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warm weather

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Here’s how to keep food safe when it’s extra hot outside

Picture this: Relaxed al fresco lunches, backyard barbecues with friends, and simple snacks with the family car camping. What you see as summer fun,  bacteria and viruses also see as a raging good time. Around 48 million people will get sick from a foodborne illness this year, according to the CDC. Hot weather is the perfect environment for bacteria to flourish, so it’s especially important during the summer months to make sure you’re keeping your food safe. So what can you do to prevent those gnarly nights camped out in the bathroom? Here are 7 ways to make sure your food stays safe when it’s hot out: 1. Keep things cool on the road If you’re headed on our a car adventure, keep your cooler near the air-conditioning, rather in the trunk or in the direct path on sunlight. 2. Keep hands clean Always wash your hands before and after…

Warm weather brings maple syrup shortage

This weekend I couldn’t feel my face as I skied down the fresh, powdery slopes. Seven days earlier, I was rummaging through packed away summer wear in pursuit of a sundress for the 78º day. This fickle weather is causing concern for crops in the Northeast and Midwest regions of America. There are confused cherry blossoms in Washington, peaches popping up in Kentucky and blueberries growing way-too-early in Michigan. While you might be loving the early sandal season, most crops can’t appreciate the weird weather the way you do. One of those crops is maple syrup. Some farmers believe there will be up to a 75 percent decrease in production this year because of the unseasonably warm start. The reduced sap flow could be devastating to farmers relying on the crop as income. Last week, the Wall Street Journal wrote a thorough report on the state of the maple syrup harvest. The farmers expressed their…