Fire Prevention Week

courtesy of  Ontario Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services

I recently acquired my husband's iPhone when he upgraded to a new iPhone so immediately started customizing with all kinds of fun apps including one called Scanner911.  This app is a scanner for police, fire and emergency.  It just happens to pick up our local fire and emergency so I've been listening to it quite a bit as one of our good friends is the assistant fire chief.  Honestly, within a two day span there were at least five calls to house fires originating in the kitchen!  That is quite scary if you ask me.

In all our years cooking in various kitchens both inside and outside, we have had one small kitchen fire that was totally my fault.  Surprisingly, it wasn't cooking food but rather a flash fire when making transparent soap.  The process involved adding 95% ethanol which easily ignited by a spark from the mixer.  Luckily, I do have rather extensive WHMIS  and laboratory experience so knew immediately what to do.  The lid was on the pot in the blink of an eye without a second thought so there was no damage other than to my ego as I should have known better.   A few years ago, a neighbour fell asleep with a pot on the stove which ignited causing extensive damage and they had to go to the hospital for smoke inhalation.  It happened on a cold winter night.  Since the damage was extensive, they had to find emergency accommodations.

Kitchen fires can happen in the blink of an eye.  The sad thing is they are quite preventable.  This is Fire Prevention Week and this year's focus is preventing kitchen fires.  If you click the link under the picture it will take you to the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services site where you can find lots of great tips for preventing kitchen fires.  Please take a moment to check it out...

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Canning Safety Tips

Home canning is a wonderful art as well as being a science.  It does however, require a heightened degree of safety awareness that isn't as important for normal day to day cooking because you are using equipment that has the potential to cause a higher degree of physical harm.

• never can when you are tired - The busy canning season here runs from early June to early October.  Produce can come it at such a rate that it is overwhelming.  You can become both physically and mentally tired just trying to deal with it.  The problem is when you are tired you make mistakes that can be not only a safety hazard but end up in food wastage with all your canning efforts wasted.  Enlist some help, take a break and realize Rome wasn't built in a day so neither will your pantry.
• never can under the influence - Many take being under the influence to mean having consumed alcohol but that is simply not the case.  Antihistamines, cold medications, OTC pain killers and a whole host of medications prescriptions or otherwise can actually cause you to not think clearly.  This is not the time to be home canning.  If you must be on a drug that can affect your judgement or co-ordination, postpone home canning until you do not need the drug.
• don't can when you are rushed - I know I can run a batch of jam in 20 minutes but that can easily stretch out to 40 minutes.  The cardinal rule is you don't can if you can't comfortably finish that canning session without rushing.  Rushing causes you to make mistakes that result in safety issues as well as food spoilage.
• don't can when you are sick - There is an old wives tale that you should never can during your mense as it causes food to spoil.  The real reason for not canning then is you simply don't feel well, you are tired and you will make mistakes that can result in food spoilage and/or personal harm.
• don't can with pets or children underfoot - The general advice is to not can if children or pets are in the kitchen.  For many Moms this is not practical advice for children but easier for pet.  Instead, create a safe zone for the kids in the kitchen where they will not be underfoot.  Banish pets to another room until you are finished canning.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Kitchen Multitasking Do's and Don'ts

I am a chronic multitasker, always doing more than one thing at any given time, in constant motion.  For example, as I was writing this post:  I had chicken stock in one pressure cooker, beef stock in another, loaded the dishwasher, de-boned and strained the beef stock, put beef soup starter in the pressure cooker that had just cooled down and put it on to cook, planned for entertaining that night, started entertaining prep, started tidying up and played a couple of online games as a diversion.  This is very much normal for me and quite frankly pays off big in the kitchen because I am able to get a lot accomplished in any given day.  It is also good for me physically as I cannot sit for longer than about 15 minutes at a time due to a neck injury.  Multitasking in the kitchen can be a very frugal use of your time, actually saving you time and money in the long run.  Here are a few do's and don't of kitchen multitasking:

Do's:

• clean-up as you go - If you watch the food channel especially Top Chef or other food competitions, the chefs/cooks are penalized if their work area is not cleaned as they cook.   This is really a safety issue.  In the home kitchen, cleaning as you go makes a lot of sense.  During food prep I have a sink of hot, soapy water for those items needing hand washing and have the dishwasher open ready to load those items that are dishwasher safe as I use them.   Basically I'm doing the prep work and cleaning at the same time but it really does save a lot of time at the end of a busy cooking session.  
• take advantage of kitchen conditions - Today, I am running four different products in the pressure cookers for canning tomorrow.  The kitchen is hot and humid, perfect for proofing a loaf of bread.  
• use kitchen appliances to aid in multitasking -  If you are bulk cooking, multitasking is a must so utilize the countertop roaster, slow cooker, stand mixer, food processor, oven, stove top, pressure cookers and outside grill all at the same time as needed to get the job done.  For example, I can be making stock in the pressure cooker, cooking a roast in the countertop roaster, grating cheese using the KA stand mixer attachment, cooking lasagna noodles and sauce on the stovetop, chicken on the outdoor grill and have a smaller batch of chili in the slow cooker.  At the end of the day, the bulk cooking session will yield a multitude of tasty dishes for the freezer to be enjoyed later in the month.  In short, use what every appliance it takes to help you multitask in the kitchen.
• take breaks - I tend to work full tilt in 10 to 15 minute increments then take a 5 minute break.   During heavy canning and bulk food sessions, the work session gets extended somewhat but I am constantly taking short breaks.  It might be something as simple as stopping in the middle of food prep to toss a load of laundry in but that is because I need to move. 
• always plan ahead - Even though I am doing a fair amount of very organized food prep for tomorrow's canning session, my mind is also turning towards tonight's entertaining prep and canning tomorrow.  My pantry is on the lower lever, my kitchen on the upper level.  Each time I go to the lower level to return an item to the pantry, I bring up serving trays and other necessary kitchen equipment and food for tonight.  Tomorrow it will be reversed with me taking the entertaining items back to the pantry while bringing up my canning supplies.  I know now I will be canning tomorrow which means I want the dishwasher loaded with canning jars before I go to bed to night.  They will go through the wash cycle while the stock and soup base reheat for canning.  During my cooking prep today, I knew I needed some of the vegetables cut up for a veggie tray for tonight so cut them up at the same time some were prepared for the stocks and soup bases.
• keep a grocery list - We do not shop like most folks do with a regular once a week shopping trip.  We keep a very well stocked pantry which means we cherry pick sales and buy only if we are getting low on a particular food.  I keep a little notebook on the kitchen table during food prep.  When I bring up something from the pantry and see it is getting low, I put it on my grocery list.  If I need a particular item not normally stocked in our pantry for a recipe it goes on my grocery list.  Once the list gets to enough items that will fit in my backpack or pull shopping cart, I will walk (now that we live in an urban area) to the grocery store and buy only what is on my list and only those items that aren't on a cyclic sales schedule. 

Don'ts:

• don't use antagonist foods or conditions together -  I mentioned the kitchen was hot and humid because I'm running the pressure cookers.  While it is good conditions for proofing bread, it is poor conditions for dehydrating anything, drying homemade pasta or making candy.  If you are trying to make a sourdough starter (yeast) do not make yogurt (bacteria) that same day.  The bacteria in the yogurt will kill off the yeast so the starter will fail.  Some go as far as to say not to try baking bread the same day you are making yogurt. 
• don't work against fatigue - While I am a chronic multitasker, I know my limits.  Fatigue cause inattentiveness that leads to kitchen accidents and inedible food.  I know I can easily run my pressure canner or pressure cookers and make bread in the same day BUT on days where I am running the pressure canner two or more times, I can't make bread.  The reason is simple.  My pressure canner on busy canning days will run three maybe four times.  In addition to prepping jars and food for canning as well as cleaning as I go, I am exhausted.  That is not the time to be making bread or anything else other than focusing on getting the canning and clean-up done in a timely manner.  

Kitchen Quick Tips - Protect Knife Blades

Chef's knife blades should be protected from getting nicked but also for safety to prevent accidental cuts.  Store in a knife block, on a magnetic strip or use a knife protector cover.  Make an inexpensive knife protector using the spine of a report cover.  Just cut the spine to the correct length and slip on the knife blade.

Kitchen Quick Tips - Burn Relief

Keep a potted aloe vera in your kitchen.  For minor burns, cut a piece from the aloe vera and rub the juice over the burn for relief while starting the healing process.

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Preventing Injuries in the Kitchen

I had a topic I wanted to blog about today then a kitchen injury happened while I was making spaghetti sauce for lasagna and moose meat chili. I don't use a lot of commercially canned foods but this year I have had to resort to using some simply because I did not get as much canning done with our recent move.  The lid snapped back slicing through my thumb very close to the underside of the nail, spanning across the entire thumb.  It likely needed stitches but the cut was slow close to nail, I doubt they would have stitched it up so I used basic emergency first aid to secure the wound.  I decided to write about preventing injuries in the kitchen instead.  The reason being is I was careless which is the cause for most kitchen injuries.  In other words most kitchen injuries are preventable.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 focuses on kitchen injuries, preventing them and a few tips for dealing with the common kitchen injuries.

• emergency first aid training - It is my belief that if you cook you do need to have emergency first aid training.  An amazing number of hazardous chemicals can be found in the kitchen so I even suggest being WHIMS certified.  I have CPR, emergency first aid and WHIMS certification.  For most home cooks emergency first aid is recommended and you should have a good understanding what the chemical warning signs mean.  
• cuts - Most cuts in the kitchen are caused by can openers (eg. my recent cut) or by trying to cut with a dull knife.  Second to those causes is glass breakage.  The common recommendation is to keep fingers away from lids cut with a can opener but sometimes they snap back causing a cut anyway.  Prevent this by using the type of can opener that doesn't leave a sharp edge (eg. I'm going shopping).  Keep knives sharpened and properly stored.  Never put your hand into a glass or jar and avoid thermal shock breakage of glass (eg. pouring hot liquid into a cold glass).  If a glass or jar falls onto the floor causing breakage, stop what you are doing and vacuum up the broken glass.  In the event of a cut, stop what you are doing and turn off any stovetop burners.  Assess whether the cut needs medical attention or not.  If it does not need stitches, clean the cut then pat dry and bandage well applying pressure.  Pressure will stop the bleeding while promoting the skin to fuse back together.  Use a pair of surgical gloves (latex or latex free available in pharmacies) to prevent blood from contaminating food and to prevent contamination to the wound.  Keep the cut clean, dry and bandaged until healed to prevent any  complication like infection.  If the cut needs stitches, wrap tightly while applying pressure and keep the injured area elevated to slow blood flow to that area.  Wrap the injured area in a clean towel or sheet to keep the area clean until it can be assessed medically.  If the cut is severe, apply a tourniquet above the injury.   In this event, it is best to call a friend or neighbour to ensure you can get to the hospital safely rather than drive yourself.
• burns - There are several sources for burns in the kitchen.  Burns are classified as first degree, second degree and third degree based on severity.  Avoiding a burn is a lot less painful than dealing with a burn but the fact is burns do happen.  Keep pot handles turned towards the inside of the stove when cooking.  Avoid loose fitting clothes and keep hair longer than shoulder length tied back.  Burners should be off when not in use and should not be used unsupervised.  Do not put grease on any burn!  Use ice water instead.  Minor burns can be treated with the juice from aloe vera.  Some burns may require medical treatment.  In this case, do not put anything on the burn other than a clean, sterile bandage/wrap to protect the injured area while seeking medical help.
• slip and falls - The kitchen is second only to the bathroom with respect to household slip and fall accidents.  It is best to avoid shiny floor surfaces (eg. shiny ceramic tile, marble) but if you are like me having a shiny floor surface then minimize the possibility of slip and falls.  Wipe up any spills as they happen.  If your kitchen opens to the outdoors, use a throw mat to ensure feet are dry.  Don't cook in bare feet.  Borrowing from laboratory standard practices and a kitchen is very much like a laboratory, feet should be covered anytime you are cooking.  Use indoor shoes or slippers with non-slip bottoms.
• fires - The kitchen is the prime location for many household fires.  Equip your kitchen with a smoke detector and fire extinguisher but if in doubt get out.  If you have natural gas in the house for anything (eg. furnace, water heater, kitchen range) and you smell gas do not use anything electrical (eg. light switch) as there is the risk of explosion.  Vacate the premises then when you are in a safe location call your local gas provider to report the leak.  Never leave a stove unattended when the burners are on.  Should a pot catch fire, place a tight fitting lid on the pot that will extinguish the flames.  Never put grease fires out with water as that will cause them to spread.  Use baking soda, salt or a fire extinguisher on grease fires.  Keep all flammables (eg. T-towels, curtains, loose clothing) away from the stove burners and do not have any flammable/combustible/explosive cleaners anywhere near a source of heat in the kitchen.
• kids/pets -   In general kids and pets should be kept out of the path of cooking.  I do not believe in keeping kids entirely out of the kitchen though as that is an ideal time to teach them a few cooking skills.  Our kids were always in the kitchen even when I was canning but I created a safe zone for them away from the path of cooking.  They were able to observe and I was able to keep an eye on them knowing they were safe.  As they got a bit older they were able to help in the kitchen without a problem because they had learned good kitchen safety through observation.  Pets have always been a no no in my  kitchens.  We had a cat for almost fifteen years who moved with us to a house well into older age and yet that cat knew the kitchen was off limits.  It's quite easy for a pet to cause a slip and fall or even knock over a hot pot causing injury to itself or anyone nearby. 

Cooking With Natural Gas

The price of hydro in our corner of beautiful Ontario, Canada is skyrocketing despite the fact that Ontario generates a good amount of hydro via hydro, coal and nuclear power plants.  Much of that hydro apparently is sent to the United States.  We are now on TOU pricing meaning that most cooking is done during peak hours or in terms of economics at the highest kWH price.  I really loved my Jenn-Air electric range but decided to go with natural gas when we moved.  Natural gas has always been less expensive in Ontario.  It is about a third of the price of hydro if not a bit less so in terms of economics it made good sense to switch cooking over to natural gas given the amount of cooking and canning that we do.  

Natural gas as a cooking fuel has a lot of benefits over electricity.  The burner is either on or off without any of this warm-up period for the burner.  It is even faster than instant-on electric burners.  There is no residual heat in the burner when it is turned off eliminating any scorching that can occur if you don't take the pot off the burner immediately.  Natural gas actually shortens the cook time and burner can be adjusted to perfectly fit any pot or pan possible.  That being said, using natural gas as a cooking fuel involves an open flame so extra precautions are necessary.

Rule Number One:  If you smell gass, do not attempt to light the burner or turn on anything electrical including a light switch as that could cause the natural gas to ignite.  Call your gas provider immediately and vacate the premises until the issue has been resolved!

Never have flammables like t-towels (red X)  near the stove.  Yes they can catch fire when using electric burners but there is a greater risk when using natural gas.  Long hair should be tied back and loose fitting clothing should be avoided.  Curtains should not be used in a kitchen where they could accidently come into contact with an open flame such as a gas burner.  Always light the burner after the pot or pan has been placed on the burner (red arrow)!

Once the pot is on the burner you can safely light the burner.  Newer gas ranges have an electronic ignition so turn to ignite then once the burner is lit, turn the knob to cook and adjust the flame height.  In the event the hydro service is disrupted you can light the burner manually by turning to ignite and lighting with a match.  Once lit, turn to the cook setting and adjust the flame.

The flame should be blue or mainly blue and it should not come up the sides of the pot or pan (red arrow).  From basic chemistry a blue flame burns hotter than yellow or orange.  A yellow/orange flame means there is dust, dirt or air in the gas line.  Adjust the flame so it is sitting below the pot or pan, not coming up the sides.  If the flame comes up the sides of a pot or pan you waste as much as 80% of heating capacity (aka not frugal) and you run the risk of damaging your cookware (also not frugal).

The properly adjusted flame will be inside the diameter of whatever pot or pan you are using and it should be mainly blue (red arrow).  There may be condensation on the outside of the pot but that is normal, no cause for concern.

I did quick soak of kidney bean for chili a couple of days ago (pictured) then fully cooked them.  Hands down the natural gas burner was superior to cooking beans on an electric burner.  I opted for a gas range with enclosed burners and continuous burner grates as opposed to individual burner grates.  This makes clean-up a snap as boiling water can be poured over any spills to easily wipe up.  What I really like is the controllability of the burner.  The flame can be adjusted for just about any sized pot and when I want it off, it is off immediately.  All in all cooking with natural gas is a lot nicer!

Frugal Kitchens 101 - Plastics in the Kitchen

Plastics in the kitchen are quite the norm today, ranging from plastic wrap to food packaging to storage containers and kitchenware.  In recent years there has been a lot of concern with bis-phenol A (BPA) as well as other chemicals from the plastic leaching into food.  Like many, I have been working at eliminating as much plastic as possible.  The reality is that plastic is a normal part of any kitchen.  It is virtually impossible to eliminate entirely.  In some circumstances plastic is a safer choice to use than glass as well.  When we had pools and once we move will again have a pool, glass was never allowed anywhere near the pool or deck.  We currently have a dock and don't want glass on it.  We pack picnic lunches for taking by boat to the swim hole in the summer.  Plastic is really the only safe way to transport via boat as things tend to get jostled around a bit.  Of course some metalware is available to replace plastic without the problem of glass breakage but not the wide variety you can find in plastic.  This week's Frugal Kitchens 101 discusses how you can safely use plastic in your kitchen. 

When using plastics in the kitchen:

• look for food grade plastics - These are wonderful for storage.  Don't use a non-food grade plastic to store any food that will come into direct contact with the food.  There could be potential leaching problems that would contaminate the food.
• hand wash - Plastics should be hand washed in hot, soapy water then rinsed and dried.  The dishwasher is an extremely harsh environment that can cause plastics to leach, warp, and develop scratches on the surface that comes into contact with food leading to an increased possibility of chemicals leaching from the plastic.
• do not heat foods in any plastic container - Heating foods in plastic containers in the microwave oven can cause chemical leaching, warping and pitting of the plastic.
• think cold - Reserve your plastic ware (eg. cups, bowls, plates, platters) for cold foods or things like hot dogs and hamburgers where the plastic will not be warmed enough to leach any chemicals.  Allow hot foods to cool before putting into plastic storage containers.