Be Food Safe this Independence Day

The Food and Drug Administration tries to provide people with food safety information to make sure that you keep foodborne illness off the menu. As we enter the summertime and are enjoying our Independence Day celebrations today, full of warmer temperatures and cookouts, we especially need to be careful. One of the best purchases you can make is to purchase a food thermometer, and they can be purchased at your local grocery store cheaply. It hopefully goes without saying that your hot foods should be kept hot, and your cold foods kept cold. However, I want to be a little more specific when temperatures. Your hot foods need to be kept at an internal temperature of 135 degrees or warmer and the only way to verify this is to use a food thermometer to check to make sure your temperature is at the correct level. Bacteria can multiply very quickly on hot foods that are not held at this temperature. During the upcoming summer months, we want everyone to pay special consideration to keeping your cold foods 41 degrees or colder. If you are serving fresh produce or other perishable foods, keep them chilled in a cooler with ice. And one of the most important rules is the two-hour rule. Any perishable food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours needs to be thrown out. If the room temperature is above 90 degrees, such as your events outside, the safe-holding time is reduced to one hour.

Enjoy these 2 delicious recipes from the NC Egg Association as we prepare for the 4th of July Holiday and America 250 events.

Berry Custard Popsicles

Check out this delicious treat from the NC Egg Assocation.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp corn starch
  • ¼ tsp slat
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup strawberry puree
  • ¾ cups diced fresh strawberries
  • ½ cup fresh blueberries
  • 1-2 Tbsp sugar

Directions

Wash and hull 2 cups of fresh strawberries. Add to a food processor with 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Blend for 30 – 45 seconds. Strain through a fine mesh sieve for smoother texture. Set aside. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl until pale. Set aside. In a saucepan, heat milk and cream over medium until steaming (not boiling). Drizzle about ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking to temper. Pour mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until thick and reaches 170–175°F (and coats the back of a spoon). Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool slightly, then whisk in strawberry purée. Transfer mixture to refrigerator to cool completely. Lightly mash strawberries in a separate medium bowl. Add blueberries and sugar. Stir to mix well. Let sit 10 minutes to release juices. Spoon 1–2 tablespoons custard into molds. Add a small spoonful of berry mixture then add more custard to make layers. Use a skewer to gently drag berries downward once or twice. Don’t overmix. Cover mold, insert sticks and freeze overnight or until set. Unmold and serve.

Frozen Berry Smoothie

Check out this delicious treat from the NC Egg Assocation.

Ingredients

  • 2 large, hard-boiled eggs
  • 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1 cup frozen strawberries

Directions

Blend for approximately 30 seconds or until completely mixed. Serve immediately.

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Written By
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Jennifer Brown