Spilyay Tymoo
Take
August 12,1983 Page 9
care
There seems to be some
co n fu sio n am ong pickle
makers as to the type of pickles
they are making, says Nellie
O e h le r , O r e g o n S t a t e
University Extension Home
Economist. There are two types
of pickles made at home, one
being the fresh pack, made in
one to three days; and the other
being a brined of fermented
pickles, which takes three or
more weeks to make. The two
methods of pickle making
cannot be interchanged, says
O e h le r . I f th e p r o p e r
proportion of ingredients and
method of preparation are n o t.
matched, a dangerous product
could result.
A quick or fresh pack pickle
is one that is made in one to
three days. The recipe includes
a high proportion of vinegar (at
least a 1-1 ratio of vinegar to
water). A few tested quick
pickle recipes have a little less
vinegar, but these recipes also
B ew are
Consumers need to be on the
alert for claims made by
manufacturers of cookware
that their products are designed
for canning foods warns Nellie
O e h le r, O re g o n S ta te
University Extension Home
Economist.
There is no substitute for a
p re s s u re c a n n e r w hen
processing vegetables, meats,
fish and poultry. A tempera
ture of 240 F must be reached
for the specified length of time
in order to destroy the heat
when pickling Extension
include a high quantity of salt.
The vinegar in quick pickle
recipes should never be diluted.
It serves as the preservative. If a
less tart pickle product is
preferred, add sugar, says
Oehler. Quick pickles are
processed for five minutes in a
boiling water bath as soon as
they are made. Included in this
group of pickles are the bread
and butter, cross cuts, fresh
pack dills, relishes, beet pickles
and dilly beans.
' The second type of pickles is
the fermented or brined pickle.
These pickles take three to six
weeks to prepare. The recipes
for these pickles have salt and
often have a small amount of
v in e g a r a n d sp ic e s fo r
flavoring. These pickles are
allowed to stand in a brining
solution and make their own
acid to preserve. The lactic acid
b a c te ria p re se n t on the
vegetable produces lactic acid
which preserves the pickles.
of
The salt in this type of pickle
plays an important role in the
fermentatioh process. With this
type of pickle plays an
i m p o r t a n t r o le in th e
fermentation process. With this
type of pickle it is essential that
the pickles are allowed to stand
and go through the fermenta
tion process so enough acid is
produced to preserve the
vegetables, says Oehler. These
pickles should not be processed
until the ferm entation is
completed. Brined dill pickles
and sauerkraut fall into this
pickle group.
In order to assure a quality
pickle and one safe to eat, use-
to-date recipes and follow them
exactly, says Oehler. Recipes
passed down from generation
to generation may not be safe
today, warns Oehler. Y our
local Extension office has
reliable recipes and up-to-date
pickling information.
false
resistant spores of Clostridium
botulium. The length of time
food must be processed is based
on scientific research says
Oehler. Only processing times
based on research should be
used, warns Oehler. Your local
county Extension office has
such reliable sources.
If p ro p e r p re se rv a tio n
methods are not used, some
botulism spores can survive,
germinate and grow producing
toxin. This toxin is one of the
most dangerous substances in
claim s
nature says Oehler. A lethal
dose consists of just a few
molecules. Botulism food
poisoning symptoms usually
appear 18-36 hours after the
toxin is consumed. However,
they may appear as late as eight
d a y s a f te r w a r d s . E a r ly
symptoms may include nausea,
vomiting, dizziness, blurred
vision and dry mouth. A fever
is absent. If any of these
symptoms occur, immediate
medical attention is essential
says Oehler.
C h ild re n ’s self-esteem
im portant fo r grow th
Sensitivity to the needs of
children shown by modem
parents and teachers could be
called the greatest invention of
th is c e n tu r y . T h e o ld
authoritarian ideas of raising
children are giving way to a
new point of view that the
better children feel about
themselves, the greater their
success in learning and the
more faultless their behaviors.
In addition, a child who feels
worthwhile is more pleasurable
to be around, says Teresa
Hogue,; Jefferson C ounty
Extension agent.
“Almost half of all young
American mothers and fathers
were designated as new breed
p a re n ts by Y an k elo v ich ,
Shelley and White in their 1977
survey of 1,230 families with
children between the ages of
six and 12,” says Marcelle
S tra a tm a n . T ra d itio n a l
childrearing patterns often held
such high expectations and
aspirations for children that the
result was often guilty feelings
and limited confidence in both
children and parents.
The new emphasis is on the
power of positive talk.
“When children hear they are
i m p o r t a n t , r e s p o n s ib le ,
creative, or thoughtful, they are
getting the best tonic available
for acceptable behaviors,”
Straatman emphasizes.
Parents are deeply con
cerned with how to go about
improving feelings of self-
worth in their children, she
a d d s . H e r e a r e th r e e
suggestions for communicating
your belief in their growth.
Hold realistic expectations
for each individual. Many
problems stem from expecta
tions of performance that no
one can meet. Standards are
devastating when they lead to
constant failure. Encourage
ment such as, “You’re doing
b e tte r e v e ry d a y ,” m akes
anyone from tot to teen feel
good.
Communicate honestly and
positively. You may feel
negative about a behavior and
want to offer criticism but don’t
make everything a high crime.
Express your feelings without
belittling the other person. A
sta te m e n t su ch , “ I feel
displeased about the clothes
you are wearing,” is less
damaging to self-worth than,
“You’re making a spectacle of
yourself with that outfit.”
Positive statements reveal
your performance or expecta
tions without attacking a
child’s view of himself or
herself.
S u p p o rt in d iv id u a lism .
Enjoy the imaginative thoughts
and questions of children;
Encourage a child’s desire to do
things differently unless the
c o n s e q u e n c e s c o u ld be
harmful. When their efforts
fail, help children to see
another way to try. Encourage
them by saying, “One more
time and you’ll have it!” or
“ Keep up the good work.” This
helps keep the self-image high
in the face of difficulties.
By responding to children
with positive talk, their inner
pictures of themselves are of
one who is valued and
w o r th w h ile , S tr a a t m a n
observes.
' ■''**■***'
Notes
from Lee Hamilton and Doris Brackett
Insurance discounts
available for cars
To save money on auto
insurance, check with your
insurance agent to find out if
you are eligible for discounts
offered by many insurance
companies.
Discounts are available to
drivers with good driving
records, young drivers who
have passed approved driver
education courses, students
who do well in school, or
motorists who insure two or
more cars on the same policy.
You may want to consider
increasing your deductible.
That is the amount you agree to
pay if you have an accident or
loss. Deductibles range from
$50 to $500. In su ra n c e
companies can charge less
when the deductible is higher
because you are assuming more
of the loss and because they
don’t have to handle as many
small claims.
You also may want to
consider eliminating collision
coverage on an older car of
relatively low value.
Field burning to begin
Farmers will not be burning
fields on Saturday or Sundays
nor on holidays. They will also
be under smoke management
program which prohibits
burning on days when smoke
dispersal and wind directions
are unfavorable.
Grass seed growers burn
f ie ld s b e c a u s e d is e a s e s
controllable only by fire will
reduce yields by 50-70 percent.
No alternate controls are
available states Zimmerman.
The smoke management
program is operated through
the Seed Growers Association
in cooperation with the North
Unit Fire District, Environ
mental Quality Department
and Extension Service.
Field burning must be done
in a timely fashion to promote
regrowth which sets next year’s
crop. Normally this must be
done before September 10 in
order to build up root reserves
within the plant and to
establish tillers. If this is done
too late the 1984 crop can be
substantially reduced.
Sugar can be reduced in jams and jellies
More and more people are
becoming concerned about the
amount of sugar in their diet
and are searching for ways to
satisfy their sweet tooth while
reducing their total sugar and
calorie intake, says Teresa
H ogue, Jefferson C ounty
Extension agent. Low sugar
jams and jellies are one way to
reduce the sugar for those who
enjoy these common sweet
treats.
Special recipes are needed if
one is to make successful low
sugar spreads. If you reduce the
amount of sügar in regular
jams and jelly recipes you will
probably get a soft product,
says Hogue. Sugar is a vital
ingredient in regular jams and
jellies and is needed in the
correct proportion if the
product is to gel.
There are several methods
that can be used to make
successful low sugar spreads
according to Hogue. With
many of the methods some
experimentation is necessa ry to
produce a product suitable to
your family’s taste and needs.
A popular method of making
low sugar spread is with the use
of low-methoxyl pectin. Low-
methoxyl pectins are pectic
substances derived from fruits
as are regular pectins. The
'’ d iff été liée- is ' t hat' ‘reghlar
pectins require sugar and acid
to form a gel whereas low-
methoxyl pectins rely on a
calcium salt to form the gel.
Therefore the amount of sugar
can vary to meet the individual
needs for flavor.
Low-methoxyl pectin and
the calcium sail that is needed
to make the gel are often sold in
health food stores and co-op
food ce n te rs. T here are
also mail orders places that sell
the combination of pectin and
salt. Places that sell the product
will have recipes available for
making the jams and jellies.
Making low-methoxyl pectin
spreads is not an exact science
says Hogue. There are many
factors that influence the
q u a lity of the p ro d u c t,
including the hardness of the
water. One needs to experiment
with varying amounts of the
calcium salt and sugar to gain a
satisfactory product in both
taste and textu.e.
There are several commer
cial preparations on the market
using vegetables gums to make
jams and jellies without or low
in sugar. These preparations
can be found with the canning
supplies in the grocery store.
Follow the m anufacturer’s
d ire c tio n s given on the
package.
_.. .Another method. of m aking.
low sugar spreads is with the
use of unflavored gelatin. The
gelatin can be used to thicken
fruit pulp or juice to make the
unsweetened products. The
products have a texture similar
to gelatin dessert and must be
stored in the refrigerator.
With regular jams and jellies
the product is high in sugar.
T he su g a r serves as a
preservative . and gives the
product a long shelf life.
W ith low sugar products
special precautions need to be
taken to prevent spoilage, says
Carolyn Raab, Foods and
Nutrition Specialist for the
O regon S ta te U n iv ersity
Extension Service. Low sugar
jam s and jellies need to be
sealed and processed in a
boiling water bath canner for 5-
10 minutes, or they can be
stored in the freezer for long
storage. For short periods of
time they can be stored in the
refrigerator. These products
will spoil quickly if left at room
temperature.
The Oregon State University
Service has in fo rm a tio n
available on making low sugar
jams and jellies as well as
information as to where low-
methoxyl pectin can be found
in your area.