FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF DEC. 21, 1998:
Are there ways to keep our holiday candles burning longer, more evenly and safely?
There certainly are, says Tom Karsky, University of Idaho extension safety specialist, and too many celebrants ignore even the most obvious safety precautions: Never leave a burning candle unattended, keep lighted candles out of the reach of children and pets, and avoid burning candles near combustible materials.
To prevent uneven burning and excessive dripping, protect candles from drafts, keep wicks trimmed to one-half inch (one-quarter inch for votive candles), refrigerate candles before use (wrapped inside foil or plastic), extinguish them when they get within two inches of their holders or decorations, and store them flat to prevent warping.
When you blow out a candle, hold your finger in front of the flame and blow at it. The air will flow around the finger and extinguish the candle from both sides, preventing hot wax from splattering.
What should I do with my amaryllis bulb after it blooms?
University of Idaho extension educator JoAnn Robbins will tell you what she does: she composts it! Though beautiful when blooming, amaryllis plants demand a labor-intensive ritual to prompt reblooming and make marginal, floppy-leaved houseplants while you’re waiting, Robbins says.
Here’s the ritual: (1) Once the flowers have wilted and the stalks have been trimmed off, keep the amaryllis evenly moist, expose it to several hours of bright sunlight daily, and fertilize it every two weeks. (2) In the fall, dry it out for two to three months in a cool, dark place, withholding water and fertilizer. (3) After its rest period, repot it into a sandy mix with added bonemeal and superphosphate; set the bulb so its upper half is above soil level and it’s got two inches of soil all the way around, then begin watering well.
But be forewarned: Even if you do everything right, amaryllis bulbs may fail to rebloom due to lack of size and strength, Robbins says. "I consider them disposable and buy a new one every year."
Are fresh fruits and vegetables better for you than canned or frozen ones?
Not always, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist. In March 1998, the Food and Drug Administration announced that certain canned or frozen fruits and vegetables were just as nutritious as fresh produce and, in some cases, even more nutritious. One study found that fresh green beans held in the grocery store for three days and in a home refrigerator for another three days retained only 36 percent of their vitamin C, while frozen green beans had twice as much. This is why the FDA is allowing canned and frozen fruits and vegetables to be labeled as "healthy" if their nutritional value has not been compromised by added fats or sodium, Raidl says.
Yuck! I found beetles in my flour. How do I eliminate the little buggers from my kitchen?
"The secret is to find the source," says Larry Sandvol, University of Idaho extension entomologist. "It might be a bag of cake flour you bought five years ago or oatmeal you thought the kids would eat." From there, the flour or sawtooth grain beetles could have advanced into any cereal-based product with an unsealed or chewable (paper, cardboard or thin plastic) container, including pet food. "Dump whatever you find them in, get rid of anything else they might have gotten into–even if you don’t see them–then go through and soap all your cupboards and pantries where you keep everything from cake flour to dog food."
While you’ll want to clear up a serious infestation, you may well be unknowingly living with a minor one, Sandvol says. He estimates that, at some time during any given year, anywhere from a third to a half of U.S. households are unsuspecting hosts to red flour beetles, confused flour beetles or sawtooth grain beetles. Small, elongated, slender and reddish brown as adults, the beetles produce white larvae indistinguishable in bleached products. In addition to sneaking inside on your groceries, they can also invade your kitchen on their own six legs or hitch a ride indoors on your clothes–especially if you own horses, whose feed is often infested.