KitchenSavvy

Difference Between "Free Run" and "Free Range" Eggs

At the grocery store recently, I bought a cartoon of what I thought were free range eggs.  When I got home, I noticed that the package said "free run."  What is the difference?

--Glenda

Eggs can come from hens that are 'free range", "free run" or "battery".  The image people are most familiar with is that of "battery hens", crowded into cages with very little room to move.  Feed is placed in a trough at the front of the cage and eggs that are laid roll across the sloped floor so that they can be easily gathered.

On the other end of the spectrum is the idyllic thought of hens free to roam about the great outdoors, pecking their food from the ground and nesting where they wish.  This is the "free range" chicken.

Between these two is the "free run" hen, which is given the freedom to move about an enclosed barn and provided with nesting boxes in which to lay eggs.

In practice, many free range chickens, while they may have access to the outdoors, still rely on the shelter and safety of the barn and so are more like free run chickens than the mental image suggests.  In colder climates, such as Canada, hens are only able to be free range for part of the year.

While free range and free run eggs come from chickens that are handled in a more humane fashion, they are more difficult to gather and may have been laid in less sanitary conditions, making the labor costs and spoilage factors higher than for battery chickens.  This accounts for some portion of the increased price for these eggs.

There is little or no oversight of the industry to make sure that packing claims reflect actual conditions.  Nutritionally, the eggs from all three sources are quite similar.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Keeping Easter Eggs

How long can you keep boiled easter eggs without refrigeration?  How long can you keep boiled eggs in the fridge?  Please, we need this answer A.S.A.P.

--Ed

I assume when you ask how long can you keep boiled Easter eggs without refrigeration, you mean ones that you intend to eat afterwards.  If so, then the general food safety rule holds.  Cooked food should be kept no more than two hours at room temperature.   You may think that the shell will provide some extra safety, and therefore more time, but when it comes to food safety and the health of family and friends, it is always better to err on the conservative side, so stick with just two hours.

According to the American Egg Board, hard cooked eggs still in their shells will keep in the fridge for up to one week.  If they are peeled, they should be kept in the fridge for no more than three days.

If you store hard boiled eggs in the fridge, you may notice an odor from the outgassing of hydrogen sulfide formed during the cooking.  The odor will dissipate in a few hours and does not necessarily mean that the eggs were bad, assuming they were not past their "best before" date.

In any case, if you are dyeing the eggs first and then plan to eat them, be sure to use only food safe dyes.  Regular food coloring works well for dyeing eggs.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

A "Grate" Secret for Tender Biscuits

For years, I have heard of the technique of using frozen butter to make better biscuits.  It's one of those ideas that you say to yourself, "I'll have to try that some day," but somehow you just never get around to it.

By grating the frozen butter and then gently mixing it into the dry ingredients, you avoid having the butter soften to the point that it actually blends into the flour.  For light biscuits, you want flour and butter to be distinct, so that the flakes of butter melt and release steam into the dough, making it light and fluffy.  If the butter is melted into the flour during blending, this won't happen.  In addition, the shards of frozen butter trap some air due to their shape, which adds to the lightness of the finished product.

Recently Chef Michael Smith wrote an article for the Globe and Mail describing this technique.  Well, it finally was time.  This past weekend I made a beef stew, and decided to serve biscuits with it, using Chef Smith's technique.  To start though, I had to modify his recipe a bit because I had planned to make buttermilk biscuits.  Chef Smith's recipe called for plain milk.  To change the recipe, I had to replace some of the baking powder with baking soda to offset the acidity of the buttermilk.   The general rule is that you need about ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of buttermilk (see Baking Soda and Buttermilk).   A half teaspoon of baking soda will give the same rise as two teaspoons of baking powder.

Armed with these substitutions, I used the following recipe for my Biscuits:

               

Buttermilk Biscuits
2		cups	All-purpose flour
1	½	tsp	Baking Powder
	½	tsp	Baking Soda
	½	tsp	Salt
	¾	cup	Butter, frozen
7		fl. oz.	Buttermilk

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C).
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Measure and set aside the cold buttermilk.
4. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into shards.  Add the butter to the dry ingredients and then toss with a spoon just to blend, breaking up any clumps of butter that may have formed during the grating.  Do not over mix.
5. Pour in the buttermilk and stir in with a spoon, just until the ingredients pull together.  Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently, just a few turns, to bring it together into a single mass.  If necessary add a bit more buttermilk or some water.
6. Shape the dough into a rough circle and cut into wedges, or roll out and cut to any desired shape.
7. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with cooking spray and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8 to 12 biscuits.

If you want, you can brush the surface of the biscuits with milk to given a nicer finish when they are cooked.  Chef Smith suggests sprinkling them with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper before baking.

To make it easier to grate the butter without skinning your knuckles, start with a larger piece and mark the ¾ cup measure onto the block with a sharp knife.  Wrap the unused end in the paper the butter came in, and then grate down to the mark, holding the wrapped end.

This recipe uses regular, salted butter.  If you wish to use unsalted butter, increase the salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

How Soda Pop Got Its Name

Is the soda that is in pop the same as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda? Thank you.

--Adell

The history by which soda pop gets its name is interesting, if a little confusing.  The original sparkling waters were naturally bubbly spring waters.  The most notable of these may be Seltzer water  from Germany.  Generic carbonated water, particularly the kind made at home with what is now referred to as a soda siphon, became commonly known as Seltzer even though it had no connection to the German origins.

Inventors from several countries tried to imitate natural sparkling waters by adding bubbles to still water.  Various techniques were invented using different chemical and mechanical methods.  One of these methods, patented in the United States in 1809, created bubbles by mixing water, bicarbonate of soda and an acid to make what was called "soda water."

Since then, the simpler technique of combining water with pressurized carbon dioxide gas has come to predominate the commercial market.  The word "pop" was added in the mid-nineteenth century and supposedly reflects the popping sound that is made when a carbonated beverage is opened.

Somehow, despite the fact that sodium bicarbonate is no longer used in their manufacture, the term "soda" has remained attached to the name for drinks made from carbonated water.  So historically it was the same soda, but that is no longer the case.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Lox and Gravlox

As an appetizer for entertaining at Easter, I was planning to serve Lox and Caviar on Blini.  Now I wonder, "What is the difference between Lox and Gravlox?"  Which one was I thinking of?

--Ruth

Lox is salmon that has been brined and then cold smoked.  The brine contains salt and sometimes sugar.  Smoking is done at temperatures ranging from about 70°F to 90°F ( 21°C to 32°C).  Brining enhances the flavor and helps to preserve the fish, as does the smoking.

Gravlox (or gravlax) is a Scandinavian dish where salmon is liberally covered with a mixture of salt and sugar, and usually dill weed, and then left to cure for several days, during which time the salt cures the meat in that same way as corned beef, for instance.  Other ingredients such as sliced onions may also be included.  Supposedly the start of the word gravlox ("grav") refers to the original method being to bury the salmon ("lox") in the earth while it cured, that is in a grave.  Nowadays, gravlox is made in the refrigerator.

In either case, once cured the meat is sliced into thin strips which are then eaten raw.  Either lox and gravlox would be suitable to serve.  The choice is up to you, and depends on whether you would enjoy the smoky flavor of lox against the taste of the caviar or would prefer more of a sweet and salty combination, which you would get with gravlox.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Barbecued Bones

Well, we're starting to see the last of winter in Saskatchewan.  It has been long and at times bitterly cold, but as the days get longer and the sun gets warmer, you start to allow yourself to think about summer's treats, just around the corner.

One of mine is a feast of Barbecued Bones.  Rich, meaty beef ribs that have been slowly braised until they are so tender the meat is a dark chocolaty brown, dripping with rich sauce and fork tender.  A feast so good, I have friends with standing orders to be invited back for more.

To make them, I start with beef short ribs which I fire over a hot grill until they are seared completely on the outside.  Grilling adds flavor and cooks off some of the fat.  Then I put them into a pot, cover them with barbecue sauce and simmer them over low heat for hours. 

The following recipe will serve six good appetites, or four if they are really hungry.

Barbecue Bones
8		lbs	Beef Short Ribs
1		batch	Barbecue Sauce (below)
1		can	Condensed Beef Broth
1	¼	cups	Water
Barbecue Sauce
2		cup	Water
2		cup	White Corn Syrup
2		5 1/2-fl. oz. Can	Tomato Paste
1	½	cup	Cider Vinegar
	½	cup	Molasses
4		tsp	Liquid Smoke
2		tsp	Salt
1		tsp	Onion Powder
1		tsp	Fresh Ground Black Pepper
	½	tsp	Dry Mustard
	½	tsp	Paprika
	½	tsp	Garlic Powder
		dash	Cayenne Pepper
1		cup	Brown Sugar

To make the Barbecue Sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a large sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce over low heat until there are about 4½ to 5 cups of liquid left.  Stir frequently to avoid burning.  This sauce can be used for any kind of barbecued meat, or burgers.

To make the bones, fire your grill to high heat and then sear the bones on all sides.  Place bones in a large pot or dutch oven and pour over the barbecue sauce, stock and water.  Simmer on the stove top, covered, over a low heat or cover and put in a 275°F (135°C) oven.  Check the pot a few times at the start.  You want to cook them at a very slow simmer, just so that you can see a few small bubbles breaking the surface.  Adjust the heat up if there are no bubbles, or down if it starts to boil.  Cook for three to four hours, or until fork tender, turning occasionally so that any meat above the liquid doesn't dry out.

Serve with baked potatoes, corn on the cob and plenty of napkins.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Creaming Butter

So many cake and cookie recipes say to cream together the butter and sugar.  Why is this done and how do I do it right?

--Amber

To cream butter means to beat it together with the sugar in the recipe until it is light in color and no sugar crystals are visible.  With white sugar, the butter will take on a light yellow color, almost white.  If your recipe uses brown sugar, then the color will turn to a light tan.  While it is possible to cream butter by hand, it is much faster and more convenient to use an electric mixer.  The purpose of creaming is to incorporate air into the butter to help leaven the final product.  According to Corriher, creaming is perhaps the most important step in making good cakes.

Creaming also softens the butter and makes it easier to blend with the other ingredients.

To cream butter properly, start with cold butter.  While some recipes say to start with butter that has been allowed to soften until nearly room temperature, this runs the risk of having it become too warm during mixing.  T0 trap air bubbles, it has to remain below its melting point of 68°F (20°C).

I usually start with butter straight out of the fridge which I rough cut into small cubes, maybe about a quarters of an inch (2 cm) to a side.  Exact size doesn't matter.  Put the butter into the mixing bowl and blend at slow speed until it starts to soften, then add the sugar.  Beat for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the power and speed of your mixer.  As long as the butter remains cold enough, there is no risk to beating it for too long.

During beating, friction from the beater may warm the butter and it may start to melt.  If this happens, then put the mixing bowl and beaters into the fridge until the butter becomes firm again, about 15 to 30 minutes, and then pick up where you left off.

Remember during this step to stop occasionally and scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all of the butter is creamed, otherwise it may not blend completely with the other ingredients and could affect the quality of the final product.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Cleaning Cutting Boards

I recently received a plastic and a wooden cutting board.  Unfortunately neither came with cleaning instructions.   I use the plastic type for the meats, and the wooden for vegetables, fruits and breads.  How do I make sure I am not having any bacteria or other bad things pass on to other foods?  In other words, how do I clean my cutting boards?  Thanks

--Gordon

It may surprise you to hear this, but tests of bacteria counts on well maintained cutting boards actually show that wood may actually be as safe as, or safer than, plastic!  The grooves cut into the plastic board during regular use are a great harbor for nasties.

Cutting boards are made from several materials, including wood, various plastics, glass and bamboo.  Wooden boards may be solid block, glued up pieces, laminates or wood composite particle boards.  Dealing with the first issue, if you have a glass cutting board, throw it out.  Glass dulls knives.

Generally, wooden boards that are either solid or glued up from boards or blocks need to be hand washed.  Washing them in a dishwasher or leaving them to soak will leech out natural oils and eventually cause the wood to check or split.  Use a clean dishrag to scrub them well in hot soapy water.  After cutting poultry, it is a good idea to either clean them first in a weak bleach solution (1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of hot water) or have a spray bottle with the chlorine solution to spray them down with.  Rinse and then wash as above. Rinse again to remove any soap left on the surface.

Some people like to occasionally wipe their wooden cutting boards with a cloth moistened with mineral oil.  This helps restore the surface appearance and may help prevent food odors from getting into the pores of the wood.  If you do that, allow it to sit for a minute and then buff with a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

If your wooden board starts to get deep cuts or chunks missing from the surface, or if it develops an off odor, then either replace it or it may be possible to have it resurfaced by planing off the top of the board.  Plastic or laminate boards that are badly marred or become smelly should be thrown out.

Plastic cutting boards can usually be washed in your dishwasher, assuming you have one, but should not be run through a sterilize or heat dry cycle as these may permanently damage the board.  The hot water and dishwasher soap should be enough to sterilize the board, but you may still want to give them a bleach treatment after cutting up poultry before putting them in the dishwasher.  If you don't have a dishwasher, then wash them as above for wooden boards.  Plastic boards can be left to soak.

Some laminate and bamboo boards will tolerate  the dishwasher, but follow manufacturers'  instructions.  If you aren't sure, then hand wash.

Personally, I almost exclusively use rigid white plastic cutting boards because of their convenience.  I look for ones that are not so smooth as to slide around or have the knife or food slide on them.

One final comment on the issue of cross contamination from your cutting board, always cut meat or poultry last.  If you can't do that, use a second board or wash your cutting board well, as described above, before cutting anything else.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

One of These is not Like the Others

See if you can spot the difference:

• The waiter brings our drinks to the table.  In his haste to move around the table, a beer slides off of his tray and spills all over Pat's leather coat.  Later, serving the first course, as he is putting soup in front of one of our daughters, he is already turning away to go to the next table, spilling soup everywhere.  Towards the end of our evening we hear some colorful language from the coffee station.  In a moment of inattention, he has reached under the spigot of coffee while filling his carafe and burned his hand.  Badly.
• At an upscale bistro in Saskatoon, our waiter Mike breezes by on his way to a table nearer the front.  As he goes by, he  casts back over his shoulder, "Is everything OK?"  In response to Pat's question about whether he really wants to know, he calls back, "I'll take that as a 'Yes'," all the time still moving.  Turns out everything wasn't OK.
• Tony stops to to ask if the food is alright.  First he asks me, and waits for an answer.  Then he asks Pat, and again waits for an answer.  He smiles, turns to me and says, "If she is happy, you are happy and if you are happy, then I am happy."

So, what's the difference.  Simply being there, doing what you are doing at this moment, not the next!

Now I realize that being a waiter is tough.  Sometimes you get slammed.  Sometimes the kitchen lets you down, especially if they are in the weeds too.  But there is a simple lesson here.  Stay focused on the one thing you are doing right now.  If half your mind, and body, is on to the next customer, or the next order, or the next table, then accidents happen.  If you are so rushed that you can't stop for an answer, then you are also too rushed to have a satisfied customer.  Food gets ruined,  things get ruined, and sometimes injuries occur.  At the very least, you go home feeling exhausted and likely counting smaller tips than you deserve for all of the work you put in.

As my mom used to quip, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."  If you stay focused, then fewer things happen that take more time to fix.  And that includes losing customer loyalty, without which few restaurants can survive.

By the way, the first waiter later told us he had been at the job for twenty years.  If in one night at one table he did so much damage, I would hate to see the tally after that long a career.

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Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Pop-up Turkey Thermometer

This past Christmas we bought a turkey with one of those plastic pop-up thermometer thingies in it.  It got me to wondering:  How do these things work, are they reliable, and can they be reused?

--George

Although some people refer to them as timers, they are actually thermometers, as you note, since they indicate the temperature of the meat and not how long it has been cooking.  If you look inside one of them, you will see the pop-up plunger, usually red plastic, inside the housing.  The end of the plunger is held in place by a small glob of metal that is made to melt at a temperature very close to 165°F (74°C) plus or minus one or two degrees F (a half to one degree C).  Once the metal blob has melted, a spring inside the device lifts the plunger up to indicate that the turkey is cooked.

While the temperature at which they will pop can be determined quite accurately, they have two shortcomings.  First, they are fixed in length so they only penetrate a fixed distance into the meat.  Since the breast of a turkey isn't always the same thickness, the sensor end of the pop-up may not be placed far enough in on a larger turkey, or may be too close to bone on a small one.

Also, they only measure the temperature at one spot on the bird.  If it has cooked unevenly, or if it was frozen and thawed unevenly, the pop-up may give a wrong reading.  As note in Roast Turkey Temperature, the meat of a turkey turns out best when cooked to 165°F (74°C) for the breast and between 175°F (80°C) and 180°F (82°C) for the thigh and drumstick.

For these reasons, it is recommended that you check the temperature in several places using an instant read thermometer to be sure that everything is cooked right.

As far as reusing them, while some people suggest that this can be done, it may be difficult to assure that the end of the plunger is properly fixed back into the metal so that it won't release too early.  Since they come with the turkey, or can be purchased new for about a dollar each, the question is whether your health, and that of your family or friends, is worth the risk.

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward