Happenings August 2024

August 2024

Another Successful Putnam County Fair & 4-H Showcase is in the books!

Celebrating Pollinator Week by Building Homes for Bees and Wasps

Preserving the Harvest – Freezing Basics

Boar's Head Expands Recall Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

Recipe from SNAP-Ed: Peruvian Vegetarian Ceviche

Another Successful Putnam County Fair & 4-H Showcase is in the books!

by Rachael Paradise, Communications Coordinator

It was a beautiful weekend for the Putnam County Fair & 4-H Showcase July 27 and 28 at Veterans Memorial Park in Kent. From horse demonstrations to classic cars, there was a little something for fair-goers of all ages to enjoy.

Of course, the event wouldn’t have been such a resounding success without months of planning, days of setting up and hours of preparation! Our 4-H members and leaders, CCE volunteers, families and friends, Board of Directors and staff worked tirelessly for much of the week prior and for both days of the event. Special thanks go out to Putnam County – the County’s DPW Parks’ crew led by Chris Ruthven and Putnam County Tourism’s Tara Keegan and Tracey Walsh Sullivan partnered with CCE Putnam County to bring the event to life and spent several months working on the logistics. The indefatigable Bill Hammond emceed both days and brought to the stage several great bands to entertain visitors and keep the atmosphere upbeat and lively.

Thank you to those who came out for the Opening Ceremony, including the 4-H Cloverbuds, Brewster High School’s NJROTC Color Guard, County Executive Kevin Byrne, Sen. Pete Harckham, Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg and County Sheriff Kevin McConville. And thank you to Jessica Vanacoro whose amazing vocals regaled us with “The Star-Spangled Banner” Saturday and Sunday morning.

Non-profit organizations, vendors (both craft and food), the NY Cruisers Car Show, Fun Zone inflatables, K-9 units from several police departments among others, kept fair-goers entertained and delighted and added to the incredible demonstrations and exhibits by our 4-H clubs and Cornell Cooperative Extension staff and volunteers.

Lastly, congratulations to our Duck Derby winner, Connie Fagan.

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Celebrating Pollinator Week by Building Homes for Bees and Wasps

by Karen Heller, Volunteer

Aspiring bee- and wasp-house builders aged from 8 to 80 recently gathered at Desmond Fish Library for a peek into the world of our local pollinators and to help meet their habitat needs by constructing bee- and wasp-friendly soda-bottle houses.

The building project was preceded by a Power Point talk on beneficial insects, given by Putnam CCE Master Gardener Janis Butler, who holds a Certificate from the Native Plant Center in Valhalla and has often spoken on native plants and their relationship with native insects.

Audience attention was immediately arrested by a frank discussion of stingers. The bottom line is that the native solitarybees and wasps for whom the houses were being build only sting as a defense when they feel threatened. They are not aggressive since they do not defend their nests.

And these insects are hugely beneficial to humanity. Every third bite of food we eat requires insect pollination. Pollinators and other insects are food for birds and other critters up the food chain; they themselves prey on pest species; and they participate in decomposition, recycling dead plant and animal tissue.

But insects are in trouble. The population of insects as a whole was not scrutinized until two biomass studies, one in Puerto Rico and the other in Germany, published in the 2010s, alerted scientists to their decreasing numbers over the past three to four decades. The alarming declines are attributed to loss of habitat, misuse of pesticides, competition from invasive species including pathogens, and increasing pressure from climate change.

Understanding the life cycles and habitat needs of these insects enables scientists and concerned citizens to help them. The recent talk focused on three local insects that regularly visit our backyards but whom we rarely notice: mason bees, leaf-cutter bees and grass-carrying wasps.

All three are solitary native bees who lay their eggs in hollow plant stalks and other tunnel-like places, which the man-made houses imitate. Eggs laid in fall will stay protected all winter, so another great way to help them is to leave plant stalks and stems standing in place over the winter, until their inhabitants (bees, wasps, beetles and other insects at various life states from egg to larva to pupa to adult) depart in late April or early May.

In front of the Desmond Fish Library’s stage were ingredients for home-made insect houses:neat piles of scissors, cut-off bottoms of plastic bottles, twine, cardboard and bamboo tubes, and lots of collected plant stalks of all diameters. Ms. Butler passed around a ready-made bee house featuring very tiny holes — 3/32nds of an inch in diameter — already filled by tiny native bees and wasps, and encouraged participants to seek the smaller stalks to help these smallest visitors. Larger insects may seek stalks that are 5/16ths of an inch in diameter but no wider.

All participants went home with their creations and encouragement to hang the bee homes facing east, to catch the morning sun, and to avoid hot afternoon sun. Protection from the elements is also appreciated by the insects.

Photo Leaf Cutter Bee, by Conall, under CC

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Preserving the Harvest – Freezing Basics

by Utah State University Extension

Freezing

Freezing is the easiest, most convenient, and least time-consuming method of preserving foods. The holiday seasons have a way of filling the freezer with leftovers. Adding these to the frozen bounty of the past fall's harvest makes for tightly packed freezers. You can freeze almost any food item. Those that don't freeze well can be found here.

Food spoilage is caused by microorganisms, chemicals, and enzymes. Freezing foods to 0 degrees F. is recommended for best quality. Freezing stops the growth of microorganisms; however, it does not sterilize foods or destroy the organisms that cause spoilage. A few organisms may die, but once thawed to warmer temperatures, these organisms can quickly multiply. Chemical changes affect quality or cause spoilage in frozen foods. One major chemical reaction is oxidation. If air is left in contact with the frozen food oxidation will occur even in the freezer. An example is the oxidation of fats, also called rancidity. Enzymes are naturally present in foods and their activity can lead to the deterioration of food quality. Enzymes present in animal foods, vegetables and fruit promote chemical reactions, such as ripening. Freezing only slows the enzyme activity that takes place in foods. It does not halt these reactions which continue after harvesting. Enzyme activity does not harm frozen meats or fish, but browning can occur in fruits while they are being frozen or thawed.

Blanching

Blanching vegetables before freezing inactivates the enzymes. During blanching, the vegetable is exposed to boiling water or steam for a brief period. The vegetable is then rapidly cooled in ice water to prevent cooking. Following the recommended times for blanching each vegetable is important. Over-blanching results in a cooked product and loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Under-blanching stimulates enzyme activity and is worse than no blanching at all. Blanching tips can be found here. Fruits may also be steamed or cooked before freezing, but are more commonly treated with ascorbic acid to inactivate enzymes responsible for browning. Most freezing recommendations for individual fruits specify levels and usage of ascorbic acid. Packing methods for fruit freezing include dry packs, syrup packs, sugar packs, or possibly crushed or cooked packs. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Pectin or artificial sweeteners are offered as options for specific fruits.

Good packaging

Good packaging will help prevent air from entering the container or wrap prevent and moisture loss. Severe moisture loss, or ice crystals evaporating from the surface of a product, produces freezer burn -- a grainy, brownish or white surface where the tissues of the food have become dry and tough. Freezer-burned food is likely to develop off flavors, but it will not cause illness. Packaging in air-tight rigid containers or heavyweight, moisture-resistant wrap will prevent freezer burn. Freezing food is more like freezing the water contained in the food. When water freezes, it expands and the ice crystals formed can cause the cell walls of the food to rupture. Consequently the texture of the product will be much softer when the product thaws. Getting a food to a frozen state quickly helps keep the size of the ice crystals small. Less damage to cell walls of foods will occur and the final texture will be better. Keeping food frozen at 0 degrees F or lower will also minimize ice crystal growth that results when food temperatures fluctuate (i.e., warm up and re-freeze) too much while in the freezer.

Safe Defrosting

Never defrost foods on the kitchen counter, in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or outdoors. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat.

There are three safe ways to defrost food:

1. In the refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower
2. In the microwave immediately before cooking
3. In running cold water for very short periods of time

Foods thawed in the microwave or by the running cold water method should be cooked thoroughly immediately after thawing occurs.

Refreezing

• If food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there will usually be a noticeable loss of quality due to the moisture lost through defrosting.
• After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods if safe cooking procedures were followed.
• If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Again, there will be some quality loss from the additional freezing and thawing.
• If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled and transported properly, observing time limits for the Temperature Danger Zone. (Do not keep perishable foods between 40 and 140 degrees F for more than 2 hours; limit time to 1 hour in very warm temperatures. Any times in the TDZ are combined to determine this limit.)
• Foods thawed in the microwave or by the running cold water method should be cooked before refreezing.

Using and Cooking Frozen Foods

Using and Cooking Frozen Foods: Frozen fruits are often eaten without cooking. Many are best if eaten while they still contain a few ice crystals. Vegetables may be cooked after thawing or while still frozen. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or casseroles can be cooked or reheated from the frozen state. However, it will take approximately one and a half times the usual cooking time for food that has been thawed. Always cook foods to the recommended internal temperature using a food thermometer. Freezing temperatures stop microbial growth (but does not kill them) and minimizes enzyme activity in foods that can lead to spoilage. Since, not all enzyme activity is stopped, techniques such as blanching are used to improve frozen food quality. Food stored constantly at 0 °F or below will remain safe.

*Resources:

Several USU Food Safety Extension Publications discuss freezing foods. You can find USU publications here.

USU Extension: Fruit Freezing Methods.

NCHFP Resources - General Info. plus information on freezing specific foods.

Freezing summer's bounty (NCHFP).

Here's a great resource on freezing foods from the USDA.

Photo: Ruby Koch-Fienberg

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Boar's Head Expands Recall Due to Possible Listeria Contamination

From USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 – Boar’s Head Provisions Co. Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products that may be adulterated with Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The establishment is recalling approximately 7 million additional pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Whole genome sequencing results show that a liverwurst sample collected by the Maryland Department of Health tested positive for the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes.

This expansion includes 71 products produced between May 10, 2024, and July 29, 2024, under the Boar’s Head and Old Country brand names. These items include meat intended for slicing at retail delis as well as some packaged meat and poultry products sold at retail locations. These products have “sell by” dates ranging from 29-JUL-2024 through 17-OCT-24. View full product list.

See more ….

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Recipe from SNAP-Ed: Peruvian Vegetarian Ceviche

by SNAP-Ed

Try this Peruvian Vegetarian Ceviche – SNAP-Ed New York (snapedny.org) for a refreshing summer treat. You can also watch to see how it’s done on our FB Live Channel here: https://fb.watch/tGfpG3THK3/.

Peruvian Vegetarian Ceviche

This unique take on ceviche is full of fresh veggies.

Makes: 8 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Source: FoodHero.org; OSU Extension Latin Heritage Workgroup

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 3 to 4 green onions, finely chopped, or ½ cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped or ¼ cup red salsa
• 2 lemons or limes, squeezed for juice (about ⅓ cup)
• 1 small (or ½ medium) head of cauliflower, cut or broken into large florets
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder or 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 avocado, chopped (optional)

Utensils Needed

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Large Spoon
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Medium Saucepan
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Directions

1. Wash hands with 1. soap and water.
2. Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the cucumber, onion, jalapeño, and lemon or lime juice. Set aside for 5 minutes.
4. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place the cauliflower in the boiling water for 2 minutes to make it a little tender. To do this in the microwave, put the cauliflower and 1 Tablespoon water in a microwave-safe dish with a cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 minutes.
5. Drain and rinse the cauliflower in ice-cold water. Chop into small pieces and add to the bowl of other vegetables.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the avocado. Stir to mix well.
7. Add the avocado just before serving, if desired.
8. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Shopping List Cost

• Average total cost without oil and seasonings: $10.34
• Average cost/serving: $1.29
• Recipe makes: 8 Servings

Save Time, Save Money

• Try basil or dill (dry or fresh) instead of cilantro.
• Use ¼ to ⅓ cup of dried herbs because they are more concentrated in flavor.
• Add more color with yellow or purple cauliflower.
• Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or crackers.

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Last updated August 2, 2024