FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF AUG. 16, 1999:
Why can’t I safely can my favorite homemade salsa recipe?
Very simply: the potential for a serious or even deadly case of botulism. According to Joan Parr, University of Idaho extension educator, the bacterium botulinum can develop in improperly canned salsa if the mixture falls short in acid, processing time or processing temperature.
"You can’t tell if a jar is contaminated by botulinum because it has no `off’ flavors or odors," says Parr. It’s just quietly deadly.
Nor can you tell if any freestyle adjustments you make in your ratio of tomatoes, peppers and onions will include enough acid to prevent botulinum from growing. Each recipe would have to be individually tested for safety in a laboratory–and that’s impractical and expensive. Unfortunately, there are simply no handy guidelines that allow home food preservers to safely adjust their personal canning recipes.
"Don’t experiment," Parr advises. To prevent botulism, forego your favorite canning recipe and be willing to use a rigid, current, laboratory-tested "formula."
"Or, if you have a favorite homemade salsa recipe you wish to preserve, simply freeze it." Use paste-type tomatoes and thaw it in the refrigerator for later use. "The texture may be softer," Parr says, " but the flavor will bring summer to mind."
When I’m feeling a little depressed, I eat a handful of snack chips that contain 150 mg of St. Johns Wort per serving, but they don’t seem to help. Can you tell me why?
Research studies evaluating the effectiveness of St. Johns Wort used 900 mg per day in populations with clinical depression, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist. The herb may not be working be for you because you are taking much less, she says.
In addition, Raidl notes that St. Johns Wort has only been tested on people diagnosed with depression at mild to moderate levels–not people who occasionally feel a little low.
We’re closing in on a decision to retire but aren’t sure we’re quite ready yet. Are there guidelines to use in determining when to cut the cord with our employers?
As a matter of fact, there are guidelines for both financial and emotional readiness, says Beverly Healy, University of Idaho extension educator. "If you’re finding it harder and harder to keep your mind on your work, and if you view retirement as an active adventure–a time to do other things–and not as a vacation, you’re probably emotionally ready."
Healy cautions that about one-fourth of retirees are unhappy with the change. Many of these people retired involuntarily and found free time weighing heavily on them. "Retirement planners say six months after quitting work, reality sets in."
"If you depend on your work for validation, you’ll need to find something in retirement to replace your job," says Healy. Start building those hobbies and volunteer relationships now.
In terms of financial readiness, most financial advisers have long used this estimate: If you can replace 70 percent of your annual gross income, you can probably maintain your current standard of living. But that 70 percent figure has lately attracted considerable controversy, with some experts suggesting a more modest 40-60 percent for retirees who have paid off their mortgages and who will no longer be setting aside10-20 percent of their incomes for retirement savings.
"For planning purposes, I would still use 70 percent," says Healy. "But as you get closer to retirement and have a better understanding of what kind of lifestyle you really expect after you quit work, adjust it more realistically."
Are there "functional foods" that can help me lower my cholesterol level?
Actually, three functional foods have lowered cholesterol levels in research subjects by 9-10 percent, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension specialist. One or two tablespoons each day of two margarines–sold as Benecol and Take Control–worked. So did three servings per day of cereals, pastas and other products containing Kellogg’s Ensemble, which should be available nationwide this fall.