Safe food practices; storing, cooking and cleanliness
It's sometimes confusing to know how to properly store you meals. And the last
thing you want to do is make a beautiful dish and let the leftovers go off.
If you're cooking with animal products like meat and chicken then you do need to be extra careful. Make sure you use a different cutting board for this produce. Keep it separate from the board you use for vegies and it needs to be cleaned properly. Use apple cider vinegar to do this. Drop about a teaspoon full on your cloth or straight onto the board, and then wipe it down. Do this every time you use the board.
Store what you've cooked in a container soon after you've cooked it, and then pop it straight into the fridge. It doesn't matter if it's a bit warm still. You can be a bit more relaxed if there are no animal products in it but still store it as soon as possible.
Always clean up immediately after you've cooked. This is a good habit to get into not just for health safety but also for convenience and peace of mind. Cook, put it in containers, store it away then clean up! You'll be really glad you made the extra effort.
Another danger in the kitchen is the kitchen cloth. So many people keep the same cloth for way too long. Be sure to wash them at least every few days or at least toss them in the washing basket and get a clean one to use. There are so many bacteria on those cloths. And do the same with your tea towels. If in doubt, don't use them.
Double dipping. It's just not a good idea and all too easy to do it. Have a separate spoon for tasting to the one you use for stirring. It's nice to have a little flat plate beside the stove to have these two utensils on. Just remember the one you have for tasting is not the one for stirring. I have a few I like to use. A tiny wooden spoon the size of a teaspoon I got from a market and a gorgeous silver spoon I found from an old wares shop. Both I know are my tasting spoons.
It's not that hard to be hygienic and safe. Just decide to be mindful; about it, and use vinegar on all your utensils and cooking implements when in doubt.
Janella Purcell 2010
If you're cooking with animal products like meat and chicken then you do need to be extra careful. Make sure you use a different cutting board for this produce. Keep it separate from the board you use for vegies and it needs to be cleaned properly. Use apple cider vinegar to do this. Drop about a teaspoon full on your cloth or straight onto the board, and then wipe it down. Do this every time you use the board.
Store what you've cooked in a container soon after you've cooked it, and then pop it straight into the fridge. It doesn't matter if it's a bit warm still. You can be a bit more relaxed if there are no animal products in it but still store it as soon as possible.
Always clean up immediately after you've cooked. This is a good habit to get into not just for health safety but also for convenience and peace of mind. Cook, put it in containers, store it away then clean up! You'll be really glad you made the extra effort.
Another danger in the kitchen is the kitchen cloth. So many people keep the same cloth for way too long. Be sure to wash them at least every few days or at least toss them in the washing basket and get a clean one to use. There are so many bacteria on those cloths. And do the same with your tea towels. If in doubt, don't use them.
Double dipping. It's just not a good idea and all too easy to do it. Have a separate spoon for tasting to the one you use for stirring. It's nice to have a little flat plate beside the stove to have these two utensils on. Just remember the one you have for tasting is not the one for stirring. I have a few I like to use. A tiny wooden spoon the size of a teaspoon I got from a market and a gorgeous silver spoon I found from an old wares shop. Both I know are my tasting spoons.
It's not that hard to be hygienic and safe. Just decide to be mindful; about it, and use vinegar on all your utensils and cooking implements when in doubt.
Janella Purcell 2010