Hey folks, Luis here, again! I'm a big fan of food, whether it's grilling, cooking, or just plain old eating. But with all that delicious food comes an important responsibility: food safety. It's crucial to make sure that the food you prepare and eat is safe, both for you and your loved ones. I’ve put together a list of food safety tips to help you get started!
Basic Tips:
- Wash your hands! Before you start cooking, and after you handle raw meat, poultry, eggs, or any other type of food that can carry bacteria.
- Keep your kitchen clean. Wipe down counters, cutting boards, and utensils regularly.
- Separate raw and cooked foods. Use separate cutting boards and utensils, and keep raw meat and poultry away from other foods in the refrigerator.
- Cook food to the right temperature. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your food is fully cooked and safe to eat, safe fish temperature is not the same as safe chicken temperature, so be familiar with that before you start cooking. The Meater + Wireless Thermometer is such a great choice so you can know the temperature of what you’re cooking so you don’t have to worry about undercooking. Check out our blog on safe internal temperature, it has tables you can print and keep handy when you’re cooking and grilling.
- Store food properly. Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and your freezer at 0°F or below.
Advanced Tips:
- Marinate food in the refrigerator, not on the counter as bacteria can grow rapidly at room temperature. The Drip Ez BBQ Prep Tub is a very versatile grill tool that you can use to prep your food and also right after you cook it. It saves a lot of space because it is collapsible, has a lid and a built-in cutting board.
- Use proper thawing techniques. Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave, but never on the counter.
- Cook food evenly. Make sure your food is cooked evenly by turning it regularly and stirring it if necessary.
- Reheat food to the right temperature. Reheat leftovers to 165°F or until steaming hot.
Food safety is a critical aspect of cooking and eating, but it's not difficult to follow. Check out our blog on internal food temperature and print it to have it handy to use when you’re wondering what temperature for chicken, fish, beef is safe to eat!
I hope you’ve found this useful! I have a printed temperature guide for me in the kitchen and it helps me while I’m cooking. To finish off, here’s the joke of the day:
- Why did the egg go to the doctor?
- Because it had a cracked shell!
Enjoy your meal!