Signup to receive email updates
Recent Posts
Categories
Blog Archives
- April 2018 (3)
- March 2018 (5)
- February 2018 (4)
- January 2018 (3)
- December 2017 (4)
- November 2017 (3)
- October 2017 (3)
- September 2017 (4)
- August 2017 (5)
- July 2017 (4)
- June 2017 (4)
- May 2017 (4)
- April 2017 (4)
- March 2017 (5)
- February 2017 (4)
- January 2017 (4)
- December 2016 (2)
- November 2016 (5)
- October 2016 (3)
- September 2016 (2)
- August 2016 (1)
- July 2016 (4)
- June 2016 (4)
- May 2016 (5)
- April 2016 (3)
- March 2016 (4)
- February 2016 (4)
- January 2016 (5)
- December 2015 (4)
- November 2015 (2)
- October 2015 (5)
- September 2015 (4)
- August 2015 (4)
- July 2015 (5)
- June 2015 (4)
- May 2015 (5)
- April 2015 (4)
- March 2015 (3)
- February 2015 (4)
- January 2015 (5)
- December 2014 (4)
- November 2014 (4)
- October 2014 (4)
- September 2014 (4)
- August 2014 (4)
- July 2014 (3)
- June 2014 (4)
- May 2014 (2)
- April 2014 (4)
- February 2014 (2)
- January 2014 (4)
- December 2013 (2)
- November 2013 (2)
- October 2013 (2)
- September 2013 (3)
- August 2013 (2)
- July 2013 (2)
- June 2013 (2)
- May 2013 (3)
- April 2013 (2)
- March 2013 (3)
- February 2013 (4)
- January 2013 (2)
- December 2012 (4)
- November 2012 (1)
- October 2012 (5)
- September 2012 (2)
- August 2012 (3)
- July 2012 (4)
- June 2012 (4)
- May 2012 (4)
- April 2012 (4)
- March 2012 (4)
- February 2012 (4)
- January 2012 (3)
- December 2011 (4)
- November 2011 (4)
- October 2011 (3)
- September 2011 (5)
- August 2011 (3)
283 Total Posts
follow our RSS feed

Monday, December 1, 2014
From My Kitchen to Yours: Giving the Gift of Food
The holiday season is a time of giving, and what's not the perfect gift but a homemade treat from your kitchen? While peanut brittle, fudge, and cookies are a popular and generally safe choice, you'll need to consider a few things before giving away homemade jarred goods, such as jams and jellies, dessert sauces, and even cake in a jar.
Food safety is of paramount importance when it comes to cooking. No one wants to give the gift of food borne illness. Jams, jellies and preserves must be processed in a boiling water bath canner for room temperature storage. Correct processing times must be followed, or you'll risk spoilage and possible illness. Jars specifically designed for home canning and two-piece lids must be used. When processing time is less than 10 minutes, jars should be sanitized first by submerging in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Dessert sauces make great gifts, but there are no safe, reliable recipes for canning them. Sauces are typically low in acid, making them more susceptible to the growth of spores and risk of Clostridium botulinum, a potentially deadly bacteria. The USDA recommends storing homemade dessert sauce in the refrigerator or freezer only.
The latest craze is baking cakes, brownies, breads, and pies in glass jars. Most of these recipes are not really "canned" but are baked in the jar and then sealed by the heat of the jar causing an airtight vacuum. Like dessert sauces, these low-acid baked goods are also a potential risk for botulism when oxygen is limited. As an alternative, make a "mix in a jar" by layering dry ingredients and attaching the recipe. Homemade food gifts are absolutely wonderful; just be sure to prepare them safely!
Country Chili Mix
1 lb. kidney beans
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons dehydrated onions
1 Tablespoons garlic salt*
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
* To reduce sodium, substitute garlic powder for some or all of the garlic salt.
Pour the kidney beans into a clean quart-sized jar. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into a clear sandwich bag and place it on top of the beans. Cover the jar tightly with a lid, decorate and attach a copy of the recipe card below:
Country Chili
• 1 container Country Chili Mix
• Additional ingredients:
10 cups water (for soaking beans)
1 (8-oz.) can reduced-sodium tomato sauce
1 (24-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
6 cups water (for cooking beans)
Remove bag of seasoning from jar and rinse beans. In a stockpot, bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Add beans and return to a boil; let boil two to three minutes. Cover and set aside at room temperature
for one hour. Drain and rinse the beans. Fill a pot with 6 cups of water and add the beans. Cook beans until soft, about one hour; simmer gently with lid tilted. Brown meat; drain and add to the beans with tomatoes and sauce. Add in seasonings, stir and simmer, covered, for one hour. Add a little more water if
needed to thin the broth. For best flavor, use mix within one year.
Yield: 8 servings.
Nutritional analysis per serving: 240 calories, 6 g fat, 21 g carbohydrate and 290 mg sodium.
Source: North Dakota State Extension