We're Jammin

     Hello. My name is Eric Simpson, and I look forward to sharing with you today my first canning experience as I prepare pepper jam. Pepper jam can be used in everything from dips to meat. My arm had to be twisted a little the first time I ever tried pepper jam, but once I tried it, I was hooked. Not only is this my first canning experience, it is also one of my first cooking experiences beyond heating something up in the microwave. My goal today is to share with you the steps to making and preserving pepper jam using fruits grown in my garden. As I knew nothing about canning or making jam, I went to the Ball Canning website to research the canning process because they are one of the oldest and most well-known canning resources. Many of the steps that I will demonstrate in the canning process could be applied to the preserving of any fruit or vegetable. 

     The basic process for making jam is fairly simple. I began my research for this assignment by looking for the perfect recipe. My first goal was to locate a recipe that utilized the peppers I had growing in my garden, and was also easy enough for me to learn how to prepare pepper jam. After researching several sites, I located the recipe I wanted to use and a list of supplies I would use at Cooks.com, and I chose the process I would follow from the directions found on the Ball Canning website. During my research, I was a little surprised to learn that peppers are a fruit and not a vegetable as I had thought. In researching the types of peppers that I had growing, I also learned from The Nibble – Great Food Finds that the heat, or the pungency level, is produced by the capsaicin found in peppers. A website called Miss Vickie’s Pressure Cooker Recipes outlined the Scoville Scale. It is the scale by which the heat or intensity of peppers is rated. The greater the number of Scoville Heat Units, the hotter the pepper. In my garden I had four varieties of peppers; bells, bananas, jalapenos, and cayennes. On the Scoville Heat Units Scale, the bell pepper ranks a very low of zero heat units, the jalapeno scores 5,000 to 8,000 Scoville Heat Units, The bananas is scored at 5-10,000 Scoville Heat Units, and the hottest of my four peppers is the cayenne, which is typically rated from 30,00 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units. I gathered fresh, vine-ripened fruit from the garden, and then washed them in preparation for making my jam. Along with pictures of the peppers that I used, here are some pictures of my garden that I took prior to making the pepper jam.

     Once I had gathered my fruit, I began the process of washing and preparing the peppers. First, I had to dice and prepare the fruit. Removing the seeds and ribs of the peppers is required before placing the peppers into the food processor. The recipe from Cooks.com instructs that peppers are to be processed until they are “finely diced”. The Nibble – Great Food Finds site cautioned that handling hot peppers is best done with gloves on so the capsaicin contained in the ribs and seeds of the pepper is not absorbed by the skin and cause pain. Here is a picture I took of my peppers once they had been diced in the food processor and mixed with the ingredients.

     Now that the fruit has been prepared, the glass jars sterilized, and the supplies gathered, it was time to begin the cooking process.  Using my recipe from Cooks.com, I cooked all of my ingredients until they reach a “bull boil”, which is a hard rolling boil that can not be stirred down.  The Ball Canning website explained the critical importance of adding pectin so that your jam will “set”. When shopping for this assignment, I found both a powdered and liquid variety of pectin. I selected liquid over powdered pectin based on the recommendation of the recipe from Cooks.com. The pectin is added at the point that the bull boil is reached. I was unable to take pictures of my jam as it reached its boiling stage because I was preparing to add my pectin. My Cooks.com recipe advised to continue the boil for a full 60 seconds after the last package of pectin was added.  I never imagined that one of the side benefits to this assignment would be clear sinuses!  The smell of all of those peppers and apple cider vinegar sure cleansed my nasal passages and filled the whole house with the unmistakable aroma of freshly cooked peppers.

     Now that I have followed the recipe, it is time to ladle the jam into the sterile, previously prepared canning jars. Preparation of the canning jars was completed based on the directions found at the Ball Canning website.  Per the Ball Canning website, in order for the rubber gasket to make a complete seal around the perimeter of the jar, it is critically important to ensure that the rims of the jars are free of jam and are clean.  I used a canning funnel to reduce any spills while ladling my jam into the jars, and then placed the lids and bands on the canning jars. I photographed the ladling of the jam and the jars with the lids and bands.

     Now that the jam is in the jars, it is time to clean up and prepare the jars for the water bath which will ensure they are sealed. According the Ball Canning website, placing your jars in a water bath is the final step to ensuring a complete seal which will preserve your jam and ensure the safety of your consumers. Bacteria, including Botulism, can form in your jam if your jars are not properly sealed. Step by step instructions on this process can be found on the Ball Canning website.  Pictures of my dirty dishes ready for clean-up, along with pictures of my finished pepper jam both in canning jars and served on cream cheese were taken to share the finished product with the audience.

   I would like to conclude my demonstration today by sharing that I have learned a great deal about peppers and the process of making jam through my research for this presentation. My goal today was to share with you the steps to making and preserving pepper jam using fruit grown in my garden. I hope this presentation has been interesting enough for you to try pepper jam, or at least to try making a jam out of your favorite fruit.  I hope that you have enjoyed “Jammin” with me, and that you  feel your “hot pepper” juices flowing. Thank you! I appreciate your time, and hope I have raised your interest in “Jammin”.

0.92 feet at 12:45 today...I can hardly wait!

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Reminiscing...the good ole-days

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The Choice to Die

Eric Simpson

Public Speaking

Concept Speech

6/26/2012

The Choice to Die

     Euthanasia is a concept that has generated a great deal of controversy and media attention over the past two decades. At the core of the issue is the simple question; should an individual with a terminal or debilitating illness be allowed to choose when and how they will die? Per Merriam-Webster’s on-line dictionary, euthanasia is defined as: “the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of a hopelessly sick or injured individual in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy” (Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary, “n.d.”, accessed 6/22/2012). Euthanasia is a deliberate act undertaken with the sole purpose of causing death. It is not the withholding of treatment, which is currently accepted as a patient’s right in all fifty states.

     Euthanasia and/or assisted suicide is currently legal in Oregon, Washington, Montana, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The states of Oregon and Washington passed specific laws, while in Montana, their Supreme Court ruled that assisted suicide was in fact a “medical treatment”. Several other states have attempted to pass assisted suicide legislation, including California, Maine, and New York; however, the majority of their voters have not supported this deeply emotional concept.

     Proponents believe that there comes a time when attempts to cure are not compassionate, or in the patients best interest, and that an individual has the right to determine when and how they will die. Opponents believe that the right to die is not a constitutional right, and furthermore, is an affront to religious beliefs and the foundation of medical practice to “first do no harm”.

     Those opposed to euthanasia or assisted suicide feel that life is sacred, and that no one should legally be allowed to kill or assist in the taking of human life. There are concerns about the scruples of professionals, and how and when this choice is made. Recently there has been a great deal of debate that assisted suicide, if in fact viewed as a “medical treatment”, might be endorsed by insurance and managed care organizations. The fear is that the cost of the drugs generally utilized in assisted suicide cost between $75.00 and $100.00, whereas the cost of continued medical treatment may become astronomical. Opponents believe that the poor and the most vulnerable may find themselves without the option to live as long as they are able to.  Concern also exists around when and how lines are drawn. Opponents raise many questions. Should infants with significant birth defects be euthanized? Should the insane who suffer great emotional pain be eliminated? Who makes the boundaries? Who draws the lines? What safe guards are put in place and how are they monitored? Additional concerns lie around the term “terminal”, as there are multiple definitions.  Religious doctrines support the belief that life is a sacred gift, and is not for man to end. Active euthanasia is not supported by most medical professional organizations or by organized religion.

     The earliest American statute against assisted suicide was passed in New York. It is the Act of Dec. 10, 1828, ch20, 1828, NY. In November 1994, Oregon’s “Death with Dignity Act” passed. It was the first law that allowed physician assisted suicide. On April 3, 1997, President Clinton signed the “Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997” which forbids the use of federal dollars to be used toward the death of an individual.  On June 26, 1997 the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that it was not a constitutional right to die, and that states may outlaw physician-assisted suicide. In November 1998, Dr. Jack Kevorkian showed the videotaped administration of a lethal injection on the prime time television show “60 Minutes”. On November 4, 2008, Washington passed its “Death with Dignity Act”.

     Research conducted by University of Utah bioethics expert, Margaret Battin, looked at the euthanasia data from Oregon and the Netherlands ( Ethics Illustrated, A Project of Bioethics International, Article written by, Jennifer Miller, titled, “Officials Say Many Euthanasia Fears Unfounded, Published Sept. 27.2007, accessed 6/20/2012). The research focused on 10 populations including: those with disabilities, those of depressed socioeconomic status, HIV/AIDS patients, those with little education, and those with psychological issues. These populations were examined because it was believed these factors make an individual more vulnerable. Of the populations examined, only in the case of AIDS did they see more deaths. The other categories were found to be statistically less. This study was also published in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics. That article additionally cited that in 2007, 456 people in Oregon received drugs to kill themselves, but only 292 actually used them. They represented 0.15% of all deaths in Oregon during that time. In the Netherlands, their definition centers on “intolerable suffering” rather than on a “terminal illness”. Of the 136,000 deaths each year in the Netherlands, about 1.7% are by voluntary active euthanasia, and 0.1% are physician-assisted suicide. The research showed that in both Oregon and the Netherlands, the majority of patients were over the age of 70, over 80% had a form of cancer, and the numbers of deaths were slightly higher in women. In 2002, research conducted in Oregon under the Physician Assisted Suicide Act cited multiple factors as contributing reasons people chose to die. Eighty-four percent of patients sought this option because they feared losing their autonomy. Eighty-four percent were also concerned about their decreasing ability to participate in enjoyable activities. Forty-seven percent were concerned about the loss of control of bodily functions.  Thirty-seven percent were concerned about burdening family, friends, and loved ones. Twenty-six percent feared they could not achieve adequate pain relief.

     In conclusion, I would like to summarize the most common arguments of those both for and against euthanasia (ProCon.org – Euthanasia, A Public not Profit website/Public Charity, “n.d.”, accessed 6/20/2012). Those who argue for the passage of euthanasia or assisted suicide legislation argue that:

·        It provides a way to relieve extreme pain.

·        It provides relief when a person’s quality of life is low.

·        It frees up medical funds to help more people.

·        It is another case of freedom of choice.

Those who oppose passage of any “Choice to Die” legislation believe:

• It devalues human life.
• It could become a means of health care cost containment.
• It is an issue that physicians and medical professionals should not be involved in.
• It has a very slippery slope when lines are being drawn.                 

Since the subject is so controversial, I believe we will continue to see this concept debated, and we may even get to vote on the matter. With that vote in mind, I now conclude by asking you, “Should individuals be given ‘the choice to die’”?