HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I have a couple of questions:

1. When food has been cooked, is it necessary to let it cool completely to room temperature before it can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer?

2. If the date on a package says, “Best if used by,” how many days later can you still safely use and eat it?

— A Boston Nurse

DEAR READER: In response to the first question: No, it can still be warm, but by the time you finish your meal, it’s more than likely to have cooled off enough to be placed in the refrigerator.

For the second question, the number of days depends on several factors: the product, for one. Is it a vegetable, meat/poultry or fish? I always encourage people to consume poultry and fish quickly to make certain it’s at its freshest. Some vegetables and fruit last longer than others: Potatoes usually last longer than a head of lettuce, and apples last longer than strawberries.

The “Best if used by” label is just to make sure you get the product at its peak of freshness.

DEAR HELOISE: We are now officially in “soup season,” and there is nothing tastier than a warm pot of soup and homemade bread on a chilly day. Would you reprint one of my all-time favorite soup recipes, Granny’s Country-Style Beef Soup?

— Ashley H., New Haven, Conn.

DEAR READER: Of course I’ll reprint that recipe. This recipe is a healthy dish and so tasty on a cold day.

Granny’s Country-Style Beef Soup Soup bone

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/3 cup rice

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 large potato, diced

1 small zucchini or yellow squash, diced

2 teaspoons salt (add more to taste if needed)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon sugar

6 ounces egg noodles

First, in a large 6- to 8-quart pot, boil a large soup bone for 4 to 6 hours (depending on the size) with 8 cups of water (add more if you need it) and tomato sauce. Then, add the remaining ingredients.

Boil for 20 minutes. Add egg noodles. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with cornbread.

HELOISE