Q and A: Scalding milk, Cleaning up mouse droppings, and Self-rising flour for dry mixes

Scalding milk

As I’m preparing to make your recipe for caramel pecan rolls, I thought I’d ask if you know WHY we scald milk? Is that a holdover from earlier days, do you think?

I quit scalding mine a good while ago and just heat it. Have you noticed a taste/performance difference?

Betsy Weible
Dallas, Texas

Yes, I think it is from the days when people used fresh, whole milk. I just heat store milk, but still scald our home-raised milk. No, I haven’t noticed a difference in taste or performance. — Jackie

Cleaning up mice droppings

We have purchased a home with a wonderful root cellar, complete with double entry doors and an air vent. It is well-made of concrete but has been sorely neglected, with mice droppings everywhere and a big mess. How would you go about cleaning it up? Is it safe to spray it down with Clorox to kill anything the mice may have transmitted, then sweep it all out?

Angela Daivs
Auburn, Kansas

CONGRATULATIONS! What a bonus! I’d wear a mask to shovel out the “mess,” then sweep it out as well as possible. Use extra fans to keep the dust down. When done, spray the walls/shelves with a bleach solution, then also saturate the floor and scrub it with an old broom. When dry, sweep/shop-vacuum it out and let dry. You’re good to go! Enjoy your new homestead and root cellar! — Jackie

Self-rising flour for dry mixes

Can I use self-rising flour to make the dry pancake mix and other mixes in your pantry cookbook? Catfish — can I can them using your recipe for salmon?

Joyce Pierce
Greenville, Alabama

Just use all-purpose flour; the self-rising flours have added baking powder/soda, which would throw off the recipes in the pantry cookbook. (All-purpose is cheaper, too!) Yes, you can substitute catfish (or any other fish) for salmon. I’ve even used sucker to good advantage! — Jackie