December 22, 2021
Christine Patrick, County Extension Agent Leftovers can be just leftovers, or you can jazz things up and turn them into something your family may start wanting more often. The idea is to plug ingredients into a casserole formula. You mix and match according to what you have in the refrigerator or on the pantry shelf, […]
November 17, 2021
Christine Patrick, Extension Agent The recipes for fruit pie fillings all use a modified food starch called Clear Jel®. This starch produces the correct thickening, even after the fillings are canned and baked. Other starches, such as cornstarch, break down and result in a runny filling. Clear Jel® must be used as the thickener in […]
November 17, 2021
Christine Patrick, County Extension Agent When the weather gets cooler and the leaves start turning beautiful colors, you may look forward to eating warm, rich, and hearty comfort foods. Unfortunately, they can wreck your diet and cause you to pack on extra pounds unless you modify your recipes or limit your portions. Research shows that […]
November 17, 2021
Christine Patrick There’s nothing quite like those tart little sassemanesh berries to add zest to meals at Thanksgiving. What’s that? You’ve never heard of sassemanesh berries? Well, maybe you know them better as cranberries. Sassemanesh is one of the names given to the fruit by some eastern Native American tribes. The Algonquin called them atoqua, […]
October 28, 2021
Christine Patrick When it comes to grapes, we have Thompson seedless, Concord, and wine varieties like Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet. When it comes to a Southerner’s taste buds, however, there is a fondness for America’s first grape – Vitis rotundifolia. You know it better as the muscadine, that bronze or purple-black fruit that is native […]
October 28, 2021
Christine Patrick Using and Storing Apples South Carolina-grown apples are available from late August to November. Apples are: a good source of fiber. a source of potassium and vitamin C. low calorie—81 calories per 2½” apple. How to buy apples: Apples should feel firm. If you can dent one with your finger, it is too […]
October 6, 2021
Laura Lee Rose, Horticulture Agent The possibilities are endless when using the woods and roadsides to gather holiday decorations. Thanksgiving and harvest are celebrated autumn gatherings, so we will be looking for things with fall’s yellow, orange and red flowers, foliage, and fruits. Leaves and vines can be arranged in vases and baskets. Native grasses […]
October 5, 2021
By Christine Patrick, Health Extension Agent Root vegetables are in season during this time of the year. For those of you who are considering canning and pickling them, you’re in for a pleasant surprise! Beets – Pickled Beets Ingredients 7 pounds of 2- to 2½-inch diameter beets 4 cups vinegar (5 percent acidity) 1½ teaspoons […]
September 27, 2021
Christine Patrick Parents and children seem to have more struggles over vegetables than any other kind of food. Vegetables should be offered in the same matter-of-fact way that all other foods are offered Start vegetables in infancy. Talk to your doctor or WIC program about how and when to begin solid foods. Some nutritionists recommend […]
September 20, 2021
Christine Patrick We all know that cleanliness in the kitchen is crucial for the prevention of foodborne illness. Constant cleaning and sanitation of counters, appliances, and utensils is a requirement. While most of us are good at keeping the obvious kitchen items clean, there may be germs lurking in places that you haven’t thought about. […]
