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More recent food and nutrition questions and answers

Food and nutrition

Missouri Mix brownies

Many years ago my daughter brought home a recipe for Missouri Mix brownies. Now I can't find it anywere. Is there one?

After some searching, I found a recipe to make brownies using GH1055, The New Missouri Mix.

Jessica Kovarik
Extension Associate

Frozen bananas

How do you freeze bananas? I looked, but could not find it on your Web site.

Information on freezing bananas can be found in GH1502, Quality for Keeps: Freezing Fruits. It states select firm, ripe bananas. Peel; mash thoroughly. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid per cup of mashed banana. Pack into containers, leave headspace, seal and freeze.

Jessica Kovarik
Extension Associate

Leftover food kept in the refrigerator

How long will spaghetti sauce with meat keep in the refrigerator?

Leftover food can be kept in the refrigerator for about three days. For spaghetti sauce with meat, it is recommended to keep it for one to two days due to the ground meat in it. MP558, Storing Food in the Refrigerator discusses in more detail the storage of leftovers.

A good motto when it comes to food safety is "when in doubt, throw it out." If you aren't sure the food is safe or can't remember when it was put in the refrigerator, it's always safest to discard the food.

Jessica Kovarik
Extension Associate

Food in gift baskets

I am making gift baskets. How long can Velvetta types of cheese and packaged saugage from the grocery store deli be kept without referigeration? Will it be safe to eat if not refrigerated?

Almost all food comes with expiration, sell-by or use-by dates. These dates will inform you of how long the item will remain fresh, taste good and be safe to eat. Expiration dates indicate the date when a food may no longer be safe to eat or may have diminished quality.

• Sell-by dates
  A product should be sold by that date to ensure the best quality and safest product.
• Use-by dates
  The date by which a product should be used to ensure quality and safety of the food item. (Some humor -- remember the food won't spontaneously go bad on the expiration date; in fact, some foods can keep longer -- ie crackers -- but may have diminished taste or product quality.)

My suggestion is to find cheese and meats that do not need to be kept in the refrigerator. Check the dates on the products. Don't buy them if there aren't any dates. Think about how long the food might stay in the basket before eaten and select products that will keep up to and hopefully through that date.

Jessica Kovarik
Extension Associate

Canning in 1/2 gallon jars

I want to use 1/2 gallon jars to can chicken, but can find references only to using pint and quart jars. Is using 1/2 gallon jars a bad idea?

According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, 1/2 gallon jars are only recommended for very acidic fruit juices, such as apple and grape juice. Although recipes and suggestions to can using 1/2 gallon jars have been in existence, there are not currently any research-tested processes for 1/2 gallon jars.

Jessica Kovarik
Extension Associate

More food and nutrition questions and answers

Updated 7/24/08