Fourth of July Tips

America’s Independence Day is a traditional red, white and blue celebration which usually includes foods with an outdoor flavor followed by bright fireworks at night. Remember, food safety in the heat of summer is a prominent concern.

Hot Weather Food Tips

Basically, the idea is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. This means forethought and preparation on the part of the cook, including safe food preparation, smart transportation of foods to your destination, and safely storing leftovers. Here are some tips for outdoor food safety and convenience:

Think ahead before opening your cooler. Every time you open it, cold air escapes and the temperature rises.

If possible, have all your cooler food in watertight containers. Add water to the ice which will keep the foods and beverages colder for a longer period.

If you don’t have blue-ice packs, you can fill up zip-top baggies, plastic or cardboard cartons with water and freeze ahead of time. With the baggies or sealed plastic jugs, the melted ice can be used for cold drinking water.

Be sure the food is already cold before putting into a cold cooler of ice to keep temperatures low. Warm or even room temperature foods added to a cold cooler will reduce your storage time.

Unless you have facilities to boil leftover marinades for sauce, toss out the leftover marinade or risk foodborne illness.

Leftover hot foods need to be refrigerated or iced immediately to avoid bacteria contamination. Make sure you bring extra ice if you are away from home.

Picnic foods

Planning a picnic? A barbecue? Going camping? Picnic Foods will give you plenty of picnic recipes from which to choose, from vegetarian to traditional, plus even some ideas for lowering the fat in your picnic foods. Choose from traditional sandwiches to the latest rage, wrappers.

Fourth of July Recipes

The KISS principle applies to Fourth of July foods: Keep It Simple, Silly. Choose foods you can make ahead and/or prepare in little time so you can enjoy the celebration. Here is a recipe to mix and match with a red, white, and blue color scheme for your Fourth of July color-coordinated celebration.

You can buy the actual mold from www.kraftfoods.com/jello/ for $3.50. If you don’t have the mold, use a pan that has a 10 cup capacity. Follow directions as closely as you can as the consistency of the jello is very important. Please note that you can use (2) 4 serving size packages or (1) 8 serving size packages of jello for the red and blue layers.

20 servings

Ingredients

1 quart boiling water, divided

2 (3 ounce) packages jell-o brand berry blue gelatin mix

2 (3 ounce) packages jell-o brand gelatin powder, any red flavor

3 cups ice cold water, divided

1 (3 ounce) package lemon Jell-O gelatin

1 (8 ounce) container cool whip topping, thawed

Directions

1. ADD 1-1/2 cups boiling water to dry berry blue gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir at least 2 minutes until gelatin is dissolved. Dissolve dry red gelatin mix in 1-1/2 cups boiling water in separate bowl. Stir 1-1/2 cups ice cold water into dissolved gelatin in each bowl.
2. SPRAY 10-cup flag mold with cooking spray; place on baking sheet. Pour red gelatin into mold. Refrigerate 45 minutes until set but not firm (gelatin should stick to finger when touched and should mound). Meanwhile, refrigerate berry blue gelatin in bowl for 45 minutes.
3. MEANWHILE, stir remaining 1 cup boiling water into dry lemon gelatin mix in bowl at least 2 minutes until dissolved. Refrigerate 25 minutes or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites), stirring occasionally. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk. Gently spread over red gelatin in mold. Refrigerate 10 minutes or until set but not firm. Gently spoon thickened berry blue gelatin over lemon gelatin mixture in mold.
4. REFRIGERATE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Unmold.