Fran's Thoughts

Really beautiful moon tonight. I almost dragged out the telescope.

The moon is about 3 days old at this point as it sets in the west. That means that Ramadan, the 9th month on the Islamic calendar, is about 3 days old. And that means that devout Muslims have been fasting during daylight hours to atone for sins but visiting friends and eating small meals at night.

Hunting Season is just around the corner

I've been researching sausage making and finally came across an answer to a question that's bugged me for a while. What should be done when mold forms on the the deer sticks you spent so much money on when you got your deer processed? Is this dangerous and should you throw them away?

Mold formed on the deer sticks made from Jordan's first deer even though they were refrigerated and Cory threw them away and rightly so. No sense taking any chances. I would have thrown them away too. I've thrown away jerky that turned a little bit white. It hadn't been frozen.

Anyway, here's what I found tonight. Those sticks have been hot smoked and, therefore, they are cooked. They must be stored at less than 50 degF and so can be stored in the refrigerator but they should be left open to the air so they continue to dry. Additional drying increases the time that the sticks remain safe to eat and it inhibits mold growth. The sticks don't have to be stored in a plastic bag except to keep the delicious aroma from tempting you to eat them all in one day - in which case you don't give mold any time to form anyway. But storage in plastic obviously prevents additional drying. Pepperoni is an example of a cooked sausage that is dried afterward thereby making it virtually indestructible (until eaten that is).

If mold does form on the sticks, just wash it off with a dilute vinegar solution, rinse and dry the sticks and continue to enjoy.

I don't see any reason why this method wouldn't recover jerky too but I've had good results freezing it and thawing it as needed so I won't be trying the vinegar wash method on jerky.

Go Freddy

Freddy Sanchez went 4 for 5 tonight! But Pirates lost.


The best way around the Rte. 65 landslide (unless you are a train)

Good advice was given to me on this and I appreciate it very much. When going to Pittsburgh follow the posted detour signs to Mount Nebo Road from Rte. 79. At the top of the hill and at the light, take the right onto Roosevelt Rd. When you pass the school on your left, slow down and look for a street sign that says Crawford and make that left. Be careful at that intersection. Crawford intersects Camp Horne. Make the right there and then the left where Camp Horne intersects Rte. 65.

On the way back from Pittsburgh, watch for Crawford on your left. It is across the street from the Avonworth community park.