10 Cooking Safety Tips to Follow This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it’s time to break out the utensils and start planning the Thanksgiving meal for the family. While it is a daunting task to prepare all the dishes and get the house ready for the get-together for family and friends, it is quickly important that we take the necessary safety measures to ensure we have a safe and clean Thanksgiving this year every year.
Keep the bird cold – Always be careful when you are handling the bird. It is very easy to catch infections such as E.Coli when you don’t handle poultry properly. Do not leave the bird outside for long hours; remember to take it out off refrigerator just before cooking. Also wash your hands and utensils that may be in touch with raw poultry to avoid spreading dangerous bacteria.
Clean out the fridge – The aftermath of making a Thanksgiving meal is the surplus leftovers for days to come. Also if you are like me, you would be making couple of dishes ahead of time to avoid panic during the Thanksgiving Day. So before you start making any dishes; remember to clear out your refrigerator to make space for the dishes and its leftovers. Empty out the refrigerator off any old food items, you do not want to unnecessarily crown the refrigerator. This would make food go bad faster since the cold is not distributed evenly and in lesser amounts.
Store the vegetables safely – I always start buying the vegetables needed for the meal days ahead to avoid last minute shopping. In order to avoid it getting rotten, I take precautions to store them properly in the refrigerator. The herbs are stored in a long vase or bottle half filled with water to avoid them withering. Vegetables like tomatoes are stored in the crisper. I sometimes stick with frozen vegetables such as green beans since I get more for the buck and it doesn’t get spoiled.
Cook thoroughly – If I am cooking poultry, I always use my handy thermometer to ensure the bird is cooked to the right temperature. Last thing I need is raw bird on the table.
Make a schedule – I write down what I am going to make for Thanksgiving along with the ingredients I need. If I am looking up the internet for a new recipe, I print it out beforehand to avoid having to shuffle back and forth trying to memorize the recipe while actually making it.
Wear an apron – Last thing I need when hosting a Thanksgiving meal is to get the sauce splattered on my beautiful dress. Always wear an apron when around the kitchen or handling dishes to avoid any disasters with the food on to your dress.
Check your pantry – Days before Thanksgiving, I check my pantry to make sure I have all ingredients lined up for the meal. I hate having to run to grocery store on day of Thanksgiving to buy a key ingredient just because I assumed it was in my pantry.
Be equipped – There has been instances when my bird didn’t fit my baking dish or I ran short of utensils to make a dish. Always take stock of the utensils required for making the meal and that they are the size you need.
Sanitize – I have Lysol wipes handy in the kitchen. It is quite easy to wipe down the stove or the counter in between making meals. It helps keep the kitchen clean and also ensure the dishes are prepared cleanly without any contamination.
Wash the dishes – If you washing the utensils by hand or using dishwasher, remember to inspect them before you fill it with what you made or before serving it to your guests. If you are suspicious, go ahead and rinse them again.
Leftovers – And lastly, remember to store the leftovers safely in proper air tight containers in the refrigerator promptly. Avoid leaving them out in the open for too long because they would start to go bad if left outside.
