How long can you safely keep leftovers in the refrigerator?

The first step in having safe leftovers is cooking the food safely. Use a food thermometer to make sure that the food is cooked to a safe, minimum internal temperature.

Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. Be sure to eat them within that time. After that, the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately.

Food poisoning — also called foodborne illness — is caused by harmful organisms, such as bacteria in contaminated food. Because bacteria typically don't change the taste, smell or look of food, you can't tell whether a food is dangerous to eat. So if you're in doubt about a food's safety, it's best to throw it out.

Fortunately, most cases of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food handling. To practice food safety, quickly refrigerate perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs — don't let them sit more than two hours at typical room temperature or more than one hour at temperatures above 90 F (32 C). To prevent bacterial growth, it's important to cool food rapidly so it reaches as fast as possible the safe refrigerator-storage temperature of 40° F or below. To do this, divide large amounts of food into shallow containers. A big pot of soup, for example, will take a long time to cool, inviting bacteria to multiply and increasing the danger of foodborne illness. Instead, divide the pot of soup into smaller containers so it will cool quickly.
Cut large items of food into smaller portions to cool. For whole roasts or hams, slice or cut them into smaller parts. Cut turkey into smaller pieces and refrigerate. Slice breast meat; legs and wings may be left whole. Hot food can be placed directly in the refrigerator or be rapidly chilled in an ice or cold water bath before refrigerating.

Cover leftovers, wrap them in airtight packaging, or seal them in storage containers. These practices help keep bacteria out, retain moisture, and prevent leftovers from picking up odors from other food in the refrigerator. Immediately refrigerate or freeze the wrapped leftovers for rapid cooling.

When you're ready to eat leftovers, reheat them on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave until the internal temperature reaches 165 F (74 C). Because they may not get hot enough, slow cookers and chafing dishes aren't recommended for reheating leftovers.

To obtain additional information concerning food safety contact the Extension office at 940/627-3341.

Source: Mayo Clinic and USDA

THE ANSWER TO FIRE ANT CONTROL IN YOUR YARD

Treat your yards and neighborhood this spring for fire ant relief this summer and fall.  Fire ants love to nest in home lawns, parks and ornamental turf grass areas. At certain times of the year, freshly worked mounds are noticeable and can be unsightly. During the winter months, there’s very little ant mounding activity and it is easy to forget they are there.

However, after all of the early spring rainfall, fire ant activity has increased.  It is during these times when the ants are very active and can cause more problems especially when everyone wants to be outside after being indoors all winter long.  The last thing you want at your outdoor activity is a colony of angry fire ants ready to take over and turn your happy occasion into a miserable one.  Did you know that the fire ant is a native of Brazil, and was imported from this country through Mobile, Alabama in the 1930’s?

Don’t wait until you have serious ant problems. Keep those problems from happening by maintaining a good control program throughout the year.  Fire ants travel from yard to yard (they could care less about property lines) and are easily dispersed due to periodic mating flights.  Did you know that the fire ant queen lives for 2-5 years and can produce up to 800 eggs per day?  Also, remember a high percentage of the mounds in Texas have multiple queens, meaning there is no territorial behavior, resulting in excessive numbers of fire ant mounds per acre or in the homeowners case, per yard!  Because most of our mounds have multiple queens, and may be spread over larger areas than we actually see, just sprinkling a product over the top of the mound may not reduce the entire population.  In areas where fire ants produce more mounds than you care to treat one at a time (usually more than 4 in a normal yard), or where you spend more time and money on insecticides than you would like to, there is an approach that is less labor-intensive, less toxic and more environmentally friendly.  It is called the Two-Step Method, Do-It-Yourself Fire Ant Control method. It is advocated by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. You can obtain a copy of the most recent fire ant management brochure (ENTO-034) by visiting the Texas A&M AgriLife Bookstore and download a copy. http://www.agrilifebookstore.org/Two-Step-Method-and-Other-Approaches-to-Fire-Ant-p/ento-034.htm.

The Two-Step Method goes like this:

The first step is to make a semi-annual, spring and fall, broadcast application of a fire ant bait insecticide. There are several fire ant baits available for use in urban areas such as hydramethylnon (Amdro), methoprene (Extinguish), hydramethylnon + methoprene (Extinguish Plus or Amdro Yard Treatment), pyriproxifen (Distance or Esteem), and spinosad (Ferti-Loam “Come and Get It” or Payback fire ant bait).  Other products can be found on the official Texas A&M Fire Ant web page, http://fireant.tamu.edu/controlmethods/products/.

Please consult the product label and read thoroughly for the broadcast instructions!

Periodic broadcast applications of fire ant baits provide roughly 90 percent suppression of fire ants when properly applied.  Baits can be broadcast over small to large areas using suitable hand-held, vehicle-mounted or aerial applicators. Apply a fresh bait product, when ants are foraging, to dry ground when no rain is expected for 24 to 48 hours after treatment.  Temperature should be between 65 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.  Speed and duration of ant suppression differs with the product selected.  For instance, broadcast applications of the hydramethylnon + methoprene fire ant bait provides maximum control two to four after application while methoprene fire ant bait (an insect growth regulator product) provides maximum suppression four to nine months after treatment, depending on environmental conditions.  Rarely are all colonies eliminated following treatment. Bi-annual applications of the bait product keeps pressure on the fire ant population so each subsequent baiting event is much more effective since less ants are present.

          

About one week to 10 days after bait application, apply individual mound treatments to “nuisance” ant colonies, such as those in sensitive or high traffic areas. Otherwise, be patient and wait for the bait treatments to work. Even though some bait products are relatively fast-acting, colonies remaining active after six weeks or so have “escaped” the effects of the bait treatment and should be treated with an individual mound treatment. Ant mound treatment products are available as liquid drenches, injectable aerosols, dusts, or granules that are watered in to the mound. Ants are killed only if the insecticide contacts them, so proper application is essential.  Colonies migrating into treated areas should be treated as needed.  Hundreds of effective individual mound treatment products are available to choose from, and a number of them are considered to be “organic.” 

For a two-step program that uses only natural products, broadcast a spinosad bait and then treat mounds with d-limonene or products containing unsynergized pyrethrins or drench with a spinosad liquid product solution.  On small properties where a high degree of control is needed, consider using the “Ant Elimination” method (described in ENTO-034) utilizing a granular fipronil product such as Top Choice®, or Taurus G®.  These are restricted pesticide products and can only be applied by a licensed pesticide applicator. Only one application is allowed per year preferably early spring.

None of the methods of fire ant control available today eliminate fire ants forever.  The bait application may be repeated, if environmental conditions are favorable, whenever sufficient re-invasion occurs.  Between these baiting treatments, nuisance mounds should be treated individually. These areas can be re-infested by colonies migrating in from surrounding areas or by newly-mated queens seeking to start new colonies. The rate of re-infestation depends on many factors such as weather, soil type and moisture, but ant populations can be expected to fully recover within 18 months of the last treatment.

Controlling the fire ant situation will be successful only if communities get involved. Your neighborhood association can coordinate a “Community-Wide Fire Ant Management Program” resulting in the treatment of your entire neighborhood each year, usually once in the fall (Late September through October) and once in the spring (Late April through early June), or contracting with a local commercial applicator to perform the treatment(s). Treatment of the entire area is important as re-infestation from nearby untreated areas generally occur.

Food Handler’s Course

Foodborne illnesses can be prevented by following simple food safety practices. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Wise County provides a Food Protection Management Training Program that seeks to reduce the risk of food borne illness. 

Food service employees and those who operate a cottage food business can attend a two hour food handler’s class on Wednesday, February 18, 2015 from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the Wise County Extension office in Decatur to learn more about good personal hygiene, cross contamination and time and temperature abuse. The registration fee is $20.00 and covers course materials and an official food handler card. Registration deadline to attend the Food Handler certification is February 13, 2015. Space is limited.

A recent change to the Texas Cottage Food Law requires that anyone who operates a cottage food business have a food handler card.  The new food law also allows more foods that can be prepared and sold from a residential kitchen.  The previous law limited the foods that could be sold to mainly baked goods, jams and jellies, and dried herbs.  Under the amended law, which took effect September 1, 2013, the list of foods that can be sold has been expanded to include pickles, popcorn snacks, candy, unroasted nut butters, and vinegar.   In addition, these foods can be sold at venues outside the home including farmers markets, roadside stands, and fairs. 

For questions concerning these classes or the Texas Cottage Food Law please call 940/627-3341 or come by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Wise County Office, 206 S. State St., Decatur, Texas 76234. The Food Protection Management (FPM) Training Program is brought to you by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in cooperation with the Texas Department of State Health Services, and the County Commissioners Court Cooperating.

Teacher Workshop

Join us for our 4th annual Teacher Workshop hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office! This year the workshop will be held on July 23^rd & 24^th from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m at the Weatherford College Campus in Wise County (located in between Decatur and Bridgeport). Early bird registration is $40 and is due June 20^th. Registration after June 20^th is $50 and all registration fees include lunch and materials.

Please note of the early bird registration its new this year.

The workshop is open to all teachers and child care providers that work with youth in Kindergarten through 8^th grade. The workshops will be filled with FUN and NEW hands-on activities that are lessons out of the various curriculum offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the 4-H program. The workshop will focus on soil and plant science, bullying, life cycles, wildlife, water conservation, entomology, mobile classrooms, health and nutrition and everything in between! CEU credits will be provided for teachers that attend the workshop.

To register, contact the Extension office, 940.627.3341, or email Andrea at acalabretta@ag.tamu.edu  and please provide your name, email address, address, school and the grade you teach! Please make sure to send contact information that is good for the summer months!  

How to read food Labels

How to Read Food Labels (from yahoo news)

What do terms like "extra lean," "reduced fat," and "low sugar" really mean? Here's some healthy perspective on what you're actually putting in your grocery cart.
By Stacey Colino



When it comes to food labels, any dietitian worth her salt will tell you to pay attention to them. But not all the words on those labels are created equal. Certain terms are backed up by law; others sound official but could mean anything-or nothing. Use this guide to translate the shelf talk and shop healthier with less hassle.

"Extra Lean"
Meat, poultry, or seafood labeled "extra lean" must meet strict requirements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Every 100-gram serving (about 3.5 ounces) must have fewer than 5 grams of total fat, fewer than 2 grams of saturated fat, and fewer than 95 milligrams of cholesterol. That amounts to a pretty small dent in your total daily fat allowance, which is about 55 grams if you eat 2,000 calories a day and get 25 percent of your calories from fat. (That intake is on the low end of the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
Smart shopping tip: If you're cutting back on fat, extra-lean products are a better choice than those labeled "lean," which can contain up to twice as much total fat (10 grams) and saturated fat (4.5 grams) per serving, with the same maximum amount of cholesterol.




"Low Fat" or "Reduced Fat"
Foods labeled "low fat" are required by the FDA to deliver fewer than 3 grams of fat per serving. "Reduced fat" means the food must contain at least 25 percent less fat than the original form.
Smart shopping tip: Low or reduced fat isn't always the no-brainer option. Sometimes there are nutritional tradeoffs: Reduced-fat peanut butter, for example, may contain more sodium and sugar to boost flavor. Compare the nutrition facts before you buy.





"Made With Real Fruit"
"Real fruit" doesn't always mean whole fruit. It might also mean fruit extract or juice, which could contain fewer nutrients or more sugar than the whole fruit does. And there aren't any rules for how much of it needs to be in a box of toaster pastries, cereal bars, or other food for the package to carry this claim.
Smart shopping tip: The only way to figure out the amount of whole fruit in a product is to examine the order of the ingredients, says Angela Ginn, R.D., a Baltimore-based spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Contents are listed in order of volume, "so don't be impressed unless fruit-not fruit juice-is in the first three ingredients," she says.


"Multigrain"
It means your chips, bread, cereal, or crackers contain two or more grains. But they're not necessarily whole grains, which are a better nutritional choice than refined ones. With refined grains (such as white bread, or wheat breads that aren't specifically labeled "whole wheat"), the nutrient- and fiber-rich parts have been milled out. The current recommendation is to make sure at least half your daily grains are whole.
Smart shopping tip: Whole-grain products list the word whole (as in "whole wheat" or "whole oats") among the first few ingredients. You might also look for the Whole Grains Council's symbol. Companies can pay to join this organization and receive its "stamp" on products that deliver at least 8 grams of whole grains per serving.


"99 Percent Fat-Free"
You may assume that means only 1 percent of the calories come from fat, but that's not the case. Instead, "99 percent fat-free" means that 99 percent of a given weight of the food is fat-free, explains Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., a New York City-based nutrition consultant and the author of Read It Before You Eat It ($15, amazon.com). So put on your math hat here: If the food weighs 100 grams, 1 gram comes from fat. Every gram of fat contains 9 calories, so depending on the serving size, a 99 percent fat-free food may contain more fat calories than you would expect.
Smart shopping tip: As a general rule, the fat content in most products that you purchase should be no more than 20 percent of the total calories, says Ginn. The exception to this would be whole foods that are naturally higher in fat, such as nuts, eggs, oils, and meats.


"Reduced Sugar," " Low Sugar," or " No Sugar Added"
Unfortunately these labels aren't synonymous with "low calorie." "Reduced sugar" means the product contains 25 percent less sugar than the original form. "Low sugar" isn't a regulated term and can mean anything. "No sugar added" simply indicates that no sugar was introduced during the preparation, cooking, or baking process-not that the product is low in sugar. It may contain fructose, which still shows up as "sugar" on the nutrition-facts panel (as with unsweetened applesauce, for instance).
Smart shopping tip: Give yourself a reality check by calculating sugar content in teaspoons. First find the number of grams of sugar in one serving of the product. Four grams of sugar equal about 1 teaspoon. The American Heart Association recommends women consume a daily maximum of about 6 teaspoons (or 24 grams) of added sugar (meaning sugar that's beyond what food naturally contains). And remember: Even if you don't see sugar in the ingredients, it might be there. "Sugar is the master of disguise," says Taub-Dix. It goes by many other names, including molasses, evaporated cane juice, nectar, corn sweetener, honey, syrup, and anything ending with -ose (sucrose, dextrose, fructose, maltose). It's all still sugar.

Thought we would share these tips on reading food labels I know it can be confusing at time and we thought it might help clear up some confusion on this topic.

New Educational Series Starting up

The newest in our Agriculture Education Series. Make sure to sign up early and for more information please contact the office.

Next week's educational programs!!

Wednesday March 6th at Boyd Community Center!!

Thursday March 7th meeting at Decatur Garden Center