TCMG FAll Conference

UPDATE! The Tuscaloosa County Master Gardener Fall Conference WILL be held at the Tuscaloosa County Extension Auditorium! Please register quickly and don’t miss this GREAT GARDENING INFORMATION! Our speakers are OUTSTANDING!

Pre-registration for our Fall Conference on Sat., Oct.17, is required. Deadline is Oct. 12, to allow for us to order the correct number of catered lunches. If you know you want to attend, click here and print off the registration form and mail in today!

Registration Form

Have you been thinking about those delicious recipes that Judith Rives shared in her presentation, “Tricks with Herbs?” Click here to get a preview before they are posted to our recipes page!

Judith’s Recipes

Other recipes mentioned at the meeting included:

Herb pastes: http://herbalacademyofne.com/2015/03/making-herb-paste-an-easy-way-to-preserve-fresh-herbs/

Compoundbutter: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20150512/NEWS/150519950/0/search?p=1&tc=pg

Herb infused simple syrups: http://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2013/02/infused-simple-syrups/

Herbed sugar: http://www.marthastewart.com/907438/herb-sugar

Other herbs besides the ones named are good to use, such as scented geraniums & lavender

Herbal salt: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/07/homemade-herb-salt-recipe.html

Herbal vinegars: http://www.frontiercoop.com/learn/features/herbalvinegars.php#

This is close to the way I infuse vinegar. I do let it sit 4 – 6 weeks to infuse, and store it for up to a a year.

Thanksgiving Recipes

Cream Cheese Mashers with Kale Pesto: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cream-cheese-mashers-with-kale-pesto/

Cranberry-Rosemary Spritz: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/cranberry-rosemary-spritz-clinton-kelly

Fig Jam and Goat Cheese Crostini: http://www.chowhound.com/recipes/fig-jam-and-goat-cheese-crostini-13518

(For people who don’t like goat cheese, use cream cheese. I like a cream cheese/Greek yogurt blend that I found in the cream cheese section in Wal-Mart.

Heard the News?

Signaling yet another victory for the clean food movement, the largest spice company in the world has announced it will be almost entirely organic and non-GMO by the year 2016.

Because of the organic and non-GMO food boom, other companies such as Simply Organic have been able to grow thanks to the support of customers looking for cleaner options.

The McCormick spice company has maintained its spot as the world’s largest, however, and is now making a move that comes as a surprise to many in order to keep other companies from stealing its market share.

McCormick to Officially Go Organic, GMO-Free Soon

According to this article from the website Food Dive, the compay has

announced that a huge majority of its spices and herbs will be

organic and non-GMO by the year 2016.

In total, about 80% of its products will meet the new standard. New labels will also adorn the familiar McCormick packages, with over 70% expected to sport new “non-GMO” labels according to the article.

As noted by Food Dive, many of the company’s herbs and spices are already non-GMO, but the increased transparency is expected to be a selling point for many consumers as it has been for products that have become Non-GMO Project Verified.

Also announced by McCormick, a new non-GMO vanilla extract will be introduced along with numerous other organic spices and flavorings to compete with its rivals for the growing organic dollar in the United States (and elsewhere).

“The announcement comes ahead of the peak fall cooking and holiday season where consumer usage of herbs, spices & extracts as key ingredients in recipe favorites increase,” according to the news release.

McCormick a Healthier Option?

Believe it or not, numerous companies use irradiation in order to make spices “more safe” for the consumer.

If you’re buying from any old spice company there’s a high risk that you could be getting irradiated spices.

Luckily for people who wish to avoid irradiated spices there are options. Simply Organic, Frontier and other organic brands are good bets according to a report from FoodBabe.com, and McCormick, while not organic just yet, is another company that does not use irradiation.

According to this article from Food Safety News, McCormick opts instead for steam treatments, preserving more of the health benefits of their spices (although some say it harms the taste more than radiation treatments).

– See more at: http://althealthworks.com/7696/victory-worlds-largest-spice-company-to-go-organic-and-non-gmo-by-2016/#sthash.JQrSkIsb.pb1bQ0nX.dpuf

Important Fall Conference Information and Herb Recipes

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