Pontotoc County Family & Consumer Sciences

Having a Memorial Day cookout? Remember, color is not a reliable indicator of doneness. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of your burgers and poultry. Ground meats should be cooked to 160˚F and chicken should be cooked to 165˚F.

We Tested 6 Ways to Store Strawberries to Find the Best Method:

You can’t taste, smell, or see the germs that cause food poisoning. Tasting even a tiny amount of food with bacteria can make you very sick. Learn facts about food poisoning at https://bit.ly/3OCTleb

Maintaining a clean refrigerator can help improve the safety and quality of your foods. Always be sure to clean up spills immediately. Refrigerator surfaces should cleaned thoroughly with hot, soapy water, then rinsed. Once a week, make it a habit to throw out expired foods. https://bit.ly/3Rn9yVr

It is important to teach children not to eat raw cookie dough. Before cooking with kids, discuss and sign the Cookie Rookie Pledge! Find the Cookie Rookie Pledge link at https://shorturl.ac/7cgqb

'Tis the season for spending. Holiday gifts, decorations, special meals, and travel can take a toll on anyone’s budget. Oklahoma State University Extension has tips to help consumers keep their spending in check. Read more at https://shorturl.ac/7cc11

While they may look like easy gifts to give, you don't want to give the gift of foodborne illness! Bread or cakes baked in canning jars, then applying the lid, can create a low-oxygen environment. This, combined with baked goods high in moisture and low in acid, can support the growth of C. botulinum. Canning jars are not designed to be used in the oven per manufacturer recommendations. Dry heat puts stress on the jars and can cause them to break. The best options? Use oven-safe baking pans for baked goods. Freeze baked goods for later use. Learn more at https://extension.psu.edu/food-preservation-setting-the-record-straight-on-canning-breads-and-cakes and https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/canning/canning-tips/36cakes-breads.html

What a fun time we had at the Irving Center today! Just a fun Christmas tree craft!

Planning to cook a turkey this holiday season? Start by knowing what size of turkey to purchase. Knowing the size of your turkey will then help you plan how long it will take to thaw and cook. To thaw in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours per 4-5 pounds. For example, a 12-16 pound turkey should take about 3-4 days to fully thaw.

Tuesday Fun night was ready fun tonight! Thank you Prairie Moon for teaching us Wool Appliqué! Our ornaments turned out beautifully!

The holiday season is officially here, and Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching. While many Oklahomans will be preparing holiday meals for their families and friends, the risk of food poisoning is lurking.

“Every year in the United States, approximately 48 million people get sick because of some form of foodborne illness,” said Ravi Jadeja, food safety specialist for the Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center. “Of those, 128,000 are hospitalized or need medical attention and, unfortunately, 3,000 people die every year.”

FAPC offers the following tips to keep your family safe and make sure food poisoning is not on the menu this Thanksgiving.

Food handling
Buy only government-inspected meat and poultry products, and check the “sell by” date on all food purchases. Never buy products if the expiration date has passed.
Wash your hands thoroughly before and after preparing any food product.
Use two cutting boards: one for preparing raw meat, poultry and fish, and the other for cutting cooked food or preparing salads.
Food preparation
Never thaw the turkey on the counter. Thawing at room temperature increases the risk of bacteria growth at the surface of the meat even though the interior may still be chilled.
Thaw the turkey in its original wrapper on a tray placed in the bottom section of the refrigerator. Allow approximately 24 hours of defrost time for every five pounds of turkey.
Thawing the turkey in cold water is safe. Submerge the bird in its wrapper in a deep sink of cold water and change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold. Allow 30 minutes per pound to defrost a turkey in cold water.
Stuffing the turkey
Use a meat thermometer to determine when the turkey is done.
Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey thigh. Be aware dark meat takes longer to cook than any other part.
The turkey is done when the thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Basting the turkey while it is cooking is not necessary. Basting tools could be sources of bacterial contamination if dipped into uncooked or undercooked poultry juices and then allowed to sit at room temperature for later basting.
Do not cook a turkey overnight in an oven set at a low temperature. Cooking a turkey at a temperature below 325 degrees Fahrenheit allows harmful bacteria to multiply.
Once the turkey is done, remove the stuffing immediately.
If you purchase a fully cooked turkey, pick it up hot and bring it home to eat immediately.
Storing leftovers
After the meal, remove all meat from the turkey carcass. This should be done within two hours of the turkey’s removal from the oven.
Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator within two hours after cooking is complete.
Leftovers should be divided into smaller portions and stored in several shallow containers. They should be eaten within three to four days.
If large amounts are left, consider freezing for later use. Do not wait until the leftovers have been in the refrigerator for several days to freeze. Frozen leftovers should be eaten within six months.
Eating leftovers
Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees Fahrenheit throughout or until steaming hot. Soups, sauces and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
Never taste leftover food that looks or smells strange. When in doubt, throw it out.
FAPC, a part of the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop and deliver technical and business information that stimulates and supports the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mandy Gross | FAPC Communications Services | 405-744-0442 | [email protected]

Did you know that October is National Seafood Month? Fish and shellfish are an important part of a healthful diet because they contain high-quality protein and other essential nutrients, but it's important to handle seafood safely to avoid foodborne illness. Follow these safe handling tips for buying, preparing, and storing fish and shellfish. https://www.eatright.org/food/home-food-safety/safe-cooking-and-prep/how-to-reduce-food-poisoning-from-seafood 🦀🐳

Pontotoc County should be smelling lots of pies this holiday season! Tuesday Fun Night group learned how and made 20 pie crust for the holidays! What a fun group and a fun time!

Tuesday night Fun Night on Thursday! We had a blast with Trina Stark from Scraptopia! We mad the cutes coasters. We leaned to decoupage and some great tips for gift giving!

Extension Educators and volunteers worked together to present a Poverty Simulation on Friday to the Choctaw Nation. The simulation was a success. Many thanks to our volunteers and educators who spent their Friday teaching this important lesson.

Tuesday Night Fun Night Group enjoyed making Paper bowls! Thank you to Becky McKenzie for reaching us! And Janet Wilburn for the yummy cake!

For best quality, eggs should be stored in their original carton in the refrigerator and used within 3 weeks. If you have an excess of fresh eggs, freezing is the best way to preserve them. There are no safe, approved home canning directions for eggs. Eggs can be pickled but must be kept refrigerated at 40 degrees or lower. Pickled eggs should never be at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

To freeze eggs, break each egg separately into a clean saucer. Thoroughly mix yolks and whites. Do not whip in air. To prevent graininess of the yolks, add 1-½ tablespoons sugar, 1-½ tablespoons corn syrup OR ½ teaspoon salt per cup whole eggs, depending on intended use. Strain through a sieve or colander to improve uniformity. Package, allowing ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.
For more information on storing eggs, visit https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-egg-safety
To learn more about freezing eggs visit https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/eggs.html

Pontotoc County Fair Books have arrived! They are available at the OSU Extension Office! Let’s get this party started!

Home canning is affordable and trendy, but can be deadly if proper safety precautions are not taken during the canning process. Read some helpful tips to can safely at https://bit.ly/3CTAfdD

Your mason jars could be true vintage! 🤯 https://trib.al/2GQwwpJ

The July 2023 issue of You Asked It! is now available at https://www.rrc.k-state.edu/newsletter/index.html K-State Research and Extension

Pressure canners are required for canning low acid foods such as meat, poultry and plain vegetables. Always read the canner manuals for use and care. Dial guages for the brands National, Presto, Maid of Honor and Magic Seal can be tested by local Extension offices. Learn more athttps://www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/doc/fn2064-pressure-can-it-right.pdf and https://www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/index.html K-State Research and Extension

Cherries are a summertime favorite! They can be eaten fresh or preserved in a variety of ways for later use. Learn more athttps://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF1180.pdf and https://www.rrc.k-state.edu/preservation/recipes.html K-State Research and Extension