Your Safe Kitchen: Practice safe food storage at home

Once you get recently purchased items home - the importance of food safety is now YOUR responsibility. You can start with safe storage.

Keeping in mind, bacteria can multiply rapidly in a perishable food that is left in the 'Danger-zone' - between 40 and 140 degrees F - for more than 2 hours.
There is potential risk for cold food that rises above 40 degrees F
These is also potential risk for hot food that falls below 140 degree F.
Store leftovers within 2 hours in a clean shallow container - this can help prevent bacteria from multiplying.
Don't fret about this. Just keep cold food COLD and hot food HOT. :)
NOTE: When planning your next shopping trip, remember to do a weather check - should the outdoor temp reach 90 degrees F - refrigerate within 1 hour.

Tools and tips that might help:

PERISHABLES

* Refrigerator thermometer (Your fridge should keep food 40 degrees F or below)
     > Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours. This is the "2-Hour Rule".
* Baking soda does help keep odors away from fridge
* Write dates on all foods to be stored in fridge. You'll always know how long it has been in there and you can use the older stuff first.
* There can be a logic to not only HOW your foods are stored, but WHERE they are stored.
For instance, in the fridge, store eggs in the main compartment of the fridge. NOT in the bottom and not on the door. Storing them in their original container helps protect them from harm. Never wash eggs before using.
* Raw meats and poultry should be stored in containers or wrapped in plastic to prevent their juices form dripping onto other food in the fridge (it can cause cross contamination). I keep mine at the bottom of the fridge. Also, if it will not be used within the next day or two - freeze it.
* Wrapping celery in foil helps maintain its crispness. George Economos from Whole Foods Market Palatine says he keeps is in an airtight container.
* When preserving unused avocado portion, retain pit and wrap with plastic or store in an airtight container. It seems to prevent it from going brown as quickly.
* Ever notice where tomatoes are stored when you hit the grocery store?
Tomatoes DO NOT go into the fridge. It affects flavour and texture (negatively).
   

* Freezer thermometer - (Your freezer should keep food 0 degrees F or below)
     > Always freeze perishable food within 2 hours. This is the "2-Hour Rule".
     > Wrap meats and poultry in original package with foil and plastic to prevent moisture lost.
     > Date with the date of purchase
     > Freezing cooked food is awesome. Just remember to thaw the portion you wish to use. This is why it is good to proportion food in smaller parcels before placing in freezer - they will also thaw faster when you are ready to use them. If the whole item is thawed, refrigerate, then re-freeze unused portion.

* Prevent moisture loss in your meats and poultry by wrapping the package with foil or plastic wrap that is recommended for freezer use.

* Prevent freezer burn by (1) date all freezer packages, using older products first (2) wrap items in heavy freezer paper, plastic wrap, freezer bags or foil (3) place the new items towards the back of the freezer - this way, older items are easier to access.


* Cooking thermometer -
     > There are a number of types of thermometers.
     Some dedicated for meat, some for chocolate, some for sugar or deep-frying. Some are remote, some are digital, some are analog. I would recommend getting a general purpose food thermometer. Digital or analog? What ever floats your boat. Just be sure that you are able to calibrate it and it is easy enough for you to do. Check for instructions or ask the people selling it.
      > When using, be sure to take temperature in different spots on the food to ensure consistent, accurate temperatures. If checking the temperature of meats, remember to insert into the thickest part of the flesh and avoid making contact with the bone.

SHELF STABLE STORAGE
* Avoid storing food items above the stove, under the sink or any high-to-low temperature extremes.
* High acid foods (such as tomatoes or fruit) can last approximately 12-18 months.
* Low acid foods (such as meats, veggies, etc.) can last 2-5 years.
* Room temperature (Examples: Canned or dried foods)
     > storage spaces must be clean, dry and not above or beside your stove or on top of your fridge. (Drastic temperature fluctuation may affect the freshness and/or quality of your food product)

* Cool dark (Examples: potatoes, onions, baking powder, etc.)
    > storage place must be clean, dry and NOT have a widely varying temperature range (Drastic temperature fluctuation may affect the freshness and/or quality of your food product).

* Note the 'SELL BY' and 'USE BY' or 'BEST if USED BEFORE' dates.

* Note the Closed or Coded dates. Packing numbers for use by the manufacturer. If a product is not "dated", consume perishable ready-to-eat food soon after purchasing it, and no more than 3 to 5 days after opening it.


BOTULISM
What is it? ---> Overview, Symptoms, Causes and Prevention.


Lastly, it has been said, "Time changes all things"...this includes non-perishables.

I had to add this because of the number of times I've heard the genuine surprise from people when they learn that canned or frozen food can go bad. Not much in the world of food won't expire. If it there is such a thing, I'm not sure I'd want to consume it.
There are other factors to consider about 'non-perishable' food items such as taste, texture, nutritional value - which all can diminish over time.

Interested in learning more about lifespans of food: fresh, frozen and canned?
There is no point in me retyping what already exists in a concise easy to read format.
To learn more about frozen food click, HERE.
To learn more about deciphering the codes on major canned food brands, click HERE. (Someone put in some serious work on that one.)
To learn more about lifespans of popular foods in general, click HERE. (< This is an awesome, entertaining article, btw.)

Should you have anything else to share - any questions, comments, interesting stories tid-bits or links - please do.

Food For Thought: Which are you?

A CARROT, AN EGG OR A COFFEE BEAN

I share with you a kitchen experience, as a demonstration that parallels a life perspective.

Fill 3 pots with water and place on 3 different burners at the same time. Once they begin to boil add one (a carrot in the 1st pot, an egg in the 2nd pot and a coffee bean in the 3rd) of each item to one pot and lets see what happens after 20 minutes you will turn off and watch what happens and we will discuss them.

Then lets take a closer look...

Take a closer look and feel the carrots. It is soft, yes? Then check out the egg, break it. After pulling off the shell, observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, check out the coffee bean. You can taste and smell it - check it out. It's rich aroma. 'What does all of this mean?'

Well, each of these objects had faced the same adversity or pressures.
When placed into the boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot
went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg
had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee bean
very unique, however. After the coffee bean was in the boiling water, It changed the water.

'Which are you?'

'When adversity knocks on your door, How do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this:

The carrot
that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

The egg
That starts with a malleable inside, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or whatever suitation trial, whatever it may be. Have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside I am bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened interior to destroy myself?

-Or-

The coffee bean
The bean actually changes the hot water. It takes time but change things around me. The pains, within me just dissolves, along with everything else. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst. Had no time to complain nor to hang on to the past? Moved on effortlessly and did all that was necessary and how to do it to make things work for the very best. Get better by making your necessary changes and move on effortlessly.

So, when next you think that the hour is your darkest moment and trials are at their greatest just elevate yourself to another level. How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

(edited and customized from the original - source: M. Mascoll via FaceBook - 2010)