How to handle food safely as barbecue season heats up
Picnic and barbecue season offers lots of opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends. But these warm weather events also present opportunities for foodborne bacteria to thrive. As food heats up in summer temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly. To protect yourself, your family, and friends from foodborne illness during warm-weather months, safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical. It’s important to keep this in mind when transporting your food to the picnic site and preparing it safely once you’ve arrived.
■ Keep cold food cold. Place cold food in a cooler with ice or frozen gel packs. Cold food should be stored at 40 F or below to prevent bacteria growth. Meat, poultry and seafood may be packed while still frozen so that they stay colder longer.
■ Organize cooler contents. Consider packing beverages in one cooler and perishable foods in another. That way, as picnickers open and reopen the beverage cooler to replenish their drinks, the perishable foods won’t be exposed to warm outdoor air temperatures.
■ Keep coolers closed: Once at the picnic site, limit the number of times the cooler is opened as much as you can. This helps to keep the contents cold longer.
■ Don’t cross contaminate. Be sure to keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood securely wrapped.
This keeps their juices from contaminating prepared/cooked foods or foods that will be eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables.
■ Clean your produce. Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water before packing them in the cooler—including those with skins and rinds that are not eaten. Rub firm-skinned fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a clean vegetable brush wile rinsing with running tap water. Dry fruits and vegetables with a clean cloth towel or paper towel. Packaged fruits and vegetables that are labeled “ready to eat,” “washed,” or “triple washed” need not be washed.
Food safety begins with proper hand cleaning — including in outdoor settings. Before you begin setting out your picnic feast, make sure hands and surfaces are clean.
■ Outdoor Hand Cleaning: If you don’t have access to running water, use a water jug, some soap and paper towels. Or consider using moist disposable towelettes for cleaning your hands.
■ Utensils and Serving Dishes: Take care to keep all utensils and platters clean when preparing food.
Grilling and picnicking often go together. And just as with cooking indoors, there are important guidelines that should be followed to ensure that your grilled food reaches the table safely.
■ Marinate safely. Marinate foods in the refrigerator—never on the kitchen counter or outdoors. In addition, if you plan to use some of the marinade as a sauce on the cooked food, reserve a portion separately before adding the raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Don’t reuse marinade.
■ Cook immediately after “partial cooking.” Partial cooking before grilling is only safe when the partially cooked food can go on the hot grill immediately, for example at a home with a grill on the patio or deck.
■ Cook food thoroughly. When it’s time to cook the food, have your food thermometer ready. Always use it to be sure your food is cooked thoroughly.
■ Keep “ready” food hot. Grilled food can be kept hot until served by moving it to the side of the grill rack, just away from the coals. This keeps it hot, but prevents overcooking.
■ Don’t reuse platters or utensils. Using the same platter or utensils that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood allows bacteria from the raw food’s juices to spread to the cooked food. Instead, have a clean platter and utensils ready at grill-side to serve your food.
Prevent cross-contamination when serving. Never reuse a plate or utensils that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood for serving — unless they’ve been washed first in hot, soapy water. Otherwise, you can spread bacteria from the raw juices to your cooked or ready-to-eat food. This is particularly important to remember when serving cooked foods from the grill.
COCONUT CHICKEN SALAD
Makes 5 (1 cup) Servings 140 Calories per Cup
2 cups shredded or chopped rotisserie cooked chicken
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 green onions, white and green, chopped
½ cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
½ cup shredded fresh or frozen unsweetened coconut flakes (or ¼ cup dried)
1 to 3 teaspoons red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
In a large bowl mix together chicken and vegetables. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and mix well.
Add lemon juice and mix again Serve with tortilla or rice.
Tips: Add more cabbage, carrot and green onion or other vegetables such as chopped bell pepper.
BEET DIP
Makes 2 Cups
10 calories per 2 Tablespoons :
2 cans (14 oz. each) beets, drained and rinsed
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons cumin
¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 tablespoons sesame tahini (optional)
In a blender or food processor, combine beets, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and tahini, if desired. Blend until smooth. Add water if too thick.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips: Make a chunky version if you don’t have a blender or food processor. Mash beets with a potato masher or fork to desired consistency. Interested in free nutrition education lessons from OSU Extension EFNEP? Contact Nancy Lyons at lyons.489@osu.edu.