Food Tips

We take food handling and kitchen safety very seriously. So, we just wanted to take a little time to help you keep your kitchen safe. Some of these tips are just plain common sense but all are well worth repeating.

Raw meat
Always keep raw meat away from other uncooked meats, such as deli cuts. When you store raw meat, keep it tightly wrapped and always on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator or freezer.

All counter tops and cutting boards should be cleaned immediately after contact with raw meat. A good disinfectant cleaner you can mix yourself is made up of 1 part chlorine bleach to 9 parts water. This mixture will help disinfect your work area.

When handling uncooked meat, fish or poultry always wash your hands for at least 20 seconds in warm, soapy water. Be sure to do this before and after handling food. If you have a cut on your hand, avoid possible infection by wearing rubber or plastic gloves. The gloves can pick up bacteria too, so be sure to wash them the same as you would wash your hands without gloves.

Cooked Meat
Meat should always be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Always refrigerate hot foods within two hours of cooking. If it's been standing out longer than that, just get rid of it. Don't taste it either. Any amount, even just a taste of contaminated food, can cause illness.

Refrigerator temperature should be below 41 degrees. Freezer temperature should be at 0 degrees. Remember, refrigeration and freezing only slow the growth of bacteria. Frozen foods will eventually go bad. Be sure to put dates on all your freezer packages.

Thawing
Never thaw meat on your counter top because bacteria can quickly multiply at room temperature. You can safely thaw meat overnight in the refrigerator or microwave. Another good idea is to use a watertight plastic bag and submerge in water. Be sure to change the water every 30 minutes. Gradual defrosting helps maintain quality. Don't rush it.

Leftovers
Always date your leftovers. They can safely be used within three to five days when kept refrigerated. If you're not sure, be smart and just throw it out. As we said earlier, and worth repeating, raw meat, fish and poultry should always be kept away from leftovers and other cooked foods.

Microwave
If your microwave doesn't have a rotating tray, then you do it. Rotating the food ensures even cooking. Follow recommended standing times. Once this is done, use a meat thermometer to check several different parts of the product to make sure all of it has been cooked evenly and thoroughly.

Baking
It seems that everyone loves to taste his or her cake batter or cookie dough before baking. It's not a good idea if you've used raw eggs. So don't do it. Raw eggs can give you salmonella enteritis and you don't want it. Commercially prepared foods containing eggs are okay to taste because the eggs have been pasteurized to kill any bacteria.

Food Disaster Tips
Anyone who cooks often enough will occasionally encounter a real kitchen catastrophe. It's what you do after disaster strikes that separate the "men" from the "boys."

Problem: Too Much Salt in Soup or Stew
Solution: Cut up a raw potato. Add to pot and let simmer. The potato will act like a sponge soaking up the salt. After 30 minutes throw the potato away and serve the soup or stew. If you don't have a potato then add more unsalted liquid, something slightly sweet like a little tomato sauce or chopped tomatoes, and a little lemon juice or vinegar to counter the salty taste.

Problem: Lopsided Cookies
Solution: Quickly remove cookies to cool. Return under-baked cookies to the oven. Be sure to time the baking carefully. Cookie sheets should be staggered and not touching for best heat circulation. Next time, use heavy metal cookie sheets with shiny tops and dull undersides. They get the best results. Be sure to remember that cookie baking is supposed to be fun.

Problem: Under-Ripe Fruit
Solution: If you have the time, 2 to 3 days, place the hard fruit in a brown paper bag with one piece of ripe fruit. Store in a cool place. If you don't have the time, then slice and simmer the hard fruit in a favorite juice, such as apple or orange. Add a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg or chopped mint with some of your favorite liqueur and cook until soft. Let cool, then chill. Serve with sliced, fresh fruit or top with ice cream or yogurt. What problem? No one will even know.

Problem: Overcooked, Mushy Vegetables
Solution: Puree the mushy vegetables in a blender; thicken with some softened butter or yogurt, then add some herb seasoning. Something else you can do after pureeing the vegetables is to add stock and seasoning and have vegetable soup.

Problem: Collapsing Cakes
Solution: Should your cake fall in the oven, cut it into chunks and dip in melted chocolate. The texture may be uneven, but that won't matter because chocolate dipped cake is always a winner. You can also use the cake for a custard bread or cake pudding. Or soak the sliced cake in a favorite fruit juice and top with ice cream. No one will realize your cover-up.

Problem: Bubbling Over Fruit Pies
Solution: First, immediately place a cookie sheet under the pie to catch the bubbling filling before it lands on the oven bottom. Then place a funnel in the middle of the pie so the fruit juices will bubble up into it. It may look funny, but who cares, it works.