Yancey Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS)

FCS Newsletter | August 2022

NATIONAL SANDWICH MONTH

In 1952, the Wheat Flour Institute established August as National Sandwich Month.

On any given day, 47% of American adults consume some sort of sandwich and the majority of those are made using cold cuts.
Due to the convenience, customization, and cost-effectiveness, sandwiches are a staple for many meals - youth or adult.

Sandwiches also fit nicely into the MyPlate model because they provide many of the required components for a healthy meal.

GET CRAFTY WITH YOUR SANDWICHES

Convenience:
Sandwiches can be prepared ahead of time, making them easy to grab when you're on the go. They can also be assembled quickly if you're in a time crunch.

I prep my daughter's sandwich for school the night before, stick it in a baggie, and place it in the fridge. The next morning when I know I'll be rushed to get out the door, all I have to do is put it in the lunchbox with her other goodies and we're ready to go.

Customization: A sandwich can be created to fit into any diet or to please the pickiest of eaters. Now there are all sorts of breads to choose from - keto, gluten-free, whole grain, whole wheat, etc. You can pile as many veggies, meats, condiments, and seasonings as you like.

You can also get your kids involved with building sandwiches. They're more likely to try new things if they have a hands-on experience with the foods. Play around with cookie or sandwich cutters and make the process fun!
The grilled cheese is a favorite in our house. Although the kids prefer traditional version with a slice of American cheese, I like to spice mine up a bit. Adding something like a sun-dried tomato spread, olive tapenade, or seasoned spreadable cheese can transform the original grilled cheese. Using other cheeses like pimento cheese or combinations like provolone and white cheddar also make great alternatives to the classic version.

Cost-Effectiveness: Ingredients can be purchased in bulk, and there are usually several breads, meats, cheeses, and veggies on sale from week to week. You can easily prepare lunch for a family of four with a few staple ingredients and change it up with extras you have on hand.

Things have been picking up!

After many questions and requests springing from a Facebook post in a local group, our very first canning workshop was held on Friday, July 29th at Reconciliation House. There were nine participants for the Pressure Canning for Beginners class.

Many asked about additional food preservation classes using different methods, so hopefully those will be an option in the near future. In the meantime, Our 4-H and Family & Consumer Sciences programs are teaming up to offer a canning class for adult and youth participants.

Additional details can be found on our website

NEEDS ASSESSMENT UPDATE

I sincerely want to thank everyone who responded to the needs assessment survey. With almost 100 responses, access to healthy foods/food preservation, financial literacy, youth life skills, and parent education are the most crucial needs according to Yancey County residents. My plan of work is being developed with these needs in mind and I look forward to utilizing research based programs to fit these needs.

CANNING | FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I use my oven to can instead of pressure canning?
This is a risky practice and isn't recommended. The temperature will vary according to the accuracy of oven regulators and the circulation of heat. Dry heat is very slow in penetrating into jars of food. Also, jars explode easily in the oven. It's not a safe method for canning and you aren't guaranteed to get the heat even enough to kill any botulism that may form in the jars. Green beans and other veggies and meats are a low-acid food, and botulism thrives in that environment.

Q: Do I need to preserve by the signs?
This is really a matter of personal preference. Some swear by the practice of using the signs and others see no need in it. There is no hard research supporting the practice but opinions on the practice will differ based on who you ask.

If this is a concept you've never heard of, it simply means doing all your preserving according to the astrological position of the moon in the zodiac. Many Farmer's Almanacs or Ramon calendars provide this information and refer to "best days" for performing various tasks.

Q: My jars are losing water when I pressure them. Why?
They could be over-filled and/or over-processed either by too much time or too much pressure. If more than half the liquid was lost, refrigerate these jars and eat within 2-3 days.

SUMMER SPOTLIGHT | TOMATOES
Tomatoes come in a wide variety of shapes and colors, including purple, yellow, orange, and red. There are striped varieties of the fruit, as well as tomatoes that stay green even when ripe. For all tomato types, look for fruit that is unblemished and free from bruised or soft spots. The fruit should be firm to the touch when (gently) squeezed.QUICK TIP | PEELING

The process is simple: dip tomatoes in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds until skins split or wrinkle. Dip into cold water, slip off the skins, and remove the cores.

Removing the skins is important for these reasons:

The texture of the skin may be undesirable in the finished product.
Most tested recipes for tomato products were prepared and tested with skins removed. Since tested recipes are meant to be followed as written, leaving skins on would be an alteration of the recipe, and therefore, may not only influence the quality of the product, but also the safety.
Skins may interfere with the necessary uniform heat penetration in the canning process.
The skins of fruits and vegetables are sources of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. Some of these contaminants are removed when the produce is washed with cool water but it is not possible to remove it all. By peeling or slipping the skins, the bacterial load is greatly reduced rendering a safer final product.
The tomato skin is heavy in a kind of nutrient called flavonols, which may impart a bitter flavor to a canned product.

*skin removal information shared from Iowa State University Extension: https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2022/07/19/peel-tomatoes-before-preserving/

In 18th century Europe, the tomato was nicknamed "the poison apple". This was because aristocrats would get sick and die after eating them. Little did they know that the explanation had to do with their choice of tableware, not the tomatoes.

According to the historical cookbook, "Heirloom Flavor: Yesterday's Best-Tasting Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs for Today's Cook," the high acidity of tomatoes would cause lead to leach from the pewter plates used by rich aristocrats and cause lead poisoning. The aristocrats mis-attributed the issue to the tomato itself.

The 19th century rise in popularity of pizza in Naples, Italy, slowly changed the noxious attitude toward tomatoes.
*fact pulled from Joanna Fanozzi's article "30 Food Facts That Will Blow Your Mind", written for Insider, Updated Mar 13, 2020.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.