Food Storage Tips

Preparing Food Safely

By Tony Buel

Copyright 2006 Tony Buel

Most conscientious cooks use common sense when preparing or storing food. But common sense in food preparation doesn't just happen -it is learned. This learning happens and when we forget where we learned it, we call it common sense.

Here are just a few pointers to refresh and reinforce your common sense as you are preparing your current meal or storing it for future use.

- Food safety actually starts with your excursion to the supermarket. Pick up the packaged or canned foods. Do the cans have dents? Don't buy them. Is the jar cracked? Leave it. Does the lid seem loose or bulging? Pick up another. Look for any expiration dates on the labels -they are there for a reason. Never buy outdated food. Check the "use by" or "sell by" date on dairy products and pick the ones that will stay fresh the longest.

- After grocery shopping, put food into the refrigerator or freezer right away. Make sure to set the refrigerator temperature is set to 40 deg F and the freezer is set to 0 F. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours. Raw meat, poultry, and seafood should be placed in containers to prevent their juices from dripping on other foods. Raw juices could possibly harbor harmful bacteria. Eggs always go in the refrigerator.

- Always cook food thoroughly until it is done. Red meat should turn brown inside. Chicken, when poked with a fork, should have clear juices. Fish, on the other hand, when poked with a fork, should flake. Cooked egg whites and yolks should be firm and not run. Be sure to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperatures of your poultry, meat, and other foods. Leave it in long enough to ensure an accurate reading.

- Wash your hands and cooking surfaces frequently. Bacteria can be spread quickly so this will ensure that it will not take hold and grow onto your food. A solution of one teaspoon of bleach in one quart of water is all that is needed to sanitize washed surfaces and utensils.

- Cooked foods should definitely not be left standing in the kitchen counter or table for more than two hours. Bacteria tends to grow in temperatures between 40 and 140 deg F.

- Foods that have been cooked ahead and cooled should be reheated to at least 165 deg F. (This just so happens to be one of the most overlooked areas in food prep).

- Chill Leftover Food Promptly. Place food in the refrigerator and don't overfill. The cold air needs to circulate freely to keep food safe. Divide the food and place in shallow containers. Think about labeling some of these containers so you don't lose track of how long they've been refrigerating.

These are just a few pointers that you already know, but need to keep remembering. If you follow these basics you will avoid most of the 'disasters in waiting'!

About The Author: Tony has been working diligently to provide free cooking related resources for the chef in all of us. His website is full of Easy Crockpot Recipes and is a labor of love which provides delicious and easy to make crockpot recipes as well as related tips and advice. Stop by any time! http://www.my-crockpot-recipes.com

posted by Donna Loudon @ 2:09 AM 0 comments

Coffee Bean Storage: To freeze beans or not to freeze beans

by Cory Willins

There are many different suggested ways to store coffee in order to maintain freshness. One of the suggested methods is to put your ground coffee or coffee beans in the freezer. Is storing coffee in the freezer a good way to maintain freshness? Lets look at the pros and cons.

Freezing generally seems to be a good way to keep foods fresher longer. Many of our everyday foods are kept fresh by freezing. Meat, bread, vegetables, fruit and even butter can be frozen to extend shelf life. Many of the vitamins and minerals of the food are retained through freezing. Unfortunately, coffee might not fare as well as other foods when frozen.

Four items affect the quality and taste of stored coffee: light, air, heat and moisture. It does not seem like freezing has many of these qualities, but there are more factors at work which can affect the beans.

Coffee beans have been roasted in order to enhance flavor. The beans are also porous. Unfortunately a freezer can contain many other foods which have odors. The porous beans can absorb the flavors of many other frozen foods. Flavored coffees can be pleasant, but no one wants to drink seafood or garlic flavored coffee.

Moisture can also be absorbed by the coffee beans. Moisture can cause deterioration and loss of flavor. The more often you take coffee out of the freezer and put it back in, the more moisture absorption takes place into the bean. If you absolutely need to freeze some coffee because you have a large excess you would like to keep, only freeze it once. The more you take it in and out of the freezer, the more damage you do.

The oils present in roasted coffee beans are an important part to making a good cup of coffee. Freezing, however, can break down the flavorful oils in roasted coffee beans. When the oils break down, flavor is compromised giving another reason to stay away from putting your coffee in the freezer.

When it comes down to it, freezing is not the best way to store your coffee. Keep coffee stored in a cool, dry, airtight container away from light. Freezing coffee is possible, and is best if you only freeze it once. The resulting loss of flavor and quality from repetitive freezing makes it a method of storage to stay away from. Your best bet is to purchase only enough beans or ground coffee to supply you for 1-2 weeks. Enjoy the coffee at its freshest!

About The Author
Cory Willins writes for many websites including The Coffee Site. You can read more of her articles and information about coffee at http://www.coffee-site.com/

posted by Donna Loudon @ 1:50 AM 0 comments