Browse Preparing Stories

Does the stress of preparing for the holidays hit you like a sledgehammer? Are you Googling new recipes the night before the feast to find the perfect sides? Does a relative want Grandma’s cornbread stuffing instead of the Stouffer’s you had planned to prepare? Let’s face it: The holidays may look picture-perfect on social media, but in reality, they may not be so full of harmony and smiles.

According to the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety study, SARS-CoV-2 experimentally introduced onto berries remained infectious on frozen berries for at least a month. Refrigerating berries at 39 degrees Fahrenheit showed a 90% reduction in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity over the course of three days, as did washing berries before freezing.

As home canning season approaches, a University of Georgia food safety expert stressed the need for proper precautions to avoid foodborne illness. A recent death in Washington state was attributed to botulism, a toxin that is a byproduct of the heat-resistant spores of a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum that likely originated from a home-canned food.

Public health experts are imploring Americans to avoid the kind of large gatherings that mark the holidays.

Food safety experts have been warning consumers against washing and rinsing raw poultry for many years, citing how the bacteria in poultry juices can spread and cross contaminate other foods, utensils and surfaces. A USDA report shows that many aren't listening.

They say that the quickest way into someone’s heart is through their stomach. For one group of Georgia 4-H club members, their heartfelt, healthy meals are touching the hearts of their community one family at a time.

There is nothing like a hot bowl of homemade soup or chili on a cold winter's day. But who has time to make it when the mood strikes or it’s time to eat? Schedules are busy during the holiday season. Just imagine having a freezer full of delicious, homemade meals ready to be heated and served when you get home from work.

Picture yourself stress-free during the holidays because you prepared and froze holiday meals and treats in advance. Freezing prepared foods allows you the satisfaction of homemade meals with the convenience of store-bought ones.

University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students know a lot about the science of food and how it’s grown, but often less about the art of cuisine.