Ever Been to Sip 'n Science?

Eastern bluebird (male)
USFWS Midwest Region from Midwest Region, United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Have you ever attended one of River Bend Nature Centers Sip 'n Science events? This over 21 event happens most months and is a fun way to explore a variety of science-related topics. 

If you haven't been to one before, or if you have, you should plan to attend the next one on Jan 30. The topic is bluebirds, and who doesn't love them? Bluebirds...not Blue Birds will be presented by Donna and Chris Honkomp, two members of the local Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist and also the Texas Bluebird Society. I have heard them talk about bluebirds before. They are very passionate and knowledgeable about the topic.

For the $20 admission ($25 if you are not a member of River Bend), light refreshments and beer/wine will be available. AND you'll learn a lot about bluebirds.

The Sip 'n Science events are always a lot of fun.

It Does Work!

 

I have been working to reduce food waste in my house. First, to reduce our carbon footprint, and secondly, to save money. I don't know about you, but groceries are a huge part of our budget and getting more expensive by the day. 

I have had the ad pop up several times showing a vacuum sealer for mason jars. The ad asserts food stored in mason jars will last longer, meaning you throw away less food.

I have such a vacuum sealer. Granted, it is one of the less expensive models. If I recall, it was about $30 a year ago. When I got it, I was having difficulty getting a good seal, so it has been sitting on the shelf. I decided to pull it out and try again.

I tested it on cherries and spinach. I had both for a week before vacuum sealing. The spinach was already showing some signs of spoiling, so I pulled out all of the bad leaves and rinsed/dried what remained. The cherries were fine in the crisper drawer. In the photo to the left you see the food 2 weeks later. By now, the spinach should be a pile of goo and the cherries moldy. Both are perfectly fine. I have opened the spinach a couple of times to pull out some leaves for mixing into my omelets and sandwiches, and then resealed (be careful breaking the seal or you may need to use a new lid).

My vacuum sealer does a great job on the wide-mouthed mason jars. I still have problems with the small-mouthed jars with getting a good seal. I just do it over until I get a seal, which usually takes 3 or 4 attempts. A different model might do better.

Overall, I see this as a good way to preserve fresh food longer. I was using mason jars to store rice, beans, lentils, and pasta already, but I wasn't vacuum sealing. I will be doing that next to see if it improves the storage life. I noticed this week my brown rice was clumping, so perhaps this will help keep the moisture out.

It wouldn't take long to recoup an investment in a sealer. Cherries are running almost $9/lb and spinach, almost $2/bunch. More if you are buying organic. Give it a try.