Food safety tips for Spring
Do you really need to throw your food away before the expiration date?
If the daffodils and tulips are beginning to bloom, you know that Spring is quickly approaching. With the season of flowers comes a new variety of foods that are fresh and in season (a winter avocado pales in comparison to one picked in Spring). Those foods we’ve been waiting all winter long to come with a whole slew of different recipes to bake, cook, and try again! With the Spring holidays coming up and the excitement of cooking fresh foods building, it is necessary to be aware of the precautions you must take when in the market and the kitchen.
Here we have listed some food safety tips, generally and specifically, so that you can be aware of how to prevent foodborne illness and how to keep your food free of harmful bacterias.
1- General food safety tips
Before we get into the tips of certain Spring season foods, we have to lay a foundation of smart cooking in the kitchen.
-
DO NOT skimp on the kitchen during Spring cleaning. Your kitchen is a tool, just like the other dishes you may be loading into the dishwasher, and it needs to be kept clean. Harmful bacteria are not always visible, but that doesn’t make it any less dirty. This is where you prepare the food you put in your body. It should be spotless
-
DO wash your hands before you cook and after handling raw foods. Your hands are constantly touching surfaces that are crawling with millions of bacteria from your phones to a public restroom. Take care of them and your food and wash your hands!
-
DO NOT forget to use a food thermometer, especially for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Everyone will be grateful that you have made sure the food is cooked thoroughly when they don’t get a food-borne illness.
-
DO keep track of how long food has been sitting out. Non-perishable foods should be left out for more than 2 hours without having been eaten or refrigerated once more. Picnics are fun in the springtime, but be keenly aware of how long the food has been sitting out.
-
DO NOT put ready-to-eat foods and raw meat next to each other in the grocery cart or the same grocery bag. If you like reusable bags, bring at least two separate bags and mark them appropriately, so you know which to use for the raw foods and which to use for the ready-to-eat. At home, use separate utensils or clean thoroughly between use to ensure the bacteria from one doesn’t transfer to the other. Cross-contamination is easy and dangerous.
-
DO resist the temptation to like the cookie dough or cake batter spatula. As delicious as that sugary mixture is, raw eggs carry a lot of bacteria that are harmful to our health. Look into egg-less food recipes or buy a tub of edible cookie dough batter from the store to get your fix somehow.
Photo by Jason Briscoe
2- Specific food safety tips:
Now that you are well equipped with the basics of safe and clean kitchen etiquette, it’s time to get into the beloved springtime foods we look forward to.
Photo by Monika Grabkowska
1- Eggs
Eggs are the king of breakfast food. This is a food that has been around for centuries and will be around for many more. Whether you prefer them scrambled, hard or soft boiled, sunny side up, poached, over easy, medium, or hard, in an omelet, or just in your desserts, there are a few rules every egg method must follow. The FDA states to prevent Salmonella, a common cause of food poisoning, you must “cook eggs until both the yolk and the white are firm”. If you prefer them really runny, look for raw eggs that were treated for salmonella. Easter brings a lot of hard-boiled eggs for eating, decorating, and Easter egg hunting. For hard-boiled eggs, place a single layer of eggs in a pot or pan, cover them, and boil. Afterward, let them sit for about 10-20 minutes and then pour cold water over them. To dye the eggs, use food-safe dyes so you can still eat them after the Easter egg hunt is over. For foods containing eggs, make sure they are cooked internally to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Photo by Sebastian Coman Photography
2- Fish
Mahi Mahi, bass, snapper, and salmon are only a few of the fishy foods you may have been waiting months to get a fresh taste of over the winter months. In Spring, you finally can! The FDA recommends that Americans should eat at least 8 ounces of seafood per week as they are rich in protein, healthy omega-3 fats, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, iron, and more. One food hack to sneak more seafood into your diet is to eat sushi. It’s an easy food to prepare and can make for a quick nutritious snack When cooking for the holidays, or just a backyard BBQ, make sure you have a food thermometer on hand. Fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Photo by Paul Hermann
3- Meats
It’s getting warmer outside, and you might be wanting to warm your grill up too. Keep a food thermometer on hand while grilling and cooking your fresh deli meats to ensure that the foodis cooked to an internal temperature hot enough to kill all harmful germs and bacterias that could cause food poisoning
-
For fresh pork and ham, cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit. For pre-cooked ham, reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
For poultry, cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
For beef, veal, and lamb, cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit
-
For ground meats, cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
For shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops, cook until the meat is pearly and opaque.For shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops, cook until the meat is pearly and opaque.
-
For clams, oysters, and mussels, cook until shells open.
If you are strict about following this internal temperature guide, you will avoid any painful and potentially deadly illnesses undercooked food can cause.
Photo by Lum3n
4- Fruits
Winter fruits just don’t compare with the flavors of Spring and Summer fruits. Even if you buy organically, there are still risks that you’ll want to be aware of to ensure your fruit experience is only delightful. There are four main tidbits you need to be aware of to keep your fruit safe to eat:
-
After washing your hands, rinse the fruit. You’ll want to rinse the fruit before you get a knife to it, or you’ll be transferring the bacteria on the fruit to your knife!
-
Dry the produce with a fresh paper towel or a clean cloth to make sure all remnant bacteria are wiped away.
-
When preparing your food at home, inspect the fruit once more for any bruising or damaged areas. If you find a bruised area, simply cut it out and salvage the rest of the fruit.
-
Pre-cut items should be placed in a fridge, both at the store and at home, to prevent the spread and growth of bacteria.
Photo by Joao Marcelo Marques
Even the most organic farms and fields can be exposed to bad soil or water, animals, or food handlers with poor hygiene. You can never be too careful when cleaning and handling your fresh produce. Spring has nearly sprung, so get out there and get a taste of the foods you wanted to eat all winter long. From Memorial Day cookouts to Mother’s Day, a lot of Spring social activities will revolve around food Just make sure you’re using an abundance of caution and care so you can enjoy all this food! Food safety is key to decreasing the risk of foodborne illness and living a healthier lifestyle and the best time to start implementing these tips into your life is now.
Report a Typo
