We all know that home-cooking food is always the better choice than eating at a restaurant or hotel. The reason here is that food cooked at home is healthy and made with lots of love. This is why we bring to you these amazing tips that can help you ensure safety of your loved ones, even when you have not opted for a food safety course. So, let’s begin with the countdown.
No to room temperature –
When you are cooking food at home, it is very important to remember that you never leave food in the room temperature. This is even more important when we are talking about the perishable and frozen goods. When thawing frozen food items, it is suggested to use a fridge and make sure you prep them for cooking within two hours.
Temp check –
If you opt for a food handling course, you would know that food is cooked based on recommended internal temperature. The following is a detailed chart for the consumers according to the Health website:
- Grounded meats (beef, chicken, turkey) – 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- Chopped meats (beef, veal, lambs) – 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit
- Pork – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Fish and Shellfish – 145 degrees Fahrenheit
- Poultry – 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- Eggs – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Rabbit – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- Ham – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
Sanitize knives and cutting boards –
Your kitchen knives are used on different types of food items and it has to deal with a lot of dirt too. This is why it is always suggested to sanitize your kitchen knife and other cutting items like board before you start cooking at home. The raw items you cut with these items may have a lot of types of bacteria which may cause trouble if get transferred to your stomach. One tip that a food handlers certificate can help you lean is that you must make sure that bacteria are completely killed off by sanitizing.
Never reuse marinades –
If you have developed a habit or using the same marinades again and again, then it is the right time that you avoid it without any delay. It is important that you make it a thumb rule to marinate food in the fridge and not at room temp. And make sure to discard leftover marinades after a single use and do not try to reuse it for other food items in the morning.
Change towels and sponges regularly –
Do you use a cleaning cloth or sponge for cleaning your kitchen shelves? Ever thought how many bacteria the towel or sponge consists? This is why it is always suggested in the food safety course that you clean your cleaning towels regularly so that your kitchen shelves are always free from bacteria.
The more safety precautions you follow, the better and easier it is to maintain food hygiene when cooking food for your loved ones at home.
