• Select berries that are firm and deeply colored. (Berries with deep, vibrant color are packed with even more phytonutrients.)

• When possible, purchase berries from local farm markets during their prime growing season:

  • Strawberries: May through July

  • Blueberries: the whole summer

  • Raspberries: early to mid-summer

  • Blackberries (also called black raspberries): late summer

• It’s important to check for ripeness, especially if you plan to use the berries right away:

  • Strawberries should be fragrant and bright red, with no white or green patches near their stems

  • Blueberries should be firm but not hard. Fresh blueberries should always move in the box when shaken.

  • Raspberries and blackberries should be plump and shiny, firm and fully coloured. Unripe berries won’t ripen once picked, so avoid green-tipped raspberries, and only pick blackberries that are a deep, rich purple-black all over.

• Berries have a very short shelf life, which means their peak flavor and texture only lasts two to three days.

• When buying at a store, watch out for squashed or moldy berries hiding beneath the top layer. Lift up a few of the top layer if you’re buying a basket or pint to make sure those underneath are just as good as the top.Also steer clear of stained boxes.

• Buying local gives you the freshest, most nutritious berries because they won’t have traveled far from where they were harvested. Imported produce is often picked before it’s ripe, and then sits on a truck or in a warehouse for days or weeks before arriving on store shelves.

• If you live near a rural area, a fun way to spend an afternoon is at a “Pick Your Own” berry farm, where you can go into the fields and pick your own fruit. It’s a great family activity, and you’ll also know exactly how fresh your produce is! 

• Raspberries tend to be expensive because they bruise so easily, spoil quickly, and don’t ship well.

• Berries freeze well and can be kept frozen for up to one year.

Cooking Tips

• Don’t wash your berries until you’re ready to use them. If they are left moist, they’ll potentially go mouldy much sooner.

• If your recipe calls for berries but they’re not in season, opt for frozen. Frozen berries are sometimes better than fresh, especially off-season, because they’ve been picked at their peak of ripeness and frozen within a few hours.

• If you’re buying frozen, make sure you get the kind without any added sugar, or your recipe could turn out too sweet.

Nutritional Benefits

• Raspberries are high in Vitamin C, fibre, potassium, Vitamin A, and calcium. They’re a good source of iron and folate. They also contain cancer-preventing ellagic acid and are known to lower cholesterol.

• Blueberries are well-known for their anti-oxidant power, which helps fight aging, cancer, and heart disease. They’re also high in fibre, Vitamin A, and niacin, and contain iron, Vitamin C, and other minerals (including manganese). They also contain condensed tannins that prevent urinary tract infections, as well as a natural compound linked to reducing eye strain.

• Blackberries, like other berries, also contain a high amount of cancer-fighting antioxidants. They’re a good source of Vitamin E, folate, potassium, magnesium, manganese, fibre, and Vitamin C. 

  • Not a fan of the seeds? Cut them some slack! Blackberry seeds contain oils rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as protein, fibre, carotenoids, and other cancer-fighting anti-oxidants.

• Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries are high-flavonoid super foods (along with apples, apricots, pears, black beans, cabbage, onions, parsley, pinto beans, and tomatoes) and are known to help protect blood vessels from rupture or leakage and also to prevent the build-up of fatty deposits against vessel walls. They also enhance the power of your vitamin C, protect cells from oxygen damage, and prevent excessive inflammation throughout your body.

• Strawberries and blueberries are known to improve vision.

Thanks to the following locations for help filming this Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag segment:

• Quality can vary but even the most basic set of barbecue tools will include tongs, a spatula, a basting brush and a fork.

• Some sets will include a cleaning brush and maybe a knife. You can also purchase all these utensils and more separately.

• The handles must be long to prevent uncomfortable proximity to heat or burns. Eighteen inches is a safe length.

• Utensils should be made from heat resistant material. Stainless steel is a good choice.

• Look for dishwasher-safe items, unless you don’t mind washing by hand.

• Tongs should fit comfortably in your hand and have a good grip.

• The fork should be really sharp.

• The bigger and sturdier the spatula, the better job it will do at picking up your food. Some even have a handy serrated edge so you can cut into your food to check for doneness

• Silicone-bristled basting brushes work best; cheaper versions may leave unwanted hairy bits on your food.

Tool Tips from Well Seasoned’s Angie Quaale

We talk to award-winning pitmaster Angie Quaale of Well Seasoned for recommendations. She recommends buying grilling tools separately because you often get things you don’t need in a set, or items that aren’t as good quality as those you can buy separately. Even though a set may seem like a good deal price-wise, it may actually not be worth it.

Angie says there are 5 tools every BBQer needs:

1. A copper wire grill scrub brush to keep your grill clean. Get your grill very hot before cleaning for the most effectiveness.

2. Scalloped-edge tongs with long handles. Have at least two pairs – one for raw food and one for cooked food. If you’ve got vegetarians, you may want a third to use for your BBQ veggies.

3. A meat thermometer. While most people check steak doneness using the fleshy part of the thumb, things like chicken, pork, and roasts are harder to measure. Angie likes the Thermapen, a Cadillac of thermometers (about $99), but there are many simpler versions that do the trick too. 

4. A silicone basting brush (or two). Angie says with boar bristle, you often lose bristles in your sauce or on your meat. With silicone, you don’t have that problem. Again, you may want two brushes – one for meat and one for veggies.

5. A good stainless steel flipper or spatula. Look for one with a long handle and that has some length to the spatula part as well, which makes it easier to flip longer items like fish. 

TEST CRITERIA

For an episode of The Shopping Bags, we tested out these four complete sets with the help of some backyard chefs:

• Grill-Pro: $12.99
• Keanall (also includes a grill cleaning brush): $24.99
• Danesco (stainless steel with rosewood handles): $59.99
• All-Clad (stainless steel with carrying case): $240

Our tests and results include:

Effectiveness Test

• Tongs: In a race to turn as many wieners as possible, the Keanall tongs were the most accurate and had the best control for maneuvering the food.

• Fork: We stabbed at apples in the traditional bucket of water. The All-Clad fork picked up the most apples.

• Spatula: All four spatulas flipped burgers equally well.

• Brush: We painted a blank canvas with condiments and noticed a few of the brushes began to lose their bristles. The All-Clad brush kept itself together.

Grilling Test

In an actual, real-meat grilling scenario, we found:

• The All-Clad set was comfortable to handle, but many testers balked at the price.

• The Danesco and Grill-Pro sets received mixed reviews.

• We all liked using the Keanall set.

OUR TOP PICK

In our Shopping Bags test, the Keanall set won unanimously. The tongs worked the best, the spatula had a handy serrated edge to cut into food and check for doneness, and it was the best price.

However, if you really want to put together the best set of tools, follow Angie Quaale’s recommendations and choose the best  

   Thanks to our Experts

• Grilling guru Rockin’ Ronnie Shewchuck is Canadian National Barbecue Champion and author of Barbecue Secrets.

• Angie Quaale of Well Seasoned.

   

   

• An extinguisher marked “A” handles ordinary combustibles like wood and paper.

• A “B” extinguisher handles grease fires and other flammable liquids

• A “C” attacks electrical fires involving appliances or computers.

• For maximum protection buy an all-inclusive A-B-C fire extinguisher. Using the wrong type could actually make a fire bigger.

• Look for the UL seal of approval, which means the extinguisher has been tested and certified by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. – an independent, internationally-recognized, not-for-profit product safety testing organization.

Other Considerations

• Indoor fires double in size approximately every 30 seconds. A fire extinguisher is only good for eight to 25 seconds, so buy a LARGE extinguisher. We recommend at least five pounds.

• Don’t stop at just one in your home. You should have at least one per 600 square feet, or one per floor. Ask for a discount for buying in bulk.

• A gauge tells you whether the extinguisher has been discharged or if the pressure is low.

• Make a note of the expiration date and replace your extinguisher regularly.

Remember: PASS

We did some fire extinguisher training with the help of Captain Gabe Roder of the Vancouver Fire Department. He taught us to always remember PASS: pull the pin, aim, squeeze, and spray!

TEST CRITERIA

We tested these smaller sized ABC extinguishers meant for home use against a medium sized fire:

• First Alert: $20
• Garrison: $16.99
• On Guard: $16.99
• Kidde: $21.97

Our specific tests and results included:

Extinguishing Test

With the help of firefighter Captain Lorne Cook, a fire prevention officer, we battled blazes with each of the extinguishers.

• Our fire was too big for the Garrison. It couldn’t finish the job

• The On Guard didn’t seem to work at all. Perhaps we had a faulty product.

• The First Alert and the Kidde managed to fight the fire, but if it was any bigger, it wouldn’t have been enough. Smaller extinguishers run out of powder before the fire is fully out.

OUR TOP PICK

This is one case where size does matter: if the extinguisher is too small it may run out of powder before the fire is completely out. You need at least a 5lb fire extinguisher for the kitchen, marked A, B, and C.

Thank you to the following sponsors:

Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services

• Also going by the names of stick blender, wand blender, hand blender, or bermixer, an immersion blender is a hand-held appliance most often used for pureeing soups, emulsifying sauces, beating eggs, or blending smoothies.

• Immersion blenders, like its other names, resemble a long stick or wand, commonly with a 10-12″ shaft. Some professional kitchen models can be up to 2 feet in length!

• At the bottom of the shaft, the “business end” of the blender, are the blades, most often designed with a protective cage surrounding the sides, while the very bottom is open.

• The power of the motor produces a swirling vortex similar to a conventional standing blender.

• Some models can have multiple speed settings, but most come with just two – low and high.

• Look for an immersion blender with a handle that fits your hand comfortably, since you may often need to hold it or maneuver it for short to longer lengths of time.

• Also be sure you can hold it comfortably while pressing the buttons, since most blenders require you to keep your finger on the button during use. 

• If it feels heavy when you first pick it up, think about whether it will be too heavy for you to hold and maneuver for a few minutes. If so, you may want to find a lighter model.

• Some models come with extra attachments or features, like mixing beakers, other chopping blade assemblies, or a whisk for beating.

• While they are quite handy, immersion blenders can’t match the speed or power of a countertop blender or a food processor, so don’t overwork it with tough jobs or you could burn out the motor.

• Detachable blades or shafts are handy for easy clean-up. Be sure your immersion blender is dishwasher safe.

TEST CRITERIA

We took 5 immersion blenders into the A&K Test Lab and compared their performance against each other for various tasks. We tested:

Oster Hand Blender (with blending cup): $17.88  2 speed, measuring/blending cup		Amazon.ca	Amazon.com
Cuisinart Smart Stick® PowerTrio™: $89  4 cup bowl, 2 blades, whisk attachment		Amazon.ca Well.ca	Amazon.com
Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender: $90  Bowl, jug, whisk attachment		The Bay	Amazon.com
KitchenAid 5-Speed Hand Blender: $119 5 speeds, 5 attachments, dishwasher safe attachments		Amazon.ca	Amazon.com
Bamix SwissLine White Immersion Hand Blender: $299 3 blade attachments, 2 speeds, wet/dry		Amazon.ca	Amazon.com
(Note: prices above are approximate and in Canadian dollars.)

 

Length comparison

Since immersion is the name of the game, we find out how deep these immersion blenders will go: 

• Oster came up short with its small size, though if you’re short on storage space, this may make up it.

• Breville, Cuisinart, and KitchenAid all tied for second at about the same submersion depth.

• Bamix is fully sealed and be submerged the furthest with its long shaft.

Blade Test

We pureed a mix of vegetables with each blender for exactly 15 seconds to find out which one performed best.

• Cuisinart produced the smoothest blend, followed by the small-statured Oster. 

• KitchenAid and Breville required more time to create a finely pureed mix.

• The Bamix performed the worst in our 15 second puree test, with many large chunks still requiring work.

OUR TOP PICK

For the smoothest blend and deepest reach, the Cuisinart was our top pick in this product comparison.

 

Some products & services provided to  Anna & Kristina’s Grocery Bag courtesy of:
Breville	Cuisinart	KitchenAid/WhirlPool
Browne & Co.	Jarden Consumer Solutions

• Two hot metal plates used to cook cakes over fire gave rise to the waffle iron in the 1200s when a Greek craftsman created plates with the signature honeycomb design. 

  • From there, iron designs evolved to include landscapes, coats of arms, and religious symbols, but they always came back to the honeycomb. We can see why! They hold everything so well.

• Waffles have been sold as street food since the 13th century, both as savoury or sweet treats. That’s a lot of history!

• GE introduced the first electric waffle iron in 1911, with a built-in thermostat to keep waffles from burning.

• Today’s waffle irons are still similar in design to their predecessors, but with additional feature and material upgrades, like non-stick surfaces, lighter materials, and removable plates for washing.

Shopping Tips

• Look for features like adjustable temperature settings, audible done-ness alerts, non-stick surfaces (if you prefer), easy cleaning, and storage size. (Waffle masters say that if your batter has the right amount of oils, and you make sure you don’t open the iron too early, the waffles shouldn’t stick, whether or not you have non-stick coating.)

• Constant even temperature prevents waffles from sticking, and creates perfectly cooked waffles.

• Waffle irons that make multiple waffles help speed up the process, but be sure the heating element is powerful enough to cook consistently across the whole surface area.

• The more plastic in the waffle maker’s construction, the less durable it is. Also, it may not get as hot as the solid metal versions.

• If the whole family enjoys making waffles, look for heat-resistant handles and other heat-safety features.

• A waffle iron that flips over is well-suited to Liege-style waffles, preventing caramelized sugar from settling on one side or the other.

• Waffle shape is a personal preference, but Belgian waffles are typically square. Makers are also available in round, hearts, clovers, and more.

• Waffles should be fully cooked after about 4 minutes. If not, your maker is not powerful enough. You should return it.

Test Criteria

We took a selection of waffle makers into the test lab to find out which cooks up best. We tested:

Proctor-Silex Belgian Waffle Maker 26007: $27		Amazon.ca	Sears.com
Hamilton Beach Flip Belgian Waffle Maker 26030C: $60		Amazon.ca	Amazon.com
Chef’s Choice WafflePro Express 840B: $79		Amazon.ca	Amazon.com
Cuisinart 6-slice Traditional Waffle Iron WAF-6C: $99		HomeDepot.ca Amazon.ca	Amazon.com
(Note: all prices are approximate and in Canadian dollars)

 

Temperature Test

We used an infrared thermometer to measure the heat in six spots across the plates.

• The Cuisinart and the Chef’s Choice had the most even consistency across the plates. 

Timing Test

• The Hamilton Beach took an average of almost 5 minutes to pre-heat and cook.

• The Cuisinart took an average of just a minute and a half to pre-heat and cook its 6 waffles.

OUR TOP PICK

For its large capacity, family-friendly design, quick cooking time, and even temperature, the Cuisinart was our top choice out of the products we tested.

• Iced tea is served sweetened or unsweetened, traditionally with a lemon slice garnish.

• Most iced tea mixes are made sweetened (no additional sugar required), and some are available in different flavours, including lemon, raspberry, peach, lime, and other fruity mixes.

• Iced tea made from scratch is commonly made by brewing tea bags or leaves in boiling hot water, then cooling. Or tea is steeped at a lower temperature for a longer time (e.g. overnight).

• Remember, even though it’s iced, whether you make your own or use powdered or ready-made, all black tea contains between 40-120 mg of caffeine per 8oz serving. 

Powdered (Instant) Iced Tea Mix

• Instant teas are typically made from off-grade black tea, possibly with some green tea mixed in for colour and clarity (to reduce cloudiness created by some types of black teas).

• Tea extract is concentrated under low pressure, and then dried to a powder through a process of freeze-drying, spray-drying, or vacuum-drying.

• Instant tea may seem like a great convenience, but through the extensive processing and packaging, the health benefits normally experienced from regular tea are mostly lost.

• Instant tea may also have unhealthy additives, like artificial sweeteners (aspartame), or lots of sugar, as well as BHA (a suspected carcinogen) for freshness. Instant teas may also have excessive amounts of flouride.

Ready-made Iced Tea

• Available bottled or canned, ready-made iced tea can be found in most grocery and convenience stores near the soft drink section. They’re usually available in a variety of flavours.

• Most mass-market ready-made iced teas are sweetened with corn syrup.

Sweet Tea

• A style of iced tea common to the southern US, sweat tea is made by brewing tea and adding a large amount of sugar while still hot (in order to dissolve it), then diluting. 

• Sweet tea can also be made with syrup instead of sugar. Sometimes baking soda is added to help reduce bitterness created by tea’s tannins.

• Note: high fructose corn syrup is commonly used as a sweetener for commercially manufactured sweet teas, which are becoming popular.

Shopping Tips

• Most instant and ready-made iced tea mixes are sweetened artificially. Be sure to check the labels for extra sweetener.

• Avoid giving iced tea to children since it can contain a large amount of caffeine.

• Look for iced teas that are BHA-free. (BHA is a suspected carcinogen and has been linked to organ toxicity.)

• If you like a more lemony flavour, look for a tea that has citric acid high on the ingredient list. (However, some mixes may not even contain real lemon and will just use citric acid and artificial lemon flavour.)

• For the least amount of additives and artificial ingredients, look for labels that say “no artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives.

TEST CRITERIA 

We set up an iced tea stand on a busy Vancouver street at the height of summer and asked 100 people to taste test four different brands of pre-made iced tea. Our test products:

• Nestea Lemon Iced Tea Mix (powder): $6.99/kg (about 12 cents/cup)
• Arizona Lemon Iced Tea Stix (powder): $2.99/box of 10 (about 15 cents/cup)
• President’s Choice Lemon Iced Tea Mix (powder): $4.04/kg (about 10 cents/cup)
• Tetley Infusions Liquid Iced Tea mix (liquid): $2.49/box of 6 (about 21 cents/cup)

Taste Test

• Nestea: a couple of comments were “bland” and “bitter”, but in the end it earned 34% of the vote

• Arizona:  tastes more like plain tea, more tart than Nestea. Earned only 9% of the vote

• PC: more tea flavour coming through, nice aftertaste. Earned 24% of votes

• Tetley: sweetest, and came in a very close second with 33% of the vote

OUR TOP PICK

After 100 testers, Nestea won out over Tetley by a squeeze. But if you have time, just make it yourself using tea bags and hot water. That way you can control the amount of sugar, and add any extra flavours (lemon, etc.) you like.