MaryJanesFarm | Simply MJ

January 17, 2003

   

QUESTION: Your magazine article about treadle sewing machines inspired me to bring an old one up from my basement. If I'm going to seriously use it, I'll need more bobbins. Any idea where I can buy extra bobbins for my particular machine? – Jeri Atwood (via e-mail)

MARYJANE: For antique and vintage sewing machine enthusiasts, check out this perfect web site: www.sew2go.com. You'll find every kind of bobbin, hundreds of antique manuals, even some history about the invention of the sewing machine.

QUESTION: I have found fragrance-free and dye-free clothes detergent, deodorant, shampoo and cream rinse, but I cannot find fragrance-free dish detergent (I still hand-wash my dishes). The Fuller Brush degreaser is fairly light on the perfume, but still smells. What use preparing wonderful fresh food if it goes on a perfumed plate? Do you have a source of "free" dish detergent? – Sydney Reisbick (via e-mail)

MARYJANE: Even a good restaurant, known for its use of fresh vegetables, can ruin a meal by serving it on a plate that smells like chlorine bleach or perfume. At least at home, you can choose your products with thought and care.

Two good sources for unscented dish liquids are Seventh Generation in Burlington, Vermont (800-456-1191, www.seventhgeneration.com) and Planet, Inc. in Victoria, B.C (800-858-8449, www.planetinc.com). Using a product that is free of perfumes allows your senses to pick up the smell of your good cooking, rather than the smell of the dish soap. For people who are chemically sensitive, products like these are essential to living a healthier life.

Unlike many cleansing products, these two companies disclose all their ingredients. Using no dyes, fragrances, or petroleum based cleaners, the products are non-toxic and biodegradable, making them safe for gray water systems. Seventh Generation uses a combination of corn and/or coconut-based cleaners. Planet relies solely on coconut oil based cleaners and salt.

According to Seventh Generation, you'll be making a big difference: "If every household in the U.S. replaced just one 28 oz. bottle of petroleum based dishwashing liquid with our vegetable based product, we could save 118,700 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 6,800 U.S. homes for a year!"

Planet advertises their dish liquid as a fruit and vegetable wash, helping to remove dirt, and if you don't have access to organically grown food, waxes and pesticides. You can also use their dish liquid for washing cars or shampooing pets.

QUESTION: What is the effect on health of using coconut oil in baking? – Wanda Schnider, Troy, Idaho

MARYJANE: The right kind of edible coconut oil can be beneficial to your health. Coconut oil, when it is organic and unrefined, contains none of the harmful trans fatty acids associated with heart disease and cancer. Trans fatty acids are created when certain oils are subjected to high heat or they are hydrogenated. In this process, hydrogen is added to the oil in the presence of a metal catalyst. This is how margarine and vegetable shortening are made.

When it comes to edible oils, it's easy to get confused. We often think of canola and olive oils as good oils, but edible oils can be found and pressed from the seeds of many plants like tomatoes, carrots, even caraway. Imagine a basketful of fresh nuts and seeds. As you break them open and taste them, you are sampling good, healthy oils. Commercial oils are some of these same oils refined in huge volumes, exposed to high heat, chemicals and bleaches.

Nearly four decades ago, data gathered from experimental diets falsely concluded coconut oil raised blood cholesterol levels. Scientists now know that coconut oil was not the culprit. Health problems were caused by the omission of essential oils like flax oil in experimental diets, not by the inclusion of coconut oil.

Oils fall into one of four categories for food preparation:

Canola and Flax Oils are considered cold preparation oils and shouldn't be heated above 120 degrees F. They are good for mayonnaise and salad dressings. They are not recommended for cooking.

Safflower, Pumpkin and Sunflower Oils are considered low heat oils and shouldn't be heated above 212 degrees F. (When the baking temperature is set at no more than 325 degrees, however, moisture keeps the inside temperature under 212 degrees F.)

Hazelnut, Olive, Pistachio and Sesame Oils are considered medium heat oils and can be brought to a temperature as high as 325 degrees F. They are ideal for stir-fries and marinades.

Coconut and Hi-Oleic Sunflower Oils are considered high heat oils and can be heated up to 375 degrees F. Coconut oil is excellent for cooking, frying and baking. It is solid at room temperature and can also be used as a butter replacement and spread on toast or used in piecrusts.

A consumer's guide to good oils can be found at www.omeganutrition.com.

Send your questions to MaryJane Butters, c/o MaryJanesFarm, 1000 Wild Iris Lane, Moscow, Idaho, 83843. Questions may also be e-mailed to maryjane@maryjanesfarm.org. Please include your name and daytime telephone number. For more information, visit www.maryjanesfarm.org


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