Summertime just goes hand in hand with barbeques, picnics, and hanging out on the deck or the patio with a cold drink and lots of good things to eat. But we're not the only ones that enjoy the warmer weather. So do the bacteria that live in our foods. As a matter of fact, they LOVE warm weather. To ensure that your outdoor summer living isn't ruined by spoiled food, or worse, here are some common sense tips to follow;
1. Wash your hands.
Before you even begin to prep, wash your hands with soap and warm water. If you don't have access to running water you can use disposable pre-moistened wipes or take along a jug of water and some soap for washing up. Make sure you wash both of your hands entirely, including under your fingernails and your wrists. Just running your hands under the tap for five seconds might make you feel like you've done the job, but you're fooling yourself.
2. Keep foods separated.
Always keep the meat, the seafood, the pork and the vegetables separate from each other. Avoid contaminating the vegetables by using separate cutting surfaces and utensils for each. If you use the same cutting board and knives for meat and vegetables, cut the vegetables first, then wash the cutting board and knives warm soapy water, then cut the meat.
3. Cook food to the proper temperature.
Grilling is a guy thing. So is eyeballing something to see if it's done. It's really not worth an evening of stomach churning cramps though is it? Use a cooking thermometer to ensure that your steak or chicken is cooked to the proper internal temperature.
• Steak - 150˚F or 66˚C (medium rare)
• Burgers - 160˚F or 71˚C
• Poultry - 190˚F or 87˚C
• Pork - 170˚F or 77˚C
• Fish – 145˚F or 63˚C
4. Keep cold things cold and hot things hot.
Food that should be kept cold needs a maximum temperature of 40˚F to prevent bacteria from growing. Obviously you'll want to keep the temperature above 32˚F to prevent it from freezing. If you need to transport food, use a cooler packed with ice or frozen gel packs. Don't take the food out of the fridge or the cooler until it's time to eat. Warm foods should be kept at 140˚F to prevent spoilage.
5. Don't leave food out too long.
Once the party is underway it's all too easy to forget about the leftovers. Food that's been left out in warm conditions for more than an hour should be thrown out. To help keep foods fresh divide it over several small serving trays rather than one large one. Take out only one serving tray at a time from either the fridge or the oven. Your food won't spoil and neither will the leftovers.
Bon appétit!
