HomeWise

FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF SEPT. 2, 2001:

My contribution to our family's annual Labor Day picnic has traditionally been banana cream pie. This year's picnic will be several hours from our house, and I'm worried about keeping the pies cold. My sister-in-law has suggested that I bring something else instead.

Unless you've got a cooler that will keep those pies below 40 degrees Fahrenheit all the way to the picnic site and while you're eating the main courses, you may want to bring something else, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety specialist.

Bacteria grow most rapidly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and they multiply particularly quickly on custards and cream pies and on cakes with whipped cream or cream-cheese frostings: these foods are high both in moisture and in the nutrients the bacteria relish.

September is Food Safety Month, and this year's theme of "Be Cool, Chill Out" couldn't come at a better time for Labor Day picnics, McCurdy says. She reminds picnickers to keep all cold, perishable foods chilled right up until serving time.

Keeping cold foods cold--and hot foods hot--is just as important in the kitchen. No perishables, prepared foods or leftovers should ever be outside the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, McCurdy says. Even very hot leftovers should go right back into the refrigerator; it helps to divide them into several small, shallow containers so they can cool down quickly.

Never marinade or defrost food at room temperature. If it's time for dinner but the meat or poultry are still frozen solid, first check to make sure the wrapping is airtight, then thaw them in cold--never hot--water. Change the water every 30 minutes or so.

Microwave defrosting is another option, but only if you're going to cook the food immediately.

About six years ago, I had half of my lawn redone because it had a lot of rank, wide-leafed grass. Today, the problem is as bad as or worse than it ever was. I've tried a lot of things over the years to get rid of this weed, but I'm about to give up. I hope you can tell me what to do for this problem. Kay James, Moscow

David Barton, University of Idaho Extension educator in Latah County, identified Mrs. James' problem as quackgrass. He suspects it came back after lawn renovation because coming back is something that quackgrass does exceptionally well.

When quackgrass is sprayed, any underground rhizomes that survive herbicide treatment send up fresh growth, Barton says. "It's almost impossible to keep quackgrass out of a lawn. If you live in an area that has quackgrass, your lawn probably has it, too."

Unfortunately, says Barton, there are no herbicides that will selectively kill quackgrass in lawns. Frustrated homeowners who are determined to engage this weed in an Armageddon-level battle may consider this five-pronged approach: 1) spray it with Roundup several times in the fall, when the herbicide will travel to the weed's roots along with its winter supply of sugars; 2) leave the ground bare over the winter; 3) spray any spring-emerging quackgrass again with Roundup; 4) lay sod over weed-free ground in the spring; and 5) apply treatments of a seed-germination inhibitor like DCPA.

"But I wouldn't typically recommend that strategy," says Barton, who favors less drastic approaches. He suggests either fighting small battles with limited infestations--digging out or hand-treating individual weeds as you see them and then reseeding or sodding the bare spots--or "learning not to let quackgrass drive you crazy."

After all, says Barton, quackgrass is a very hardy grass. It's a good ground cover, it's very drought-tolerant and it passes for grass at a middling distance. Its most serious drawbacks are that "it's so darn stiff you wouldn't want to lie down in it or walk barefoot on it, it's not really aesthetically appealing and it spreads very easily to places you don't want it."

Can you tell me more about the fire retardant that homeowners can put on their homes to protect against wildfire damage? What is it and how do you put it on?

Fire-retardant foams protect homes, surrounding vegetation and even extinguish existing fires. "They increase the effectiveness of defensible spaces around homes and outbuildings," says Yvonne Carree Barkley, University of Idaho Extension forestry associate.

Foam products for home use are usually made from highly concentrated soap, which acts as a surfactant to prevent the spread of fire. This soap both makes water "wetter" by aiding its absorption into fuels--like your house, sheds and shrubbery--and it holds water longer on vertical surfaces, allowing increased absorption before it runs down the wall.

According to Barkley, fire-retardant foams are usually applied with specialized equipment: you'll need a motorized pump, hose and connections. She recommends looking for equipment that does not depend on electricity to run the pump and for foam products that are biodegradable. Check in the telephone directory under Fire Protection Equipment and Supplies.

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