by Kevin Burton
In yesterday’s food-safety post we learned that poultry that is green or has secretions should be thrown away immediately.
This is the sort of cutting-edge consumer lightning bolt that makes me proud and happy that I started a blog some years ago.
And today we’re still on the job for you! We’ll bring you the other five refrigerator hygiene tips from Dictionary Scoop and add my culinary wisdom at no extra cost!
6–Mayonnaise
When cooking, it is always important to have a basic knowledge of food safety to avoid food poisoning. We can all agree that homemade mayo is much better than store-bought. However, you should take some precautions if you want to prepare it at home.
Fresh, raw eggs, even those with clean, uncracked shells, may contain bacteria called Salmonella that can cause various illnesses. To prevent these microorganisms from being transferred to the preparation, you can pasteurize the eggs beforehand. You only have to heat them in hot water, and after reaching 140ºF, the salmonella will die.
KB’s take: Remember what I said about secretions? Well, what looks and smells more like an unsavory secretion than mayonnaise of any sort, homemade, store bought or bootleg?
Actually, salmonella is the just punishment for knowingly ingesting mayonnaise.
If you find that mayonnaise has gotten into your fridge, you may want to have the whole thing hauled off. That’s up to you. In any event, avoid mayonnaise like that fruitcake Christmas gift from your fruitcake relative who doesn’t bathe regularly.
7–Defrosting food
Food should always be thawed properly to avoid contamination or damage to the product or tissues. The correct way of defrosting food is to place it in the fridge, not leave it out on the counter. Yes, it will certainly take longer, but this will prevent bacteria from forming.
This method requires planning ahead, but it is much safer than any other. Also, remember that food should be placed on a tray or platter to prevent contaminating other foods from the liquids released from thawing.
KB’s take: This advice on defrosting is very helpful and represents a bit of a milestone in the Burton family.
This is the first time in 13-plus years of marriage that I got something dead wrong, and Jeannette was completely right. This is truly humbling.
I have always defrosted on the counter, sometimes even laying meat out at night to refrigerate it in the morning. I haven’t poisoned my wife, myself or dinner guests by doing this so far, but I do plan to take the pledge, reform, and defrost in the fridge. Yes it takes extra planning, but not that much really.
This change also means our jumper cat Lakin will no longer have access to the thawing meat while we are asleep at night.
8–When in doubt, throw it out!
Do you have a yogurt in the fridge that has been out of date for a couple of days, but you think it might be okay to eat? How about that piece of cheese or sliced bread with some green patches that look easy to just scrape away? If you are about to eat something that smells, looks, or tastes weird, it is always best to throw it away.
We usually feel guilty discarding food because of how much it costs, but it is always best to avoid unnecessary risks.
KB’s take: “When in doubt, throw it out” is food-safety boiled down to a tweet. This summer the Burtons have added an extra layer of doubt in this arena as we have twice taken road trips of longer than ten days. When we do so, we transport leftovers in plastic containers on ice in hard-plastic coolers.
Of course the food starts out on ice, then the ice melts as we drive by the corn fields. This food is then transported in and out of hotel mini-fridges. Then it languishes as a trip to Outback Steakhouse is generally more appealing than what is in the cooler.
No advice from Dictionary Scoop on this one. We are on our own.
9–Cans and jars
Did you know beer and soft drink cans can be covered with fungi and bacteria? Usually, storage and transportation centers are not clean enough, and there may even be rodent or bird feces, carrying all kinds of microorganisms that can make you sick.
Before opening cans or jars, wash them thoroughly with water and detergent. You can also spray them with 70 percent alcohol. And no, according to several studies, simply wiping them with your T-shirt or a paper napkin won’t do the job.
KB’s take: Spraying all your jars and cans with water and detergent is a good way to get yourself an unflattering nickname. So I am hoping for a safe solution, somewhere between that and wiping things with my t-shirt.
Then again…rodent or bird feces? How about using hand wipes? That could happen.
10–Fridge management
Keeping a tidy fridge can be a tedious chore, especially if you have a large family. However, it is key to maintaining food safety.
You can follow these basic tips: Place meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products in the coldest part of the refrigerator and away from the door; keep ready-to-eat foods at the top; store raw foods at the bottom to prevent juices from contaminating other foods; cover fresh produce with plastic wrap, foil or lids to prevent cross-contamination.
KB’s take: My fridge management strategy has been to keep Jeannette’s leftovers on lower shelves, at her eye level and all the nuclear, hot-pepper-soaked leftovers of mine on the higher shelves.
The advice from the article is better. If I can figure out what the coldest part of the fridge is, we’ll be on our way.
May you and your family benefit from these food-safety tips, brought to you just in time for football season, when the real eating begins!
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