| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| wood stains and food safety | 8/31/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I have an unfinished hand-carved pine bowl that I would like to stain and put a protective finish ...
A: I would suggest using USP-grade mineral oil or walnut oil as both are edible and tasteless. Beeswax ...
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| refigerated Pork Butt | 8/31/2007 | Lynn Schottke |
Q: Lynn, I purchased a Pork Butt from the store on sunday, the exp date was Tuesday. It is now Friday ...
A: Angela, The good news is the dates on the packages are usually sell by dates. You have 7 days to use ...
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| Thawing Hamburger | 8/30/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I've read some of these questions and your answers and I understand that it's best to thaw hamburger ...
A: It is not recommended to thaw at room temperature because some bacteria can produce a toxin when ...
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| beef stock | 8/30/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: After opening a carton of beef stock, how long can it be stored in the refrigerator before it goes ...
A: The recommendation is to use the stock within 3-4 days. If you can't use it in the time period you ...
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| raw tuna | 8/30/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I live on the Oregon coast and can buy albacore tuna off the boats. My questions are these: I read ...
A: The recommended shelf-life for refrigerated albacore is 15 days if used for sushi and 22 days if ...
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| Salmon | 8/30/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I have some frozen vacuum packed salmon fillets, but if I cook the whole fillet it will be about 2 ...
A: The recommendation on how long to save the cooked leftovers would be 1-3 days. This is mainly a ...
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| Raw pork ribs | 8/29/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I left a package of frozen raw pork loin ribs out overnight to thaw. This morning I put them in the ...
A: The recommendation is to not defrost meat at room temperature. Some bacteria can produce a toxin ...
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| HOW LONG DO I MARINADE? | 8/29/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: CAROL, ON A LOT OF THESE MARINADE BOTTLES IT SAYS "30 MINUTE MARINADE", DOES IT REALLY HELP IF I ...
A: It depends on what kinds of marinade you are using. Some are designed to tenderize while others are ...
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| Is my chicken still edible? | 8/29/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I purchased chicken tenderloins at Wegman's approximately a week ago. I placed the chicken in the ...
A: Yes, the chicken should still be safe to eat. Some manufacturers use "Use/Freeze By" dates, some ...
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| Canning and selling salsa for fundraising | 8/29/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I've grown my own peppers & tomatoes and want to can salsa to sell for fundraising for our adoption. ...
A: First -- you'll need to contact your local health department (Environmental Health Division) and ...
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| Leaving Vegetarian Lentil Soup out over night | 8/28/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I read your answer to Dave's question about leaving out his no-meat Lentil soup out over night. Your ...
A: Unfortunately, some food borne bacteria can produce a toxin that is not deactivated by heat. Since ...
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| Pecan Pie | 8/28/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I just baked a Pecan Pie for a birthday party later tothis evening. Unfortunately I am not going to ...
A: I do not have your email address so the only way for me to respond is through this portal. Pecan ...
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| almonds | 8/27/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I discovered a package of slivered almonds in my freezer that had to have been in there at least 5 ...
A: It sounds like the "use by" date is still current, and almonds in a raw uncooked form are relatively ...
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| another salsa question | 8/26/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I would like to can salsa at home to possibly sell. I already can using standard canning methods ...
A: When you start canning low-acid foods for selling, you enter a new arena of food manufacturing that ...
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| Microbes | 8/25/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I've heard that raw foods are better because of enzymes. Obviously salmonella, trichinosis, E. ...
A: There is quite a movement advocating the consumption of raw foods as opposed to cooked foods. The ...
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| Microbes | 8/25/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I've heard that raw foods are better because of enzymes. Obviously salmonella, trichinosis, E. ...
A: The pathogenic organisms that typically cause foodborne illness are largely associated with raw ...
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| Microbes | 8/25/2007 | Lynn Schottke |
Q: I've heard that raw foods are better because of enzymes. Obviously salmonella, trichinosis, E. ...
A: Ben, While it is true most foods have microorganisms occuring naturally, it does not make them all ...
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| Re: refreezing food | 8/24/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I read answer you recently gave someone. My question is a little different. Our freezer door was ...
A: No -- you should only refreeze foods that have ice crystals still present. If foods have completely ...
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| sauerkraut | 8/24/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: Can you freeze sauerkraut from the bag, the portion you didn't use?
A: I can't speak for what would happen to the quality of the sauerkraut after it is thawed, but the pH ...
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| Hot Dogs | 8/24/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: How long do hot dogs last in the freezer? Thanks Robin
A: The recommendation for hot dogs is 6 months -- but that is based on quality not safety. Hot dogs can ...
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| Hamburger Safety | 8/24/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I purchased hamburger and froze it. I took it out of the freezer on Tuesday evening about 7:30 p.m. ...
A: Congratulations Kim -- you've done everything correctly for defrosting your hamburger! The ...
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| Frozen salmon left on counter | 8/23/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I accidentally left some salmon steaks on the counter for 4 hours which were previously frozen and ...
A: If the salmon started out frozen and was only left out for 4 hours they will still be safe to eat. ...
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| Freezing Fresh Salsa | 8/23/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: Can fresh (uncooked) salsa be frozen?
A: Sure -- you can freeze any food. You just may not like the resulting product once defrosted!!! ...
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| Pork Chops | 8/23/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: My co-worker came to work at 5:30 a.m. it is now noon time and she left her pork chop in the car ...
A: Potentially hazardous food should not be considered safe if held above 41 degrees or below 140 ...
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| spaghetti bolegnaise | 8/23/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: How long can spaghetti made with ground pork mince and tomato paste stay in the fridge before it ...
A: The general guideline for leftovers containing meat is to use or freeze them for future use within ...
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| cooked cabbage | 8/23/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: May I leave cooked cabbage out overnight in an enamel colander without refrigeration? Thank you in ...
A: Neil, Once a fruit or vegetable has been cooked it becomes potentially hazardous, meaning without ...
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| food safety | 8/22/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: i sell burgers.my burger patties ingrients have evaporated milk.i heard that it is better to use ...
A: It does not matter whether you use fresh milk or evaporated milk in your burgers. The issues is how ...
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| vacuum sealed chicken in the fridge | 8/21/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I thawed vaccum sealed boneless chicken breast in some water on Friday, then put in the in fridge ...
A: First, the recommended way to defrost foods is in the refrigerator, not in water. If frozen chicken ...
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| Thermo bags | 8/20/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: After Church on Sunday's we go out to eat and then do our shopping for the week. We don't make it ...
A: Yes -- using gel packs would work much better. Or perhaps ice in ziploc bags would work. At least ...
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| Thermo bags | 8/20/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: After Church on Sunday's we go out to eat and then do our shopping for the week. We don't make it ...
A: The thermo bags say they will keep cold foods cold or hot foods hot for 2-3 hours. A better idea ...
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| Storing liquids in Stainless Steel | 8/19/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: Is it safe to store liquids, including milk, in stainless steel (i.e. Thermos) for 2-3 days at a ...
A: Still, I do not think it is wise to keep milk in any product for several days and drink out of it ...
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| FREEZER ELECTRICAL LOSS | 8/19/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: My daughter called in distress this morning...it appears her full upright freezer lost power and ...
A: If the food still had ice crystals when she found the food, then they can be safely refrozen. After ...
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| Storing liquids in Stainless Steel | 8/19/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: Is it safe to store liquids, including milk, in stainless steel (i.e. Thermos) for 2-3 days at a ...
A: Stainless steel is a food-safe material that does not interact with foods making it an ideal ...
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| Vacuum food and mountaineering | 8/18/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I am climbing Mt Rainier in a few weeks and we have to pack our food up for a total of 4 days. To ...
A: First, my best wishes for you as you climb Mt. Rainier. Vacuumed packaged food must still be ...
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| Eating Ash | 8/18/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: Does it matter if you eat ash thats on your barbequed food? I heard it can be poisinous.
A: What you've heard is that charring meat on the BBQ grill can be dangerous as the charring is ...
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| thawed chicken overnight | 8/17/2007 | Chris Manley |
Q: I pulled out some chicken around noon to thaw for dinner. We ended up going out and I forgot to put ...
A: Unfortunately, the safe thing to do is throw it out. Food should not be allowed to be above 41 ...
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| Pinto Beans left out overnight | 8/16/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: Are cooked pinto beans left out overnight safe to eat? The only ingredients were seasoning and ...
A: The recommendation is that cooked vegetables left out at room temperature over 2 hours should not be ...
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| Energy Drinks | 8/15/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: Are energy drinks reallt bad for you and what is taurine(is it animal derived?)
A: I suggest you check out this website for an answer to your ...
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| half a watermelon - how long does it keep. | 8/15/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: I got a whole watermelon, cut it in half and ate one side. The other side I left "whole", put ...
A: I too have a half of watermelon in my refrigerator that has been in there 3 days since cut. ...
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| Frozen Chicken Stock | 8/15/2007 | Carol Schlitt |
Q: How long will chicken stock (just liquid, no meat) stay good in a freezer? It has never been ...
A: Theoretically, it will be SAFE to use as long as it is frozen. Quality, however does not improve ...
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