How do you freeze apples without sugar?

Select full-flavored apples that are crisp and firm, not mealy in texture. Wash, peel and core. Slice the medium apples into twelfths and the large ones into sixteenths. To prevent darkening, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon or 1,500 milligrams of ascorbic acid in 3 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle over the fruit. Fill freezer bags to a level of 3 to 4 inches from the tops, squeeze out the air, seal and label.

Treated apple slices also can be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen.

Do you have instructions on how to make and can apple butter?

Yes. We have an excellent “Preserving Apples” bulletin available at K-State Research and Extension — Douglas County. In the bulletin, not only is there an Apple Butter recipe, but there also are instructions for other ways to preserve apples.

Apple Butter

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8 pounds apples (Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman, Golden Delicious or MacIntosh recommended)

2 cups cider

2 cups vinegar

2 1/4 cups white sugar

2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground cloves

Wash, remove the stems, and quarter and core the fruit. Cook slowly in cider and vinegar until soft. Press the fruit through a colander, food mill, or strainer. Cook the fruit pulp with the sugar and spices, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from the steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning. Fill sterile half-pint or pint jars with the hot product, leaving 1/4-inch head space. To presterilize the jars, wash the jars and put them right side up on a rack in a boiling water canner. Fill the canner and the jars with hot — not boiling — water to 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Boil the jars for 10 minutes. Quart jars need not be presterilized. Adjust the lids and process half-pints and pints for 5 minutes and quarts for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: About 8 to 9 pints.

Is ice cream a good choice for a child’s dessert?

Frozen dairy desserts are a great treat and a good source of energy and calcium for children and many adults. However, parents might want to keep an eye on the calorie and fat content of the treats they serve.

Here’s the scoop: Although most frozen dairy desserts contain about 20 percent of the daily-recommended value for calcium in one cup, the calorie counts can be dramatically different. Regular ice cream has approximately 16 to 20 grams of fat and about 300 to 350 calories per cup. But premium brands that are loaded with goodies like nuts and chocolate chunks will have about twice the fat and calories per cup. But before opting for light, low-fat or fat-free ice cream, keep in mind that these products might not save many calories over the regular version. To keep calories under control while enjoying frozen treats, look for no-sugar varieties, read food labels and keep a lid on the portion sizes you serve.

I left an empty nonstick pan on a hot burner and it got overheated. Is the pan safe to use?

When overheating occurs, the pan can reach temperatures above 500 degrees. At these high temperatures, fumes can be emitted. If a family pet bird, such as a parrot or parakeet, is in or near the kitchen, the pet can die. These birds have very sensitive respiratory systems along with rapid breathing rates. Therefore, they can become sick or die from the fumes as well as other noxious fumes such as cleansers, paints, burning foods and carbon monoxide much faster than humans. In the early days of mining, miners would take canaries into mines to detect dangerous fumes before humans would be affected.

According to the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Products Safety Commission, nonstick pans are completely safe when used as directed. The compound perfluorinated acid (PFOA) is resistant to heat and repels water and oil. This is used in making nonstick coatings. After manufacturing the pans, this compound is not in the finished product. At very high levels, PFOA can cause cancer in lab animals.

The recommendation is to avoid using nonstick pans for high heat cooking. Typical frying temperatures are between 400 degrees and 470 degrees. Nonstick coatings start breaking down at 535 degrees and fumes release. An empty pan left on high heat can reach even higher temperatures in a few minutes and can easily start a fire. There is no indication the fumes pose long-term health risks. With any cooking, always use good ventilation.