JUMP To TOP           FACTOIDS:          

There are a huge number of cooking facts, dangers, myths and foods that we eat that contain poisons involved in the art of home cooking. Below are several of the ones I find to be the most important.

JUMP To TOP           POISONOUS DRIED BEANS:

REMEMBER, “some” types of dried beans are toxic because of a natural insecticide (phytohemagglutinin, or PHA), unless they are soaked in water for 5 Hours, Drained and then briskly boiled in fresh water for at least 10 Minutes. Cooking dried beans in a slow cooker on low heat can actually INCREASE the toxicity level in the beans by leaching those toxins into the water that you will eventually eat. Red kidney beans have the worst levels of PHA, followed closely by butter beans, Lima beans, Fava beans, etc. In other words, it's safer for your family to treat ALL dried beans as though they are toxic. Fresh green beans are NOT toxic at all since the “seeds” (beans) are green and have not yet fully developed inside the pods.

JUMP To TOP           POISONOUS APPLE SEEDS:

Apples, along with cherries, peaches, and almonds, are all members of the rose family. The seeds of apples and these other fruits contain natural chemicals that are toxic to some animals. Apple seeds do contain a small amount of Cyanide, which is a lethal poison, but you are protected from the toxin by the hard seed coating. If you eat whole apple seeds, they pass through your digestive system relatively untouched. If you chew the seeds thoroughly, you will be exposed to the chemicals inside the seeds, but the dose of toxins in an apple is small enough that your body can easily detoxify it.

Cyanide is deadly at a dose of about 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight. On average, an apple seed contains 0.49 mg of cyanogenic compounds. The number of seeds per apple varies, but an apple with eight seeds, therefore, contains about 3.92 milligrams of cyanide. A person weighing 70 kilograms would need to eat 143 seeds to reach the lethal dose. That's about 18 whole apples.

JUMP To TOP           POISONOUS FRUITS & VEGETABLES:

Cyanogenic compounds are produced by plants to protect them from insects, and so they can resist diseases. Of the stone fruits (apricots, prunes, plums, pears, apples, cherries, peaches), bitter apricot kernels pose the greatest risk. Cassava root and bamboo shoots also contain cyanogenic glycosides, which is why these foods need to be cooked before ingestion. The ackee or achee fruit contains hypoglycin. The only portion of ackee that is edible is the ripe flesh around the black seeds, and then only after the fruit has naturally ripened and opened on the tree.

Potatoes do not contain cyanogenic glycosides, but they do contain the glycoalkaloids solanine and chaconine. Cooking potatoes does not inactivate these toxic compounds. The peel of green potatoes contains the highest level of these compounds.

Eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads can cause diarrhea, nausea, cramping, vomiting, and headaches. The chemical responsible for the symptoms has not yet been identified. Cooking fiddleheads prevents the illness.

While not poisonous, carrots may taste "off" if they are stored with ANY produce that releases ethylene (e.g., apples, melons, tomatoes). The reaction between ethylene and compounds in carrots produces a bitter flavor resembling that of petroleum.

JUMP To TOP           COOKING MYTHS:

1) SEARING MEAT SEALS IN THE JUICES: FALSE 

Searing a steak or a roast doesn’t really seal in juices. In fact some of the moisture is actually lost during the searing process. But it's still the best way to give a steak that tasty, coveted, caramelized exterior.

2) SALTING PASTA WATER MAKES FOR BETTER PASTA: TRUE 

Dried pasta is essentially impenetrable. The ONLY chance you have to flavor it is during boiling. Once it has cooked, nothing will seep in unless it is cooked al-dente, where things like the piping hot sauce will finish cooking it the rest of the way.

3) MICROWAVING FOOD KILLS ALL BACTERIA: FALSE

The microwave is no different from any other heat source. Food must be brought up to a certain temperature to kill bacteria, and if it doesn’t reach at least 165 degrees in the microwave, bacteria can still linger.

4) ADDING OIL TO PASTA WATER KEEPS THE PASTA FROM STICKING TOGETHER: FALSE 

Pouring oil in with the boiling water doesn’t actually prevent sticking. The oil and water separate, so the oil won’t coat the pasta evenly. To avoid sticking just remember to stir while rinsing!

5) OPENING THE OVEN DOOR WILL RUIN WHATEVER YOU ARE BAKING: MOSTLY FALSE

Avoiding opening the oven while baking is a good rule to follow to maintain an even oven temperature, but if you absolutely have to peek in, don’t worry! Chances are your cookies, cake, etc. will survive. If you’re making something extremely finicky, like a soufflé, however, opening the oven door could adversely affect your treat.

JUMP To TOP           TRICHINOSIS (FROM PORK):

THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH AS WE NOW KNOW IT:

Many believe they must cook pork until it’s well-done. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), that's now not necessary. The notion that pork must be cooked well-done dates back a few generations when a pathogen called Trichinella spiralis that causes trichinosis was a problem for pig farmers and for consumers. Today, we know that Trichinella spiralis is transmitted to pigs as the end result of poor feeding practices and exposure to other pathogen infected animals. Today's biosecurity measures on US inspected pig farms have become very sophisticated and effective. The widespread adoption of improved feeding practices and high levels of biosecurity and hygiene have virtually eliminated the presence of trichinae in the United States. Because most pigs raised for food today are housed in barns instead of outdoors, facility workers can carefully manage barn biosecurity to help keep out disease causing pathogens. While there is a historical basis for caution regarding trichinosis, it’s no longer a threat that should concern U.S. pork consumers. In fact, the odds of getting trichinosis from eating pork sold at retail stores is only 1 in 154 million. These facts, coupled with properly cooking pork to USDA’s recommended 145° F, a three-minute rest time and proper cold storage techniques, mean that most of the small handful of cases reported each year are usually caused by eating wild game meat and not from eating farm-raised pork.

JUMP To TOP           RAW VEGETABLE DANGER:

ALL raw cruciferous vegetables, contain an enzyme called myrosinase. Myrosinase can hinder thyroid function by preventing the body from absorbing Iodine. LIGHTLY cooking the Vegetable deactivates it. Cruciferous vegetables include: Bok Choi, Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Collard Greens, Rutabaga and Turnips to name a few. BUT myrosinase is also directly connected with sulforaphane, a known cancer fighter. The plusses likely outweigh the negatives here, YOU Decide .

JUMP To TOP           SMITHFIELD PORK QUESTIONS:

SmithField Meats was purchased by a company in China. While SmithField claims that ALL of the pork sold in the United States is raised in the U.S.A., they make no definitive statements concerning where the meat is actually processed at. There are unsubstantiated rumors flying around that while the animals are indeed killed in the U.S., they are then frozen and shipped to China for processing and packaging and then ultimately returned to the U.S. for retail sale. BELIEVE WHAT YOU WISH!

JUMP To TOP