FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF DEC. 7, 1998:
When I find a little mold growing on the outside of my cheddar or jack cheese, I just scrape it off and eat what’s left of the cheese. Am I taking any safety risks?
As long as hard cheeses have been kept refrigerated and the mold colonies are not very extensive, you can simply trim surface molds right off them, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety coordinator. Because mold mycelia–basically, their roots–can extend invisibly down into food, be sure to cut about a half-inch around and beneath surface molds. To err on the side of safety, avoid touching the mold with the knife, always package the cheese in new wrapping, then clean the knife well.
Generally, soft and semi-soft cheeses that develop mold growth should be discarded, as should moldy breads, jams, jellies, yogurts and sour creams, says McCurdy. That’s because the mold mycelia can spread rapidly through these more porous or liquid products.
According to McCurdy, molds can potentially produce mycotoxins capable of causing liver and kidney disease, cancer and birth defects–although the relationship between mycotoxins and human disease is not well understood.
As for Roqueforts and bleus, which are veined with molds, McCurdy says those specific molds are a deliberate and necessary part of the processing of those two cheeses and have been used for centuries with apparent safety.
I have mice in the walls of my house. What are some non-poisonous methods I can use to get rid of them?
University of Idaho extension entomologist Bob Stoltz recommends a tactic right out of the Saturday morning cartoons: "You need to lure the little devils out of the walls," he says. "Find a place to put a trap with some cheese. That always works for me." Another alternative: triangular, tunneled sticky-traps now available commercially.
Once the mice are history, make sure history doesn’t repeat itself by sealing up all possible entrances. Even crevices as narrow as one-quarter inch are large enough to encourage break-ins by these devious intruders.
We don’t have a cellar in our new home. Where should we store our canned foods and staples?
Choose your coolest cabinets and pantries--the ones that stay between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist. Both warmth and humidity shorten shelf life, so make sure your canned foods and staples are stored away from appliances that produce heat--including the refrigerator.
We’re thinking about having a living Christmas tree this year. What’s involved?
"A living tree is not the way to go if you like to have your Christmas tree around for any length of time," cautions Yvonne Carree, University of Idaho extension forestry associate. Because it breaks dormancy quickly inside the house, it should be left up only a few days.
Until Dec. 23 or Dec. 24, store your living tree in a sheltered area, such as a garage or porch–not outside where it’s exposed to freezing temperatures, wind and sun. Once indoors, wrap the root ball in plastic or set the tree in a tub, keeping the roots damp but not sopping. Decorate it carefully, avoiding lights entirely or using only small ones that emit the least possible heat. On Dec. 26, transfer the living tree back to the garage or porch.
If the ground is frozen, keep the tree in the sheltered area and its root ball moist until planting conditions improve. If the ground is unfrozen, allow a few days’ transition time, then plant the tree outdoors. Carefully remove any plastic, burlap or other material from the root ball, retaining as much soil as possible. Backfill with the original soil from the planting hole and mulch heavily. Stake the tree to prevent wind tipping or damage. Then water with caution: a flooded tree may not survive. Nor will one that’s not hardy enough for your climate: Carree advises that you check with your local Cooperative Extension office to make sure before you start digging.