Food Safety Tips for Novice Cooks

Cooks who are new to the kitchen are often far more concerned with making sure their recipes turn out right than making sure they follow all the food safety rules. In their desperation to make sure their pie, sauce, or roast turns out just right, they can create a bacterial danger zone that will leave your diners fondly remembering a time when their intestines didn’t feel like they were tied in knots. Some food safety tips can help prevent such disasters.

Wash, Wash, Wash: Make sure all tools and food contact surfaces are washed thoroughly with soap and water after each step in the cooking process. Keep a spray bottle filled with a mixture of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water to sanitize countertops.

Monitor your temperatures – make sure cold foods stay cold and hot foods stay hot. When you have a large amount of hot food, such as a pot of soup, that you want to store, place the pot in a sink half filled with ice and water. Stir the soup frequently until the temperature has dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, then pack and store.

Beware of Chemicals: Never, EVER keep cleaning chemicals on or near food contact surfaces. Hitting a spray bottle the wrong way can cause it to discharge small amounts of cleaning solution, perhaps in the direction of your food.

Be careful with wood – wooden cutting boards are attractive and are best for your knife blades. However, cutting meat on a traditional wooden cutting board creates small crevices in which bacteria can nest, making it difficult or impossible to remove during washing. Save the wooden board for your vegetable salad.

Health departments in most cities offer courses on food safety for home cooks. They are usually one or two days, maximum, and can be of great value. If your city doesn’t offer one, check online. There are abundant resources from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.