Tag: <span>Freezing food</span>

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Propylene Glycol is a humectant and humidifying agent. This ingredient is generally used in brake fluid, anti freeze, laundry detergents, paints and floor wax. It is also used in the cosmetic industry and in some foods to keep products from melting or freezing in extreme temperatures by maintaining a balanced moisture content. Propylene glycol is on the US Food and Drug Administration’s list of ingredients which are Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) and is recognized by the World Health Organization as safe for use.

Despite its GRAS status there are a growing number of grass roots claims that propylene glycol is an inappropriate ingredient for cosmetics and food. This is largely due to the material safety data sheet (MSDS). An MSDS is a safety disclosure which instructs manufacturers and shippers on proper procedures for handling ingredients, for treating accidental exposure, and for cleaning up spills. An MSDS does not indicate how the ingredient will react when combined with other ingredients, and the effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. However the MSDS can be used as a guide of the ingredients potential for hazard.

The material safety data sheet for propylene glycol states that it is “implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities; can inhibit cell growth in human tests and can damage cell membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage”. The concentrated form of the ingredient can cause temporary reddening, stinging or swelling when it comes in contact with the eyes or skin. Propylene glycol is a petroleum plastic that can easily penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin potentially weakening cellular structure.

These indications do not mean that a product formulated with the ingredient will have irritating properties but that it could. Due to the potential for Propylene glycol to weaken cellular structure it is likely that people with a propensity to sensitive, easily irritated or damaged skin are more likely to be affected. However, it is probably best to avoid any cosmetic ingredient that has these risk factors as there are always safe alternatives.

If there is any good news it is that the MSDS for the propylene glycol contains no indications of carcinogenicity or chronic exposure effects and tests both in humans that have worked with this substance and animals have confirmed this. However, there are good natural alternatives to propolene glycol and in this author’s opinion, synthetic ingredients should always be avoided where possible.

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Source by Ananda Mahony

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Walk around your local supermarket and notice where the food is displayed. Around the outer edge, you find fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meat and dairy products. These food products are packaged and sold much as they were grown. As you look at each item, you can see what it is. A cabbage is a cabbage and nothing more. The organic varieties are grown much as nature intended. The result is highly nutritious food loaded with vitamins, minerals and omega-3 oils, all essential to supporting a healthy body.

Let’s move on to the frozen section where things begin to be a little mixed. Here you find frozen versions of the same fresh vegetables and meats and they too are good nutritional choices. Freezing preserves almost all of the nutrients in freshly picked vegetables, so as some vegetables are not available with changes in seasons, you may look in the big freezers to find them. Storing frozen vegetables in your freezer at home can be a very helpful backup supply for when you forget to replace the fresh ones you bought.

Almost everything else called food in the supermarket deserves a much closer look before you put it in your shopping cart. This includes the deep freezers and the center aisles stacked high with boxes and other creative packages. You can generally assume that if it comes in a box and includes an ingredient list, it is processed or manufactured food. The creative packaging can be very alluring, with photographs of delicious hot meals steaming off the front of the box.

Unfortunately, many packaged foods fail the nutritional test on two fronts; they do not deliver the level of nourishment that fresh food provides, and they often include ingredients that may do more harm than good. People know that eating too much sugar and starch contributes to weight gain, inflammation and other harmful effects on the body. Food manufacturers creatively include sugar or starch hidden behind names you can’t pronounce, frequently ending in “-ose”, which is a dead giveaway for sugar.

Don’t be fooled by the label on the front of the package, particularly if it includes the word “natural”. Instead, focus on the ingredients list on the back. For example, you may choose stevia as a natural herbal sugar substitute. Conceptually, that is a good choice. However, if the primary ingredient in your stevia packet is dextrose, then you are eating corn-based sugar.

Another interesting ingredient is monosodium glutamate (MSG), often used to enhance flavor. Many people don’t realize that ingredients like hydrolyzed or textured vegetable protein and yeast extract are loaded with MSG. MSG, like sugar, is listed by several alternate names. Manufactures also use many creative and seemingly innocuous names for chemical preservatives.

If you decide to buy any of these packaged foods, learn about the manufactured ingredients and inspect the labels carefully. Better yet, buy all your food around the outer edges of the store and only visit the center aisles for household goods.

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Source by Patrick Smyth

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The dangers of using plastic for carrying food, storing food, covering food, heating food, and using plastic for wrapping food are, fortunately, fast becoming common knowledge. For example, Canada has declared the plastic’s chemical bisphenol-a (BPA), which is used to strengthen some plastics, toxic and banned its use.

As plastic ages or is exposed to extreme temperatures, such as heating or freezing, it releases traces of dangerous components.

The two components of greatest concern are BPA (mentioned above) and phthalates, used to soften plastic.

Other plastics are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) which leaks acetaldehyde, a suspected carcinogen (capable of causing cancer) into your food and drinks.

These chemicals are used in the following items:

· baby bottles

· can linings

· children’s toys

· vinyl shower curtains

· shopping bags

· plastic food covering

· some plastic containers

· salad dressing bottles

· cooking oil bottles

· plastic containers made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) which leak lead, cadmium, mercury, phthalates and the carcinogen, diergyl hexyphosphate into your food

· soft drink bottles/soda bottles

· water bottles

· peanut butter jars

· meat trays

· foam take-out food containers and cups

· foam packing material made from polystyrene (PS) which leaks styrene into your food, known to damage your nervous system

These chemicals come into your body through food, water and bits of dust you consume or a simply absorbed through your skin.

BPA and phthalates affect the endocrine system as they mimic estrogen and other hormones, and therefore are a cause for concern in your AD-HD child and siblings, as well as for adults.

Plastics have been linked to the following problems:

· Structural brain damage

· Hyperactivity

· Increased aggressiveness

· Impaired learning

· Increased fat formation

· Risk of obesity

· Changed immune system

· Early puberty

· Stimulation of mammary gland development

· Disruptive reproductive cycles

· Ovarian dysfunction

· Changes in gender-specific behaviour

· Abnormal sexual behaviour

· Stimulation of prostate cancer cells

· Increased prostate signs

· Decreased sperm production

So, what can you do? Avoid:

· plastic bottles

· toys labelled with the numbers of 3 or 7

· canned foods, especially those with acidic contents like tomatoes

· heating plastic in microwaves

· freezing plastics in freezers

· plastic cups, utensils, dishware and feed storage containers

· canned drinks

· plastic nappies, use cloth ones

Also,

· boycott plastic shopping bags, use the canvas or cloth varieties

· filter your own water using a reverse-osmosis filter, and fill up glass bottles

· for ease of carrying around use a stainless steel bottle

· if preferring a glass bottle to carry around cover with a neoprene sleeve to avoid breakage

· bring your own cup for coffee/tea-on-the-go

· buy toys made of natural fibres

· look for products with minimal packaging

· use cloth shower curtains

· use wooden spoons and other wooden kitchen utensils

· use biodegradable bags for pet clean up

The sad thing is that it is children and the foetus who are the innocent victims of contamination by plastic toxins.

It is going to be difficult to have a plastic-free environment because plastic is evident in shoes, clothing, electronics, every processed food package, cars, household items and personal care products, but some action is better than none.

This is also an environmental concern, for no matter how vigilant you are at home, you are still in danger of this chemical contamination from the environment.

Having an AD-HDer in your family many of whose bodily functions are ‘different ‘, it is more important than ever to be aware of what toxins your child consumes, especially those insidious, inadvertent ones.

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Source by Alpha Murgev

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Calcium pantothenate (also alternately called Vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid) is a water-soluble member of the B-vitamin family. It plays a huge role in the functioning of the enzymes in the human body. Some of its major functions are converting food into energy, stimulating growth, reproduction, and many other normal bodily processes.

A number of B-complex supplements contain calcium pantothenate, however, it is also found in a wide variety of food sources. It is said that its richest sources are organ meats like kidney and liver but considerable amounts can also be found in cooked egg yolks, fish, meat, brewers yeast, corn, soybeans, lobster, nut, poultry, dairy products and many more. Heating, freezing and other food processing techniques can destroy the substance within the food. The recommended daily intake of this supplement to adults is 20 to 200 mg.

The vitamin B5 that is contained within calcium pantothenate is essential for the over-all functioning of the body. It is essential in human growth, reproduction and many other normal bodily processes. One of its major roles in the body is to help in the metabolism and break down of carbohydrates, fats and proteins for the production of energy in the body. Pantothenic acid or vitamin B5 also produces enzymes and helps maintain accurate communication between the central nervous system and the brain. It is also required for the production of steroid hormones and hormones of the adrenal gland.

Another important use of calcium pantothenate also called pantothenic acid is its major role in the production of coenzyme A (CoA) which assists in numerous metabolic pathways and necessary for the transfer of fats to and from cells. Without it, fats cannot be synthesized into energy.

Sufficient amounts of calcium pantothenate is potentially beneficial for fatigue, nerve disorders, high cholesterol, allergies, head aches, boosts immunity and even acne. It is even known to prevent depression. It is often used as dietary supplement because as a salt, it can become more stable than pantothenic acid in the digestive tract, thus, allowing for better absorption.

It is a water-soluble vitamin which means that it cannot be stored in the body and must be replenished every day. This substance is not considered toxic at all. Deficiency from calcium pantothenate is very rare since it is found in most foods. Fatigue is probably the earliest and most common sign of this deficiency. Lack of this substance may also lead to hypoglycemia, a disorder because of the lower than normal blood glucose in the body. There are no side-effect reports yet, however, very large amount of intake can cause diarrhea.

For more information on this supplement, visit out website at: http://purebulk.com/d-calcium-pantothenate-vit-b5

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Source by Arianna Mendez

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Urethane mortar floors (a/k/a cementitious urethane flooring or urethane cement flooring) excel over epoxy floor systems in food & beverage plants for many reasons; this USDA accepted flooring material reduces downtime, is durable in hostile environments with thermal shock, and withstands heavy impact and damaging chemical agents. For new construction, urethane concretes can be applied to 10 day old concrete, thus eliminating the typical 28 day wait for curing concrete. Use of polyurethane cement mortar systems has now surpassed once standard epoxy floor coatings and vinyl ester flooring systems such as Tufco flooring, in these special need environments. Products such as Ucrete, Flowcrete, PurCem, and CastorCrete are gaining substantial market share. Tufco flooring has even developed a urethane mortar floor system. These floors may be found in industrial kitchens at food & beverage processing industries such as meat/poultry, dairy, seafood, bakeries, breweries and all beverage processing. Poultry flooring and brewery flooring endure some of the most severe conditions for industrial flooring. Urethane mortar flooring can even withstand years of hard service in these areas.

Compared to epoxy floors, urethane flooring products have enhanced resistance to impact and abuse from dropped pots, steel parts and utensils in industrial kitchens and food plants. They handle repetitive scraping and scratching better than epoxy, acrylic and competitive systems. They are extremely beneficial in plant areas where steel wheels are used, such as bakeries. Urethane mortar floors are used as waterproof flooring, providing a “bathtub effect” in areas of the plant requiring a waterproof floor. They are non slip when wet, and provide a permanent non slip texture, due to the integral large, hard wearing aggregate, throughout the thickness of the floor system.

Cementitious urethane mortars have a similar modulus of elasticity and thermal coefficient of expansion to that of concrete. When applied over concrete, brick or tile, this prevents delamination when the flooring is stressed due to thermal conditions. These food grade floor materials withstand hot spills and repeated thermal cycling (hot washdowns, steam cleaning, etc.) without breaking down. In addition, moisture and cool temperature tolerance allows for installation on cold (above freezing), damp concrete surfaces, often found in operating food plants.

Cementitious overlays have very little odor, since there are no VOC’s. This means that there is no risk to open food products. Urethane concrete mortars can be applied next to fully operational food processing areas, eliminating the need to shut down an operation to resurface the floor. One pass installation with no primer coat required, means that many floor restoration projects can be completed over weekends, with no costly production downtime. Additionally, urethane cement flooring has excellent all around resistance to chemicals used in food & beverage plants.

The most durable urethane mortar floor systems are typically trowelled, and are applied at ¼ to 3/8 inch thickness, and provide a seamless matte finish. These trowel applied urethane mortars have physical properties that are twice that of concrete. Self-leveling “slurry” systems were originally developed for contractors that were not able to install the urethane mortar floors. These systems typically applied a 1/8 to 3/16 inch thickness. They provide a heavy duty surface in areas which require a high gloss, urethane or polyurethane concrete top coat, maximum cleanability, and high aesthetics. Applications consists of screeding, broadcasting with natural quartz aggregate, and top coating. They are available with a novolac epoxy topcoat, which allows for installation in chemical storage areas, with concentrated spillages. These systems may also be finished with colored quartz or vinyl chips.

The original system, Ucrete HF, is an FDA type USDA flooring, USDA approved, trowel applied urethane, and is the original system (has been around for more than 40 years). It has withstood the test of time in the harshest environments. The trowelled ¼ inch system offers the highest level of durability with a lifespan of greater than ten years. The only drawback of urethane mortars, is that they are slightly more expensive upfront, than epoxy; however they offer long term performance and the maximum return on investment.

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Source by Robert E Long

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A kitchen is an area where you strengthen the bond of relationship with the aroma of food. Every kitchen looks different depending on its owner. But it has few essentials that can be seen in every household kitchen. If you are a creative home keeper, you would like to keep your kitchen in the best way.

When it comes to tools, kitchen has an amalgam of various types of equipment that support everyday functionality. No matter, how big or how small kitchen you have, you cannot do without these tools:

Cutting Tools

The cooking job is not easy but cutting tools ease it off. Various types of cutting tools make chopping easy and fun for you. No matter how much food you have to prepare, cutting items make it easy and reduce your time and efforts.

• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Peelers
• Potato Masher
• Graters
• Shears

Food Preparing Tools

When it comes to preparing food, it involves various steps like washing, chopping, freezing, and cooking. To prepare the food, you need to take care of different steps carefully. Food preparing is an everyday job. So the more tools you have, the easier it will be. Why not having a set of ideal food preparing tools to get the work done smoothly and efficiently? The list may vary depending on your kitchen but few items are a must like:

• Measuring Cups
• Sauté Pan
• Measuring Spoons
• Spatula
• Ladle
• Food Storage Containers

Garnishing Tools

Well, when it comes to garnishing, it adds to the taste of cuisine. Nowadays, food presentation really matters. Whenever you host a party or you have guests around, you want to present everything that looks perfect. Garnishing tools include these items:

• Slicer
• Skewers and Picks
• Covers
• Wedges
• Mandolins
• Chop Frills

Pie & Cake Tools

You may or may not love desserts but if you have kids, they love pie and cake. Preparing cakes requires skills and accurate knowledge of using ingredients as well as tools. These tools not only help you make delicious desserts but help you present them in an attractive way. Following are the pie and cake tools to add to your kitchen:

• Over Mitts
• Saucepan
• Blender
• Tongs
• Mixing Bowls
• Splatter Guard
• Whisk
• Grill Pan
• Baking Sheet Pan

Cleaning Tools

When it comes to hygiene, cleaning tools are a must. No kitchen can look perfect without them. Who does not like to see spick and span kitchen? It boosts up your mood and makes you feel energetic to cook in a neat and clean kitchen. Whosoever wants to cook with love, must use cleaning tools to serve the perfectly cooked food for a healthy family.

• Scrub Brush
• Dish Cloth
• Scrubbing Pads
• Steel Wool
• Cloth Towels
• Plastic Scraper
• Rubber Gloves

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Source by Uma M Singh

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Summer is the best time of the year to eat fresh vegetables. I like to mix a variety of vegetables together to make a vegetable medley. I prefer leafy greens, but I love carrots, squash and zucchini. Zucchini and squash are great alone or paired together making a lovely arrangement of colors. As a matter of fact, I love most all vegetables; my favorite being asparagus.

I am such a fan of garlic that is why I use plenty of it in my recipes. Of course, you can always adjust the amounts of any of the ingredients. Since it is just me and my daughter to cook for, I don’t have to prepare a lot of food unless I plan on freezing it. Most of the time, I fix enough to last for leftovers the next day. Here is a favorite late summer early fall recipe I would like to share with you.

Ingredients

1 to 2 zucchini

1 to 2 squash

1 cup grape/cherry tomatoes

1 onion

4 to 5 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tsp thyme

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 Tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

First I wash the zucchini and squash then slice into 1 inch pieces. I leave the skin on but you may like it removed. Cut the onion into to quarters then cut those pieces down into quarters. Place the zucchini squash and onions into a saucepan. Throw in the tomatoes and add the extra virgin olive oil. Dice the garlic or you can use minced garlic from the jar and add to the pot. Season the vegetables generously with salt and pepper and add the thyme seasoning and Italian seasoning. I like to add a dash of sugar since sugar makes anything with tomatoes taste better. Mix all the ingredients well and cook on the stove top until vegetables are tender. Another way I prepare this is I sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes then I add in the vegetables and cooks them in the olive oil. I add in the rest of the ingredients then add the seasoning and toss in the oil until cooked through. The cooking time will be around 20-25 minutes. Place the vegetable medley in a serving dish. The colors of all the ingredients make an attractive dish, and we all know how important it is to eat your colors.

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Source by Natasha Carmon

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Antifreeze Coolant

Antifreeze is a very important unit of the car since it protects the engine from the freezing damage. When the water gets converted into ice, it poses a problem for the car. Antifreeze is actually the heat transfer fluid which is used to protect the freezing. In both the solar water heaters and the HVAC chillers it is used. Chemical are added to the water in order to prevent the freezing. Antifreeze assists in the freezing point when water is mixed, but then it also aids the boiling point. It is used widely in the car engine since it is capable of transferring the heat. When the antifreeze is used to the car engine, it is termed as the Antifreeze Coolant since it cools the engine.

What is the function of the ethylene glycol?

Ethylene glycol is the most commonly used antifreeze in the car. The water-based solution functions as the fantastic heat-transfer fluid. So, when the temperature reaches below the level of 32 degrees of Fahrenheit or 0 degrees. The fluid transfers the heat to prevent freezing. When the unit functions by the water-cooled engine, the coolant is used. Commonly used in the machines and the cars, the coolant cannot be used in the food processing equipment. This is so because if there is any leaking, the food can become poisonous. The Ethylene Glycol is used widely in the cars, machines, air conditioners and even the liquid cooled computer. Since the solution has the low freezing point, it resists the freezing. Ethylene Glycol has a great compatibility with water and has the higher boiling point.

The need for the antifreeze in extreme climatic conditions

Antifreeze is the real savior of the vehicle when it is cold. The water as a result of the antifreeze does not freeze. The water in the radiator of the car will not freeze and so the parts of the car will not get destroyed. When the outside temperature is hot also, the antifreeze is of great use. It even restricts the important fluids in the car from evaporating. Since the antifreeze has the lubricating properties, it does not evaporate with the pace of the water. In fact, the parts of the car like the hose pipe need to be prevented from damage.

The environmental friendly precious green liquid

The antifreeze coolant is a must if you really want the vehicle in the running condition. The environmentally friendly, precious green liquid will keep the car parts warm even when it is extremely cold. Without the antifreeze, the car will encounter a mechanical problem. When the car stops working due to freezing, many people think that it is all due to the leakage of the radiator, the failure of the heater core and even due to the opening or closing of the thermostat.

When it is winter, you need to start and stop the car to keep the engine warm. In countries where there is extreme cold, the engine needs to be started from time to time. When it comes to the car system, the antifreeze solution is vital.

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Source by Martin Stapper

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We love waffles around here but on a typical school morning, I don’t have the time to make up a fresh batch of waffles. We used to rely on store-bought frozen waffles during the week and only indulged in the much tastier homemade waffles on the weekends. That is until I discovered how easy it is to freeze and then reheat those waffles.

On the weekend, when you have plenty of time, make up a large batch of your favorite waffle batter. Bake up the waffles and use the last few for breakfast with your family. Allow the remaining waffles to cool.

After you’ve enjoyed your breakfast with the family, get out a large cookie sheet and line it with wax paper. Lay your cooled leftover waffles on the cookie sheet and stick it in the freezer. Come back after about 30 minutes to an hour and see if your waffles are frozen solid.

If they are, get out a large freezer bag and write Waffles as well as today’s date on the bag. If you’d like you can also include how many waffles you are adding to the bag. Remove your frozen waffles from the cookie sheet and put them in your freezer bag.

To prevent freezer burn, be sure to use a good quality freezer bag (I prefer gallon size for these)and squeeze as much air as possible out of the bag before you close it. Return the bag to the freezer and repeat layering and freezing cooked waffles on the cookie sheet until they are all frozen.

When you are ready to enjoy quick homemade waffles, grab a few from the freezer and tick them in your toaster oven. Toast them once or twice until they are hot and golden brown.

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Source by Susanne Myers

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Get your little ones off to a healthy start in life by feeding them with homemade baby food. They provide an efficient way of preparing healthy and nutritious food for your little ones. Today’s mills are multi functional in that they can grind most products (carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, apples and even meat) to the desired texture. During the teething process a good quality grinder is specially designed to crush solid food into a semi solid state which helps with your baby’s ease of swallowing. They are compact, easy to assemble and clean, lightweight and are travel friendly.The process of grinding is extremely straightforward; you put the desired food inside the baby food mill and grind.

When choosing a product you should purchase based on the following criteria.The capacity of the baby food mill should be your first consideration as each of these appliances process varying amounts of food at a time. Larger volume baby food processors allow you to process several meals at once so that the food can be stored for later use or for freezing.

The second consideration is the wattage of the appliance especially if you plan on preparing food for your baby several times a day. Check the wattage of the Baby Food Mill and choose a unit that has the higher wattage to insure that is will hold up to continual use in the kitchen. The higher the wattage the more powerful the appliance and the more efficient it will work since it will have a more robust motor. This ensures more uniformed baby food.

Functionality is the third consideration. Some baby food mills are suitable only for making puree while others can also grind hard veggies, fruits and boneless meat.

The fourth consideration is composition.It is important to check the composition of the material used to manufacture the appliance. It should be BPA, Phthalate and PVC free. This is especially important if you are considering purchasing an electrical appliance.

Price is the fifth criteria when choosing a mill. There are a wide variety of manufacturers on the market each supplying differently priced units The price ranges vary considerably and are generally based on whatever features and optional extras that are included. The top of the range Baby Food Mills will heat and steam your fruits and vegetables.

Baby Food Mills are an ideal investment for preparing puree. They make the transition from processed to solid foods for your child a lot easier. They are great time savers and provide consistent textures when cooking in bulk for your baby. They are easy to operate and are highly portable ideal when travelling or dining out. These appliances are great at removing indigestible husks, skins, and seeds. You can save money by eliminating the extra costs associated with buying expensive packaged foods.

These units will last a long time if you follow the instructions correctly. They can chop vegetables and fruits and is more efficiently. Apart from the motor all parts of the baby food mill can be washed under the tap or in the dishwasher. Using a these compact units will ensure your baby will have the freshest food possible. Feeding your child wholesome foods that contain an abundance of nutrients helps in their development.

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Source by Caroline Smyth