation or eating method can make all the difference...more
It’s time to take advantage of fresh juicy peaches. Peaches are a healthy choice for a snack when picked right off the tree but their other uses are endless...more
When the season gets into full swing and they are either too plentiful in the garden or too good a deal at the store to pass up, one way to preserve the sweet treat of berries is to freeze them...more
Melons are a good value financially and nutritionally
Many people have a hard time getting the needed amount of fruits and vegetables daily. This may be because they prefer fresh fruits and vegetables but they are just too expensive...more
Eat blueberries for good health
Blueberries pack a healthful punch that you really shouldn’t miss out on. And, they taste great...more
You might think that the little bit of mold on your bread or on top of your cream cheese is easily cut away and discarded. What most people don’t know is that, like an iceberg, there is a lot more than what you are able to see...more
Asparagus is one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. When choosing asparagus, look for firm, narrow, green spears with tight, crisp tips...more
Choose Lean Ground Beef for Better Health
While shopping at the grocery store, it is easy to spend a long time at the meat counter trying to make a decision about which package of ground beef to buy. There are percentages written on the package and there is a big price difference. For health, it is best to purchase the leanest ground beef...more
Beans are inexpensive, healthy and convenient!
Beans are one of the best values when it comes to the amount of nutrient value for your dollar. Many people don’t want to cook beans because it takes too long. Beans can be successfully prepared in the microwave or in a crock pot...more
Alter Holiday Recipes for Health
Some of the favorite recipes are heavy in fat, sugar and calories. These favorites can be improved and made more healthfully. You just have to know the rules...more
As the leaves start to fall and the temperatures get cooler, there is a good chance you will see more winter squash in the produce aisle at the grocery store. Winter squash can add to the nutritional value of any meal but many people do not purchase them because they don’t know how to prepare them...more
There are so many different types of margarine on the market, how do you know which to purchase for spreading, cooking or baking? Consider the types of margarine you can choose...more
Life can be so hectic. Wouldn’t it be nice to have good home-cooked meals ready to eat with little effort? With a little extra effort now and some freezer space, a person can cook once and eat twice...more
Chili pepper lovers can grow their own peppers as ho as they can stand them in their backyard garden...more
There’s nothing quite like coming home to the smells of a home-cooked meal. But if you’re the one responsible for the cooking, that could be a problem – unless you use a slow cooker or crockpot to make that meal...more
More Uses and a Caution for Pumpkin
There are many tasty ways to use your uncarved pumpkin. Keep in mind that there are food safety considerations especially when preserving pumpkin butter for later use...more
Understanding what functions different ingredients have in a recipe can help you make decisions about altering recipes successfully...more
Sweet Potatoes are a Healthy Choice
Not only do sweet potatoes taste great, they are healthful as well. According to Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition, three fourths of a cup of baked sweet potato contains 155 calories, 5 grams of fiber, 36 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein and no fat. It is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium...more
Summer garden produce brings bounty of food preservation questions, concerns
When backyard gardens are overflowing with cucumbers, grandma’s home-canned pickles are not far behind. Before you take the first bite of that crisp, tangy pickled cuke, it might be wise to ask, “Is her recipe safe?”...more
Tips for Making Jams and Jellies
A lot of work goes in to picking and preparing fruit to make jellied products so you want to be sure that they are going to turn out the way you expected. When you are making jelly, you have a high quality product if the end product is clear and firm enough to hold its shape when spooned out of the container...more
Who can resist a fresh, juicy peach? Let’s look at some tips for buying great tasting fresh peaches and some ways you can preserve this delicious fruit for a winter time treat!...more
Why the Little Sticky Label on Fruit?
Have you noticed the little "brand" stickers on your bananas, apples, peaches, pears, mangos, kiwi and other seasonal fruit...more
Asparagus: Nutrient Powerhouse!
Asparagus is a classic springtime delicacy known for its characteristic flavor. It is also a healthy addition to your diet...more
As days grow longer and warmer, strawberries are first to show up in the market. Strawberries are a rich in vitamin C, which is linked to reducing the risk of certain cancers and lowering bad cholesterol levels. They are also rich in potassium and soluble fiber, and they provide a modest amount of iron...more
Too Much Zucchini? Tips for Preserving
Anyone who has grown zucchini knows that a little planting goes a long way. It’s common for MU Extension to receive calls about how to use zucchini. Here are some recipes and tips....more
Make the Most of Missouri Blueberries
Blueberries contain cancer-fighting antioxidants and may play a role in reducing your risk for heart disease. Here are some tips for making the most of your blueberries...more
When tomatoes and peppers are ripe and plentiful, folks will wonder what to do with all that produce. Salsa is one good option...more
Improving Machine Breads – All You “Knead” to Know!
Come on, admit it! You just had to have a bread machine and now you use it a couple of times a year. Lots of kitchen appliances are like this…we want to believe we use it daily, but the truth is that we struggle with making a good product with the appliance. I hear this commonly, particularly when it comes to machine breads. You definitely have to do some things differently...more
Making Delicious Jerky at Home
If you have hunters in the family who bring home deer, a lightweight way to preserve meat is drying it into jerky. Or, if you want homemade jerky year around, purchase lean beef roasts or loins, slice thinly and you’re a day away from delicious jerky...more
While some save barbecuing for summer, we strike up the grill nearly every week of the year-if I don’t let the grill tank run out of gas...more
How to select, store, prepare and preserve
a variety of farm-fresh produce
Apples
Blueberries
Corn
Grapes
Green Beans
Honey
Nuts
Peaches
Pumpkins
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tomatoes
...is good for you! Apples are a good source of fiber, especially if you eat the peel, and they contain only a trace of sodium and fat. They are a dieter's dream - a medium apple is only about 80 calories. We are lucky in Missouri to have a good supply of fresh apples. The three major varieties available in Missouri from early to late fall are...more
Roasted soybeans make a good snack and the planning needed is worth the wait. Start with the basic roasted soybean procedures then get creative with your flavorings. Cookbooks can give you some ideas of coatings that will work well...more
Cooking with Delicious 'Missouri' Apples
It's hard to beat a juicy (sometimes tart) bite of a crisp apple. But sweet, warm chunky applesauce provides good competition for eating. Apples are good fresh and cooked in pies, cobblers, sauces and butters...more
Give Fresh Green Soybeans a Taste Test
Recently a friend and extension user came into my office and shared her frustration in not being able to buy “edamame” at the farmer’s market. Pronounced “Ed a ma may,” it’s really green soybeans. Knowing there is a window of opportunity to picking the green fuzzy pods, I explored the taste testing opportunity with her promptly...more
“Can I Can Yellow Tomatoes?” and Other Tomato
Questions
"How do you can yellow tomatoes?" "Can I can pink tomatoes?" “Can I mix red, orange and yellow tomatoes?” "To can tomatoes safely, do I need to add acid?" “What causes the white spots under the skin?”...more
Freezer Pickles are Quick & Cool to Make!
With the recent heat spell, I haven’t been terribly interested in creating much heat and humidity in my kitchen that comes along with canning. So far our cucumbers are surviving and there will hopefully be more than we can eat fresh...more
Beets Add Variety to Table: Plain, Fancy
or Pickled!
Our “baby” beets are ready for harvest! While we won’t have a huge crop, we’ll have several meals worth. We like our beets buttered. Sometimes I Harvard them (thicken the sauce). Others like them pickled! Pickling beets is easy and if you have any left you can can them...more
Asparagus: Green, White and Purple!
Green asparagus is common. Less common is white asparagus. And featured in garden catalogs this spring is purple asparagus! ... If there is one place where fat is better than thin, it is asparagus-the thicker the spear, the more tender it is likely to be. Other signs of quality are...more
The most important rule of mushroom hunting is to know precisely and positively what you're after. Here are some tips on identifying, preparing and freezing the morel...more
Planning a “Nutrient-Rich” Garden
When planning and planting your garden, plant seeds which will produce vegetables which will be rich in nutrients. Since garden seed packets aren’t labeled with nutrient labeling, here is a listing of different nutrients, followed by the vegetable which provides that nutrient...more
Your Garden Can Be Your “Salad” Bar!
You don’t have to have a large garden to
have a “salad garden.” Short rows or even large patio containers
of your favorite salad ingredients, will add variety to your palate...more
Last update: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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