Expiration dates matter, but so do temperature and time. Your hunger and work schedule don’t matter to bacteria. What matters is how hot (or cold) it is. When you know the danger zones for food-borne germs growth, or dormancy, you won’t be caught off guard. Here’s a cheat sheet on these principles, with simple rules for using them at home.
From forty to one-hundred forty degrees is known as the danger zone. That’s when bacteria really multiplies. It can double in just twenty minutes. In other words, don’t leave your casserole sitting out while you’re eating dinner, you’ll be keeping it in that dangerous temperature range. The best temperature of your fridge is thirty-eight degrees (the fresher the better) but certainly no higher than forty. Once it climbs above that, it begin growing bacteria at a rapid pace. Freezers work in reverse: Zero degrees Fahrenheit is the magic number; at that temperature, bacterial growth effectively stops. While food in the freezer will not become unsafe from germs, it might lose its flavor and texture over time.
Simple Rules for Food Safety at Home
Raw meat needs careful handling because it contains many harmful organisms. Poultry and ground meats such as hamburger are especially susceptible to bacteria, which get distributed inside the food when they’re ground. These should of been cooked to a higher internal temperature different than solid, whole cuts (chops, steaks). Use an instant-read thermometer to check; don’t rely on color, which isn’t a reliable indicator of doneness. Even well-cooked meat can contain pathogens if it hasn’t reached the desired internal temperature.
When it comes to storage, don’t just rely on cooking temperature. Keep raw meats (and poultry) on the bottom shelf in your fridge at all times. That way, any drips from the raw item won’t contaminate your berries or lettuce, for example. Lots of folks use that space over their salad greens because the raw chicken is a tighter fit; don’t! And wash your hands well when working with raw protein item.
Don’t rinse raw poultry beneath the tap. It’s less effective at containing bacteria than cooking is at spreading it around your kitchen via splashback into your counters and sink.
When leftovers cool down, there’s a strict time limit: Three to four days in the refrigerator is about how long cooked foods (including soups, casseroles, and meats) stay good. How fast do they get cooled? That’s the trick. When they’re still hot, put big batches of stuff into shallow containers to reach chilling temperature more quickly. Because big pots of stew retain heat for hours leaving things out on the countertop while they cool means that food stays in “danger” too long.
When freezing things, be sure to remove any air from their packaging to avoid freezer burn (which ruins the texture even if the food remains technically safe). And label all your bags or containers, marking the date to remind yourself when something should of been eaten by.
You need to know what to store and how to do it, as each produce item has its own specific requirements. NEVER refrigerate tomatoes; cold damages the tomato’s flavor and turns the flesh mealy. Onions and potatoes are for the cool, dry pantry (meaning dark), but not together; one will cause the other to spoil or start to sprout too soon. Leafy greens require maintenance of humidity. Paper towels wrapped around greens will soak up any extra water that causes sliminess. The tweaks will extend the fresh-freshness without having to buy any gizmos.
Perfection isn’t necessary; habit and consistency are key to food safety. There’s no need for lab skills to protect your family. Simply follow the temperature guidelines, get rid of the potential for cross contamination, and rely on your thermometer more than your nose. If in doubt, toss it out. It’s less expensive than foodborne illness. Calibrating your appliances and keeping your kitchen orderly makes following these rules second nature instead of a worry.