By Brooks Johnson From Star Tribune Late last year the maker of Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn was sued for putting mixed tocopherols in its “Naturals” line of microwave popcorn, which claims on the front of the package to have “Only Real Ingredients.” The preservatives, a form of vitamin E typically derived from vegetable oil, are used…

Did you know that there are more than 7,000 different varieties of apples in the world? Some are sweet and crisp, others tart and tangy; some soft and juicy, others dense and mild. Each fall, once the temperatures plummet and the leaves begin to drop, my family and I go to one of our nearby…

So you planted a garden, lucked out when your property included fruit trees, stumbled upon a produce sale you just couldn’t pass up, or joined a Community Supported Agriculture group. Good for you! Now what? What will you do with all that bounty? Your choices are 1) quickly consume your harvest before it spoils, 2)…

It’s tomato season here in Minnesota, as well as across much of the nation. We plant about 20 tomato plants of different varieties in our front and back gardens each year, and we eagerly anticipate the first harvest each summer. It feels like it takes ages for the first tomato to ripen, and we impatiently…

Serve this juice over ice for a refreshing beverage, or use it as the base for Bloody Marys, soups, simmer sauces, or even chili. For safe canning, you must acidify each canned jar with the proper amount of either bottled lemon juice or citric acid. If you’re not familiar with water bath canning, you can…

Depending on where you live, there may be food shortages as we head into summer. Now is a perfect time to stock up on fresh local produce as the growing season bursts forth. Most of us don’t think twice about going to the store when we need groceries. We are used to buying what we…

What is one of the most iconic American product designs of all time, that is simple in design, affordable, practical, indestructible, and pint-sized? Here are some clues: It’s a kitchen item celebrated by florists for its versatility, beloved by brides for its nod to Southern charm, and used by both beachgoers on the Alabama Riviera and…