Everyone looks forward to delicious holiday meals, featuring poultry and ham, at this time of year. Proper food handling and preparation will help ensure that everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season.
Hand washing is one of the most important things to remember when preparing foods, especially raw meat and poultry. Our kitchens contain more bacteria than our bathrooms. Washing your hands for at least twenty seconds, with warm soapy water, is recommended before doing any food preparation.
Certain things just stand to reason. Wash your hands after you've visited the restroom, after you throw something in the garbage can, or touched your face or hair. Before touching any foods, clean your countertops to prevent contamination from bacteria hiding out there.
Keep foods which will not be cooked, or which will be eaten cold, in a separate area from your raw meats and poultry. Salads, desserts, fruit and vegetable trays and bread items can be contaminated by bacteria from the raw meat. Since they won't be heated before eating, the bacteria won't be killed.
Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meats and wash them thoroughly after use. Sanitize cutting boards with a solution of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water.
Vegetables and fruits can bring harmful germs into our homes, so make sure to wash them before cutting or chopping. This includes onions, before peeling, and melons. As your knife cuts through the peel, it will carry any bacteria present into the edible parts. Please, don't use dish washing liquid or other household cleaners to wash them, though. They could leave a residue which is not safe for human consumption. Scrub them with water or use a cleaner designed for fresh produce.
Though many say it isn't necessary to wash items you're going to peel, as removing the peel removes the dirt and any bacteria, I prefer to do so. I don't want to take a chance if any of my guests are at risk, such as very elderly or with compromised immune systems. I don't want to risk contaminating fresh vegetables with the potato peeler. So I wash and then peel carrots and other vegetables I will serve raw. I wash potatoes after peeling, just to make sure.
If your family is like ours, you'll have several helpers in your kitchen. Make sure they follow your healthy kitchen guidelines. If you have pets, keep them out of the kitchen. I know, they want to visit, too, but their paws and fur carry unwanted bacteria. And after they've been evicted, wash your hands.
Many people feel that raw chicken and poultry should be washed before cooking, but this is not the case. Any bacteria present will be killed once it reaches the minimum cooking temperature. Washing it in the sink spreads bacteria to your sink, faucets, countertops and anything sitting on them, such as dishes, cutting boards, utensils and other foods.
Meat and poultry should always be cooked to their safe minimum cooking temperature. Your local grocery or super center will have a thermometer for checking this. Most of them are fairly inexpensive. So make sure you have one on hand. The table below will give you an idea of the safe temperatures for your holiday foods.
- Ground beef, pork, veal and lamb -- 160 F
- Poultry of all kinds -- 165 F
- Fresh pork and ham -- 145 F
- Pre-cooked ham --140 F
- Steaks, roasts and chops -- 145 F
After dinner, there is always the question of leftovers. All foods should be covered for storage. Leftovers should be refrigerated two hours after cooking, unless the temperature is over 90 F, in which case the time is reduced to 1 hour. Check to be sure your refrigerator is between 35 and 40 F to keep your foods safe.
Steaks, pork chops and lunch meats will be good for 3-5 days in your refrigerator. Poultry, fish, and ground meats for only 1-2 days. So if you won't eat your leftovers within this amount of time, pop them in the freezer instead.
Clean all countertops thoroughly after dinner, and make sure your kitchen towels are changed frequently. Wash them in hot water in your washing machine. I like to add a little chlorine bleach to kitchen towels and dish cloths to make sure they are safe for the kitchen.
Kitchen sponges have the highest bacteria count of anything in your house. Keep them clean and replace them often. I soak my sponges in the kitchen sink after I've finished cleaning in the evening. Just enough water to soak them thoroughly, with a little chlorine bleach to kill any unwanted germs.
Special meals are a wonderful way to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, or any other occasion. This holiday season, keep your family healthy and happy by practicing safe food handling.
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