Summertime and the Eating is Easy … Or, not!
Ripe tomatoes just off the vine, yummy cold soups, tasty salads, delicious grilled beasts! Best of all, we get to enjoy them as we entertain and celebrate outdoors — cookouts, camp outs, beach parties, barbecues, clambakes, picnics, and more!
Summer foods and outdoor dining are awesome, but they require some special handling. Just as bug bites, sunburns and scraped knees increase in the summer, so do food-borne illnesses (a.k.a. food poisoning). Bacteria are everywhere – in the soil, air, water, in and on us, and in and on the food we eat, and those nasty little varmints favorite weather for multiplying is when it’s hot and humid. And, because we’re dining outside, we don’t have all the safety controls in place that our kitchens provide – even and controlled cooking, refrigeration, easy access to clean tools and washing facilities.
Fortunately, people rarely get sick from food. Our bodies work hard to protect us and food producers and the government agencies that oversee them go to great lengths to keep our food supply safe. There are, however, additional things we need to do at home to further reduce the risk for our family and guests. Clean – wash hands and cooking surfaces often – dirty hands are a major cause of foodborne illness. And, rinse fresh fruit and vegetables thoroughly. Separate — cross-contamination can occur when we’re multi-tasking (preparing, cooking, and serving food) — like cutting a lemon for the iced tea on a cutting board or with a knife that was used for chopping raw meat. Cook foods to safe temperatures – because they brown fast, grilling thick portions, like a chicken leg, ribs or a hamburger, can be a challenge. Ensure yours aren’t undercooked and dangerous by par-cooking these items indoors and just finishing them on the grill. Chill — keep cold items cold by packing them in a cooler with plenty of ice until ready to serve. And, once everyone’s finished eating, put things back in the fridge or on ice. Food left out for more than 2 hours may not be safe, and if it’s over 90°, refrigerate after one hour.
Enjoy a delicious and safe summer!
Have questions? Need a special summer recipe? Want to suggest a topic? Contact me: john@muchogusto.com or www.muchogusto.com.
Until next time – ¡Mucho Gusto!,¡Muchas Gracias! y ¡Buen Provecho!
