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Safety first!
Raw foods may contain potentially harmful bacteria. By thoroughly cooking your food, you reduce your risks. Here are some tips to avoid cross-contamination:
- Always wash your hands before and after handling raw foods.
- Refrigerate perishable foods that include meat, eggs, dairy products, fruits or vegetables until ready to freeze.
- Do not prepare veggies with the same utensils or cutting board that have been used for raw meats.
- Wash all utensils and cutting boards used for preparing raw meat, poultry or seafood with hot, soapy water.
- Store raw meats, poultry and fish well wrapped in the refrigerator to avoid contaminating produce and other foods with meat juices.
- If using aluminum foil or plastic bags for storing raw meats, discard them when you’ve cooked their contents. Do not reuse them for other foods.
- Discard liquids in which meats, poultry or seafood have marinated or bring the mixture to a full boil before using it as a sauce or dip.
- Place grilled foods onto a clean serving dish, NOT back onto the plate that held the raw food. A tip is to cover the serving plate with aluminum foil; carry your uncooked food to the grill on that; once food is on the grill, remove the foil, and you have a clean plate for serving.
- Store leftovers in (new) resealable plastic bags and refrigerate immediately.
- Do not allow any hot or cold foods to set out at room temperature for more than two hours, including preparation, because bacteria thrive in warm weather.
- At a picnic or buffet, keep hot foods hot (140°F or higher) and cold foods cold (40°F or lower).
- Cool cooked food quickly (to about 100°F) before freezing to retain the best quality and flavor. This is especially true of soups, stews and sauces, because you want to minimize ice crystal formation (which makes food mushy when thawed).
- Cooling times for hot foods depend on the kind and quantity of food. Stir the dish every 15 minutes during the cool-down period to avoid hot spots.
- Don’t add hot food to a freezer—the freezer has to work harder, you create extra moisture, and the heat can partially thaw already-frozen foods. Before freezing, transfer warm food from the cooking pan to a large, shallow pan set in a sink full of ice until cooled and ready to freeze.
- Refrigerate warm food uncovered in a shallow container; when cool, cover the container.
- Use a thermometer to make sure your meat and poultry are cooked thoroughly and are safe to eat... hamburger: 160ºF; beef: 145ºF to 160ºF; chicken: 170ºF; turkey: 180ºF; pork: 160ºF).
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