Storing and transporting seafood safely is really important in the Christmas heat. Source: Supplied
WITH an overloaded fridge, scorching hot days and a dozen mouths to feed, Christmas can be a high-risk time for food poisoning.
It’s a time to celebrate and relax, so the last thing you want is to serve up a contaminated feast.
Here are some handy tips from the Food Safety Information Council to help you avoid getting sick.
Don’t wash the turkey before cooking as that will spread the bacteria around your kitchen. Source: Supplied
1. Make sure you have enough fridge space. Consider hiring a second fridge or keeping drinks cool in ice buckets and eskies to make way for food in the fridge
2. Be careful with seafood. Buy your seafood last when shopping and get your fishmonger to pack your esky or cooler bag with ice to keep it cool. Prawns should be eaten within three days of purchase and already-opened oysters within 24 hours.
3. Keep it clean. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap under running water and dry thoroughly before handling food and after handling raw poultry and red meat.
4. Cook the turkey properly. Make sure your turkey is fully defrosted in the fridge or get your supplier to defrost it in their cool room. Don’t wash the turkey before cooking as that will spread the bacteria around your kitchen. Cook it until a meat thermometer shows it has reached 75°C in the thickest part. Stuffing slows down cooking and cooling, so it’s best cooked separately.
5. A ham is for Christmas not for life. Your Christmas ham will keep for several weeks in the fridge with proper handling. After reading the packaging labels, remove it from its plastic wrap, cover it with clean cloth soaked in water and vinegar so it doesn’t dry out, and store it in the fridge below 5°C.
6. Avoid dishes with raw eggs. Food poisoning bugs can grow and thrive quickly in foods containing raw egg and 35 degree weather is not the best time to be testing out a new chocolate mousse recipe. Try to avoid raw or minimally cooked egg dishes, such as mayonnaise, aioli, tiramisu and egg nog.
7. Refrigerate leftovers straight away. It’s a myth that you need to wait for food to cool down on the bench before putting in the fridge. As soon as the cooked food has stopped steaming divide it into small containers so it will cool quickly and refrigerate or freeze immediately. Use up refrigerated leftovers within 3 days and make sure your fridge is running at 5°C or below.
8. Reheat food properly. When reheating food ensure that it is steaming hot all the way through (at least 75°C). Avoid keeping food in the temperature danger zone between 5°C and 60°C where food poisoning bacteria thrives.
Find out more at the Food Safety Information Council.
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