Dinner Tonight

Dinner Tonight

Healthy Cooking for a Healthy Texas

Infused Water

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A Splash of Flavor – Infused Water Basics

How many times have you been told to drink water? We know it’s essential, but sometimes we need some flavor. Thus, infused water (flavored water) is a great sweet beverage substitute – plus, it’s cost-efficient and easy to make!

Infused water is a combination of fruits, herbs, and vegetables mixed into plain old water.  Whichever fruit or vegetable that use can either be sliced or mashed when adding it to the mix.  Below is the breakdown of how to make your own infused water:

  1. Pick your produce. You can use one item or a combination of fruit and vegetables.
  2. Decide if you want to add a garnish (fresh herbs).
  3. Get your water. You’ll need at least 4 cups to every ½ – 1 cup of fresh produce.
    • It depends on your taste! How sweet do you want it? You can add more or less produce to sweeten your water.
  1. Then infuse – Infusion takes about 2 hours, depending on the temperature.
    • Warm climates – 1 hour (left on the counter for example)
    • Cold climates – 2 hours (placed in the refrigerator)

Now, some things to consider when making it. Here are the following food safety tips:

  • Make sure to use a clean your container (glass) for your infused water.
  • Wash your fruits, vegetables, and herbs before making your recipe.
  • During the infusion process – decide hot (warm) or cold.
  • Whether you place the water in the refrigerator or leave the container on the counter, once infused (done), place in the refrigerator or add ice after to avoid spoilage.
  • Chill for later – If you are not going to drink the flavored water right away, put the container in the refrigerator.
  • Lastly, if you plan to keep your flavored water for more than a day, strain out the produce before storing it in the refrigerator.

Let’s get creative! Several different combos can be mixed. It just depends on your taste buds. Some combo ideas:

  • 4 Mix Combo: Veggie + Citrus + Berry + Herb
  • 3 Mix Combo: Citrus + Berry + Herb
  • 2 Mix Combo: Citrus + Melon

Honestly, mix what you like and get creative!  Other ways to splash flavor is to do the following:

  1. Squeeze fresh lime or lemon wedge in the water (classic)
  2. Add a splash (like a tablespoon or teaspoon) of juice to a glass of water.
  3. Make ice cubes using 100% juice – then add one or two cubes to a large glass/bottle of water.

For a full pdf handout version download the Infused-Water-Basics-Handout.pdf

Infused-Water-Basics-Handout.pdfReferences:

  • Rethink Your Drink BLT Walk N Talk Curriculum Lesson 3
  • https://www.allrecipes.com/article/fresh-ideas-for-making-infused-water/
  • Onufrak SJ et al., The relationship of perceptions of tap water safety with intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and plain water among US adults. Public Health Nutrition, 2012.
  • Onufrak SJ et al., Perceptions of Tap Water and School Water Foundations and Association with Intake of Plain Water and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. Journal of School Health, 2013.

Milk

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Right now we know that going to the grocery store and finding milk isn’t guaranteed, or maybe you’re trying to limit your grocery store trips. Whatever your reason, you may find a need to freeze milk. Here are our tips on safely and effectively freezing your milk.


Freezing

  • First, check the “sell-by” or expiration date on your carton — if the date hasn’t passed yet, you’re good to freeze. Milk expands when frozen. So storing in an easily breakable glass bottle or cardboard cartoon brings the possibility of a real mess in your freezer. Technically, you can freeze milk that comes in a plastic gallon bottle, but we recommend pouring your milk into two or three freezer-safe plastic containers to make the thawing process a bit easier and so you can avoid having to re-freeze.

Thawing

  • Moving your milk from the freezer to the refrigerator overnight will typically do the trick. If time is of the essence, you can fill a large bowl with cold water and submerge the frozen container of milk inside — just be sure to replace the lukewarm water with the cold water as it warms up. Never thaw milk at room temperature (on your counter), it runs the risk of spoiling the milk. Frozen milk should be consumed within 2–3 days of thawing.

Tips

  • Milk tends to absorb any odors in your fridge/freezer, so make sure your storage containers have a tight seal and are sealed properly.
  • Don’t forget to label your new containers with the date that you froze your milk on. The FDA recommends that milk be consumed within 3 months of freezing.
  • If your milk experiences separation during the freezing/thawing process, simply stir to recombine.
  • Don’t forget about powdered milk as a great alternative to fresh milk or freezing your milk!

Milk Nutrition Facts:

  • Whole Milk: 8 ounces contains 3.5% fat and has 150 calories
  • Low-Fat Milk: 8 ounces contains 1% fat and has 110 calories
  • Skim Milk: 8 ounces contains 0% fat and has 90 calories
  • All milk provides 9 essential nutrients that are beneficial to your health:
    • Calcium
    • Vitamin D
    • Protein
    • Phosphorus
    • Vitamin A
    • Riboflavin
    • Pantothenic Acid
    • Vitamin B12
    • Niacin

Reduced Fat Dairy Substitution Tips:

  • Substitute reduced-fat sour cream, low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt, or cottage cheese for full-fat sour cream
  • Reduced-fat milk can be substituted in most recipes
  • Evaporated milk can be substituted for whipping cream in some recipes

Sources:

Good Housekeeping. Can you Freeze Milk? by Katie Bourque

FoodSafety.gov

Southwest Dairy Farmers

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Path to the Plate program

Multifunction Cooker

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Multifunction Cookers, common brand Instant Pot®, are a new tool that many cooks have in their kitchen! Multifunction cookers can be a great way to provide quick and nutritious meals with a “hands off” cooking approach so that you can be free to spend your time on other things. Below are some tips to help your multifunction cooker experience go smoothly and safely! You should always make sure to follow the guidance of your multifunction cooker’s user manual and read it thoroughly before beginning to cook.

About Multifunction Cookers

Pressure Release:

Natural Release (NR): No action is taken. Allow the cooker to cool naturally, release heat and pressure over time. You will know that the cooker is no longer pressurized when the float valve drops into the lid.

Note: May take 10 – 40+ minutes. Depressurization time will vary based upon volume of food and liquid.

Quick Release (QR): Turn the steam release handle from the “Sealing” position to the “Venting” position. If spatter occurs, turn steam release handle back to “Sealing” position, and try again after a few minutes. The float valve will drop into the lid when the cooker has depressurized.

Stages of Cooking:

  1. Heating & Pressurization
    The cooker will preheat, creating the steam required to build pressure. Once enough steam pressure has accumulated, the float valve will pop up and “pressurize” the cooker. During the Water Test, this may take 5 – 15 minutes.Do not press down on the lid; the float valve will rise when sufficient steam pressure has built up. Until the cooker pressurizes and the float valve has popped up, the lid will be removable. Once pressurized, the lid will lock.Note: The time it takes your cooker to pressurize is determined by a variety of factors, including food and liquid volume.It is normal to see steam exit the float valve hole until the float valve pops up and the cooker pressurizes. If you see steam escaping from around the sides of the lid, stop the test to ensure that your sealing ring is properly installed
  2. Cook Cycle
    The cooker will not start the countdown right away. First, the cooker must come to pressure. Within 5 minutes of pressurization, the cooker will beep once and the countdown will appear on the display. When the timer reaches “00:00”, the cooker will beep 10 times to signal that cooking has completed.Note: Smart Programs allow you to make changes to time, temperature, and pressure levels during the cook cycle.
  3. Depressurization & Keep Warm
    When pressure cooking has completed, follow your recipe’s directions when selecting a venting method.
    Always ensure that the float valve has dropped completely before attempting to open the lid. If the lid will not turn, do not attempt to force the lid open.
    If Keep Warm is turned ON after the cook cycle completes, the timer will count up. If Keep Warm is not turned ON, cooker will return to Standby. Note: The cooker will cool sufficiently to NR over time, but it will cool faster if Keep Warm is turned OFF

Safety with Multifunction Cookers

  1. Use a food thermometer – When food is done cooking, no matter what method, you should always use a food thermometer to ensure that meat has been cooked to the proper safe minimum internal temperature. If it has not been cooked to the minimum internal temperature then you will need to continue cooking, whether that be via the multifunction cooker or other method such as oven, stove top, grill, etc.
    1. Product Minimum Internal Temperature & Rest Time
      Beef, Pork, Veal & Lamb
      Steaks, chops, roasts      		 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes
      Ground meats 160 °F (71.1 °C)
      Ham, fresh or smoked (uncooked) 145 °F (62.8 °C) and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes
      Fully Cooked Ham
      (to reheat)      		 Reheat cooked hams packaged in USDA-inspected plants to 140 °F (60 °C) and all others to 165 °F (73.9 °C).
      Product Minimum Internal Temperature
      All Poultry (breasts, whole bird, legs, thighs, wings, ground poultry, giblets, and stuffing) 165 °F (73.9 °C)
      Eggs 160 °F (71.1 °C)
      Fish & Shellfish 145 °F (62.8 °C)
      Leftovers 165 °F (73.9 °C)
      Casseroles 165 °F (73.9 °C)
  2. Placement of Multifunction Cooker – Multifunction cookers are intended for countertop use, it is recommended that you use your multifunction cooker in your kitchen on a kitchen counter. Be sure to keep cookers away from any external heat sources such as heated ovens, stove tops and gas ranges.
  3.  De-pressurizing – see above for safe de-pressurizing methods.
  4. Read the User Manual – the best way to ensure the safe operation of your multifunction cooker is to read your cooker’s user manual so that you are familiar with its functions, parts, and best practices.
  5. Initial Test – if this is your first time using your multifunction cooker, do an initial test with water to ensure that you are familiar with the process and your cooker is functioning properly.

 

Check out our recipe for cooking a whole chicken in your multifunction cooker! 

Sources:

Instant Pot® Initial Test Run

Instant Pot® 10 Common Newbie Mistakes

Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures

Disclaimer: Dinner Tonight and/or Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service does not promote or support purchasing a single brand, such as the Instant Pot ®. 

DIY Bleach Solutions

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Stay safe out there! Safely clean frequently touched surfaces with this homemade bleach solution recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.

  • Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
      • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
      • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

Wooden Skewers

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Most skewers are made out of metal or bamboo. If you’re using bamboo, soak them before cooking/grilling.  To prevent wooden skewers from burning follow the following tips:

  • Submerge skews in room-temperature water for 30-60 minutes before grilling.
  • Remove excess water by laying skewers on paper towels.
  • Soak a few extra skewers, just in case you break some.
  • Or soak the whole package of skewers, drain them well and put the extras in your freezer to pull out as needed.

 

*If you don’t want to soak then use stainless steel or metal skewers. They do not require any soaking and can be reused.

 If you enjoyed this tip, check out more about Grilling Safety.