If the idea of longer, warmer days has you reaching for the tongs, it’s time to get your grilling game on before the season is in full swing. Serving family and friends the most mouth-watering grilled entrees with ease requires a little know-how and a few crowd-pleasing recipes.

From versatile chicken to hearty ribs to tender seafood, it’s never been more fun to incorporate new flavors into grilled cuisine. For the best results on the grill, keep these tips in mind:

•A grill is not an oven, so don’t walk away from it when it’s on. Organize what you’ll need ahead of time; no running back and forth.

•Always scrape hot grill grates clean with a wire brush so food will release more easily. Before cooking, try using tongs to dip paper towels lightly into oil and swipe over the grates.

•If the meat or skin sticks, it’s not ready to be turned. Let it sit for another minute or two.

•Try chicken thighs, which have a deeper, richer flavor than breast meat.

•The pork tenderloin can withstand the dry heat of the grill and stay moist.

•Salmon, tuna and swordfish steaks grill well because they are thick and crumble less than other types of fish.

•A safe inside temperature for ground beef is 160 degrees; medium steaks is 140. Heat poultry to 165 and whole cuts like breasts to 170. Medium pork should be 150. Seafood should be 145.

•For maximum flavor and juiciness, let meat rest 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving.

Another tasty grilling tip is to add flavor with sauce. These recipes all feature Musselman’s Apple Butter – a delicious way to add excitement to your standard summer fare.

Molasses Apple Butter BBQ

Sauce for Chicken

Makes four servings

2 pounds chicken

1/2 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients except meat in medium bowl. Brush sauce over chicken in the final 5 minutes of grilling. Additional sauce can be served at the table.

Citrus Apple Butter Glaze

for Seafood

Makes four servings

4 fish filets or 2 pounds shrimp

1/2 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter

2 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

Mix all ingredients except seafood in medium bowl.

Cook one side of seafood (skin side down). Brush glaze generously on top. Flip seafood and cook until done.

Discard any remaining sauce.

Asian Apple Butter Grilling

Sauce for Pork

Makes four servings

2 pounds pork tenderloin or ribs

1/2 cup Musselman’s Apple Butter

1/4 cup Musselman’s Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients except meat in medium bowl. Lightly brush or mop sauce over pork during entire grilling time, so sauce slowly cooks into pork.

Discard any remaining sauce.

Cookbook raising money

to improve vets’ lives

It’s time to throw on that apron and head outside. Memorial Day is the biggest grilling holiday of the year, and you’ll want to show off your barbecue expertise for hungry friends and family.

Just in time for the flavor-filled festivities, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is debuting a new cookbook, Grilling for Heroes, to raise money for wounded veterans. The cookbook features a foreword and recipe from Food Network personality Sunny Anderson, an Air Force veteran and co-host of the Food Network show “The Kitchen.”

It also features a compilation of 50 original grilling recipes along with heartfelt stories of military servicemen and servicewomen as submitted by food bloggers and grill enthusiasts from across the country. With hundreds of submissions collected from a recipe contest held last year, Anderson hand-picked her favorite recipe and story of military service.

The winner is Shawn Syphus, a food blogger and creator of celebrated blog “I Wash ... You Dry.”

“I’ve had several members of my family join the armed forces. My uncle was one of the first to serve in the war in Iraq, and sadly lost his life there. I will never forget him or the courage he had to fight for our country,” said Syphus. “My heart and prayers go out to all those still fighting and defending our beautiful land.”

Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken

Courtesy of Shawn Syphus 

4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/3 cup horseradish Dijon mustard (or regular Dijon mustard)

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Preheat grill or grill pan on medium-high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil. Once pan is hot, reduce heat to just below medium.

In small bowl, combine mustard, honey and parsley flakes. Set aside.

Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness by placing between two sheets of parchment paper and pounding with rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place chicken on grill for 3 minutes, then flip over and brush chicken with sauce. Grill an additional 2-3 minutes, then remove from grill and loosely cover with tin foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before enjoying. Serve with any additional sauce on side for dipping.

All materials courtesy of Family Features. For more recipes using Musselman’s, visit www.musselmans.com

All Grilling for Heroes proceeds will go to Hope for the Warriors, a nonprofit whose programs enhance the quality of life for post-9/11 wounded service members and their families. Visit www.GrillingForHeroes.com to donate and download the cookbook, and for PERC’s tips for safe grilling all season long.