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Even in kitchens where fresh is king, the freezer remains a handy tool. There’s no easier way to deal with a bounty of meat from a big-box store or a butchering class or a C.S.A. share, or the haul from a fishing trip, or the unpredictable sighting of partridge and other rare birds in the Chinese market. In my house, the freezer is essential for drawing out the enjoyment of the prime mail-order meats that my mother sends for my birthday, and that arrive rock-hard under a block of dry ice. 

Less handy, however, is the thawing process, which often requires planning a day or more ahead of the cooking. Food thaws slowly in the refrigerator, especially when kept in its plastic packaging, which is the method recommended by purveyors and the Department of Agriculture to minimize bacterial growth and the loss of juices. Thawing in cold water, 40 degrees or below, is safe and much faster — water transfers heat far more efficiently than air — but it can still take hours. I’ve never had much luck with the defrost setting on microwave ovens, which can start to cook one part of the food while the rest is still frozen. 

Now there’s good news for last-minute cooks. It turns out that we can thaw frozen steaks and other compact cuts in as little as 10 minutes, without compromising their quality, and with very little effort. All you need is hot water. 

This information comes, surprisingly, from research sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, though the methods aren’t yet officially recommended. The studies have been published in the Journal of Food Science and in Food Control.

At the U.S.D.A. labs in Beltsville, Md., Janet S. Eastridge and Brian C. Bowker test-thawed more than 200 one-inch-thick beef strip loin steaks in three different groups: some in a refrigerator at 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, some in a constantly circulating water bath at 68 degrees, and some in a water bath at 102 degrees. 

Air-thawing in the refrigerator took 18 to 20 hours, while the room-temperature water bath thawed the steaks in about 20 minutes, and the hot-summer-day bath in 11 minutes. These water-bath times are so short that any bacterial growth would remain within safe limits. 

The water-thawed steaks actually leaked less juice than the air-thawed steaks. The researchers grilled the steaks, too, and found that all the thawed steaks lost about 26 percent of their original weight once cooked, while never-frozen steaks lost 21 percent. The study found no significant differences in tenderness between slow- and quick-thawed steaks. 

Eleven minutes is pretty quick, but Brian A. Nummer and colleagues at Utah State University in Logan shaved away another couple of minutes by heating the water bath to 140 degrees, the standard temperature of steam tables in food service kitchens. 

The Utah State group found that chicken breasts about a half-inch thick thawed in a little more than 3 minutes, and inch-thick breasts in less than 9 minutes. Although 140-degree water would eventually cook the chicken to medium-rare, they saw no signs of cooking. The quick-thawed breasts did lose slightly more juice than the refrigerator-thawed breasts, but when the chicken was grilled and served, a panel of 18 tasters was unable to tell them apart. And based on their mathematical modeling, the researchers concluded that any bacterial growth would remain well within safe limits. 

So there’s no downside to quick-thawing steaks, chops, fillets and other relatively thin cuts in warm water right before cooking. Large roasts are a different story. They take long enough to thaw that there may be time for significant bacterial growth on their surfaces. Prompt cooking might well eliminate that problem, but until this has been studied, it’s safest to continue thawing roasts in the refrigerator or in water under 40 degrees. 

Quick-thawing is easy to adopt in the home kitchen. But don’t expect your thaw times to match the lab times I’ve quoted unless you have an immersion circulator or another method to keep the water in motion and at a constant temperature. If the water is still, a cold zone develops around the food and insulates it from the remaining warm water. And without infusions of hot water or heat from a burner, the icy food cools the water bath. 

Unless I’m in a rush, I’m happy to let the thawing proceed more slowly on its own while I take care of other tasks. I fill a large pot with 125-degree water from the tap, immerse the plastic-wrapped meat, weigh it down with a slotted spoon to keep it under water and stir the water occasionally. The water temperature drops, but stays above 100 degrees for a half-hour or so, depending on how much food is thawing. Last week, I thawed 2-inch-thick filets mignons in an hour, whole squab in 40 minutes, a 1-pound whole fish in 20 minutes, and 1 ¼-inch-thick salmon fillets in 15 minutes. Thawing times can vary, depending on the volume, temperature and movement of the water as well as the food’s thickness and how it’s wrapped. (A lot of plastic swaddling interferes with heat transfer. It’s best to remove it and place the food in a thin resealable plastic bag, partly immersing it to force the air out before zipping it shut.) 

So when you scan your larder to improvise a quick meal, don’t forget to look in the freezer. The makings of the main course may be just minutes away. 

Originally Published At A Hot-Water Bath for Thawing Meats By HAROLD McGEE

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Serve It Up Safe is a certified ServSafe instructor. Our mission is to serve as a premium provider of education and training services, specifically certifying Florida Food Managers and Food Handlers. We mitigate liability, so food providers can run safe, effective businesses

Ice is used in almost every food service setting, from restaurants, bars, cafeterias, and coffee shops, to nursing homes, hospitals, and healthcare facilities. Since ice is such an important part of food service, it’s important for professionals to know how to clean an ice machine. In fact, these machines are often some of the dirtiest pieces of equipment in the kitchen. While every ice machine has its own special maintenance requirements, most follow a basic overall process. This article will take you through a detailed, step-by-step explanation of the ice machine cleaning process. 

Cleaning Ice Machines

The FDA defines ice as a food, which means it must be handled and cared for in the same manner as other food products. No matter what type of ice machine your establishment operates, it’s imperative that you clean, sanitize, and maintain it. Any part of the unit that has contact with water can develop scale, slime, or mold at any time, which will contaminate your ice and potentially harm your customers. 

Your ice machine should be cleaned and sanitized at least once every six months for efficient operation. This maintenance process requires you to first perform a cleaning procedure to remove lime, scale, and mineral deposits, followed by a sanitizing procedure to disinfect the unit and remove algae and slime. If you don’t keep up on maintenance, scale buildup can cause ice to stick to the evaporator plates, which can impede heat transfer and result in freeze-ups, longer harvest times, reduction in capacity, and costly repairs. Not cleaning your machine can also lead to the formation of dangerous slime and mold.

If you experience some of the following issues, it may be time to clean your ice machine:

• Ice machine does not release ice or is slow to harvest
• Ice machine does not cycle into harvest mode
• Ice quality is poor (soft or not clear)
• Ice machine produces shallow or incomplete cubes
• Low ice capacity

Now we’ll get into the proper ice machine cleaning and sanitizing procedures, but first, let’s go over a few guidelines and tips. 

• Your ice machine should be cleaned every 6 months.
• If you notice it’s requiring more frequent cleaning and sanitizing, consult a qualified service company to test your establishment’s water quality. Water treatment may be required.
• Be sure to follow the proper instructions written out in your ice machine’s manual.
• Some manufacturers require specific or approved cleaner and sanitizer solutions to be used with their machines.
• All ice produced during the cleaning and sanitizing procedures must be discarded. It’s also highly suggested to throw out the first batch of ice made after cleaning.
• Do not mix cleaner and sanitizer solutions together.
• Wear rubber gloves and protective safety glasses when handling cleaner and sanitizer solutions.
• Read and follow any instructions and cautions listed on the solution bottles.
• To prevent damage to the water pump, do not leave the control switch in a service position for an extended period of time when the water tank is empty during cleaning.
• Know your equipment. Nugget and flake machines typically have more moving parts that require additional attention. Also, know your machine’s material construction so you don’t use chemicals that will harm it.

How to Clean an Ice Machine

1. Open the front door to access the evaporator compartment. All ice must be removed from the evaporator during the cleaning and sanitizing cycles. 
2. Remove all ice from the bin or dispenser. To remove the ice, follow one of the methods below:

Either press the power switch at the end of the a harvest cycle after ice falls from the evaporators, or press the power switch and allow the ice to completely melt.

• Press the “clean” or “wash” button, depending on your machines labeling. Water will flow through the water dump valve and down the drain. Wait until the water trough refills and the display indicates to add chemicals. This typically takes at least 1 minute. Then add the proper amount of ice machine cleaner per your manual. 
• Wait until the clean cycle is complete. This will typically take at least 20 minutes. After the cycle is complete, disconnect power to the ice machine and the dispenser. 
• Remove parts for cleaning. For safe and proper removal, refer to your machine’s manual. Once all parts have been removed, continue to the next step. 
• Mix a solution of cleaner and lukewarm water. Refer to your machine’s manual for an appropriate amount of solution. It should provide a chart that has the correct ratio for each product line. A general water to cleaner ratio is 1 gallon of water to 16 ounces of cleaner. Depending on the amount of mineral buildup, a larger quantity may be required.
• Use half of the water and cleaner mixture to clean all components and parts you’ve removed. Most solutions will start to foam once they come in contact with lime, scale, and mineral deposits. Once the foaming stops, use a soft-bristle nylon brush, sponge, or cloth to carefully clean all parts. All parts except the ice thickness probe can be soaked when heavily scaled. Rinse all components with clean water.
• While you wait for the components to soak, use the other half of the water and cleaner mixture to clean all food-zone surfaces of the ice machine, bin, and dispenser. Use a nylon brush or cloth to thoroughly clean the following ice machine areas: side walls, base (area above the trough), evaporator plastic parts (top, bottom, sides), and the bin or dispenser.
• Rinse all areas with clean water. This will help remove chemicals to prevent ice from becoming contaminated. 

How to Sanitize an Ice Machine 

1. Mix a solution of ice machine sanitizer and lukewarm water. Refer to your machine’s manual for an appropriate amount of solution. It should provide a chart that has the correct ratio for each item number.  A general water to cleaner ration is 3 gallons of water to 2 ounces of sanitizer. 
2. Use half of the water and sanitizer mixture to sanitize all components and parts you’ve removed. You can use a spray bottle to liberally apply the solution to all surfaces of the removed parts, or you can soak the removed parts in the solution.

Note: Do not rinse parts with water after sanitizing.

• While you wait for the components to soak, use the other half of the water and sanitizer mixture to clean all food-zone surfaces of the ice machine, bin, and dispenser. Use a spray bottle to liberally apply the solution. When sanitizing, pay attention to following: side walls, base (area above the trough), evaporator plastic parts (top, bottom, sides), and the bin or dispenser.
• Replace all removed components. You may need to refer to your manual once more for proper restructuring.  
• Wait 20 minutes. This allows the sanitizer to properly disinfect.
• Reapply power to the ice machine. Press your unit’s “clean” or “wash” button.  
• Wait until the water trough refills and the display indicates to add chemical. Add the proper amount of sanitizer to the water trough. 
• Set your machine to automatically start making ice after the sanitizing cycle is complete. This will typically take at least 20 minutes.
• Upon completion, it’s highly recommended to observe two cycles and monitor the freeze and harvest cycle times. Make sure you throw out the first batch of ice made after cleaning and sanitizing.

Exterior Cleaning 

1. Clean the area around the ice machine as often as necessary. This will maintain cleanliness and efficient operation.
2. Wipe surfaces down with a damp cloth rinsed in water to remove dust and dirt from the outside of the ice machine. Never use an abrasive pad or brush.
3. If a greasy residue remains, use a damp cloth rinsed in a mild dish soap and water solution. See your machine’s manual for restrictions. Some nickel-plated machines require nickel-safe solutions. You will never want to use chlorinated, citrus-based, or abrasive cleaners on exterior panels and plastic trim.

Cleaning the Condenser and Its Filter 

The washable filter on a self-contained ice machine is necessary to trap dust, dirt, lint, and grease. To clean the filter, simply rinse it with mild soap and water.

Now, you can clean the condenser. If this condenser isn’t washed, airflow will be restricted, resulting in high operating temperatures, which can shorten your unit’s life and lead to reduced ice production. Like the other components of your ice machine, this filter should be cleaned once every six months. 

1. Disconnect electric power to the ice machine head section and the remote condensing unit. There should be switches to turn these off. 
2. Shine a flashlight through the condenser to check for dirt between the fins. These fins are sharp, so proceed with caution. 
3. Blow compressed air through the condenser to remove dirt. You can also rinse it with water from the inside out. 
4. Recheck for remaining dirt. If dirt still remains, we recommend that you contact a service agent. 

Whether you’re using ice for drink service, packaging it for retail purposes, or filling up salad bars to keep food chilled, it’s important to always use fresh, clean ice. By completing the cleaning and sanitizing procedures outlined above, you’ll be able to maintain your commercial ice machine’s efficiency, prevent increased energy costs, and keep clean and safe ice ready to use! Remember to clean and sanitize at least once every six months, and don’t forget to refer to your ice machine’s manual for special instructions!

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Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified Instructor. Our mission is to serve as a premium provider of education and training services, specifically certifying Florida Food Managers and Food Handlers. We mitigate liability, so food providers can run safe, effective businesses

That’s the difference between ancillary and trifling. ©

There is a bevy of ways to navigate through life. You can take the easy path that those before you have cleared free of nuisance obstacles. That is the easiest way to go, and not many people will challenge you along the way. It’s the popular path, primarily because it’s easiest. You could also chose the path less traveled.  The path that’s a little bit harder and a bit more arduous. Because it takes a lot more work and a lot more effort. It’s the less popular path, because it’s harder. Some of the same principals apply to running a business, like restaurants, for example. There are many shortcuts you could take, and that would make you “ordinary”; your relegated to just another joint to grab a bite. On the other hand, you could take unordinary measures to be special; to do things spectacularly rather than ordinary. That makes you “extraordinary”. And that’s the only way to be, in our estimation. That brings us to the difference between “ancillary” and “trifling”.

Ancillary.  Adj.  : Auxiliary. Subordinate to one’s primary directive.

Trifling.  Adj.  : Irrelevant. Not capable of helping one meet critical objectives.

To the F & B professional, sweeping your floors is ancillary—it is important, but it’s not your number one objective. Florida Statute 509.039 requiring the CPFM/ServSafe certification is trifling—it’s just one of those things you have to do because some state law says you do. You would really prefer not to have to mess with the hassle, but you have to. Now we’re not saying that safe food handling practices isn’t important; it certainly is.  However, the training & exam requirement is more of an administrative burden to you, to be honest.

So why do you not design, manufacture and install your own dishwasher, formulate your own detergent and fabricate your own metal prep tables? You could buy 250 acres of land and raise your own chickens before sending them to slaughter so you can replenish your supply of chicken tenders for the busy upcoming weekend. But you don’t. Why? That’s the difference between “ancillary” and “trifling”. At Serve It Up Safe!, we don’t build our computers from scratch; we leave that to Dell. We don’t design and construct new buildings to hold our classes; we leave to Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton. We don’t manufacture our own writing instruments; we leave that to the professionals like Ticonderoga (the world’s finest pencil, so they say). And we don’t cook our own chicken wings (for example) at home; we, like many American’s, eat out a lot. 

Why? Because you’re a better preparer and presenter of food and entertainment that we are.  The same can be said for your training requirements. Sure, you could do it yourself, but if you do, you simultaneously concede that providing outstanding customer service, serving exceptionally great fresh food, offering unique drink combinations and controlling food & labor costs is suddenly less important. But it’s not! Those are the most important things in your world (besides your children!). You’re in effect saying that standing in front of your staff for 6-hours to conduct a state required training program is very, very important, and more so than world class customer service for example.  But the reality of it is that standing up in front of a classroom is trifling for you. It’s not your core competency and it’s taking time away from what really matters, like building sales and your customers, for example.  

That’s why we do what we do. To us, training food safety principals and proctoring the required exam is important to us; it’s one of our primary objectives. It’s what we do best. It’s not trifling to us; its mission critical to us. When you focus on what matters most, is the end result always better? Of course it is! That’s why you do what you do, and that’s why we do what we do! You go ahead and focus on what really matters most, and leave the trifling to us!

Look at the dates on these places!

White Horse Tavern (1673) Newport, R.I.

The building that houses the White Horse Tavern was constructed earlier than 1673, but it didn’t open as a tavern and restaurant until that year, when William Mayes bought the property. The name “White Horse Tavern” didn’t come along until Jonathan Nichols bought the restaurant in 1730 and renamed it. It is registered as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

Fraunces Tavern (1762) New York City

The first building constructed on this property (currently located in New York City’s financial district) was the home of New York’s mayor Stephanus Van Cortlandt in 1686. Cortlandt gave the house to his son-in-law in 1700, who eventually sold it to Samuel Fraunces. Fraunces renovated the building and turned it into a tavern and restaurant in 1762.

Fraunces Tavern was a frequent meeting place of the Sons of Liberty before the American Revolution. Perhaps the most famous historical event to take place in the restaurant was on the evening of December 4, 1783, when the tavern held a congratulatory dinner for George Washington and his troops after they pushed the British army out of New York.

Griswold Inn (1776) Essex, CT.

The Griswold is one of the oldest continuously run restaurants in the nation. The restaurant and inn was founded in 1776 to provide shelter and sustenance for shipyard workers building vessels for the war. The Griswold has served such esteemed guests as George Washington, Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Katharine Hepburn. The restaurant continues to serve rustic American fare and is decorated with many of the building’s original fixtures.

Union Oyster House (1826) Boston

Before turning into a restaurant in 1826, this building held “At the Sign of the Cornfields,” a formal dress store — in 1771 a printer named Isaiah Thomas used the second floor to publish a newspaper called The Massachusetts Spy. The original name of the restaurant was the Atwood and Bacon Oyster House, but quickly changed to the Union Oyster House.

The restaurant claims that the toothpick was popularized here after a businessman imported the picks from South America and hired eager Harvard University students to dine at the Union Oyster House and request the convenient teeth-cleaning tools. Union Oyster House is registered as a National Historic Landmark.

Antione’s Restarant (1840) New Orlenas

Located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Antoine’s has been serving up authentic Louisiana Creole fare since it opened in 1840. The restaurant was founded by Antoine Alciatore and has been run by his family ever since, making it the oldest family-run restaurant in the country. Alciatore claimed to have invented Oysters Rockefeller in the Antoine’s kitchen. The original location of the restaurant was one block away from the current spot; they moved in 1868 due to popular demands for expansion.

Tadich Grill (1849) San Francisco

The Tadich Grill opened in 1849 during the height of the Gold Rush in California, when thousands headed west in hopes of striking it rich. Initially opening as a coffee stand, Tadich Grill has been a full-service restaurant since employee John Tadich bought it in 1887. The eatery claims to be the first U.S. restaurant to grill seafood over mesquite charcoal, a cooking method the Croatian owner used while growing up.

Breitbach’s Diner (1852) Balltown, IA

Breitbach’s, the oldest restaurant in Iowa, was established in 1852 in Balltown under a permit issued by President Millard Fillmore. Employee Jacob Breitbach bought the restaurant from the original owner in 1862 and it’s been run by the family ever since (now on the sixth generation of ownership). The first of two fires that destroyed the building happened in 2007, and the restaurant was rebuilt immediately with the help of hundreds of volunteers from the community. Ten months later the second fire struck, but the community rallied together once again to rebuild Breitbach’s.

McGillin’s Olde Ale House (1860) Philadelphia

The oldest continually operated restaurant and tavern in Philadelphia, McGillin’s opened its doors the same year Lincoln was elected (in 1860, just a few years after the Liberty Bell cracked). The spot was originally called The Bell in Hand, but patrons began calling in McGillin’s after the owner, William McGillin. He and his wife raised their 13 children upstairs from the tavern, but eventually the restaurant expanded to include their living space as well as the oyster house next door.

The Buckhorn Exchange (1893) Denver

Henry “Shorty Scout” Zietz opened the Buckhorn Exchange during a time when cattlemen, miners, railroad workers, silver barons, Indian chiefs, drifters, and businessmen all dined under the same roof. The restaurant was given the first liquor license in the state of Colorado and the food menu remains mostly unchanged to this day.

Louis Lunch (1895) New Haven, CT

Take a trip to Louis’ Lunch for a burger of historic proportions, cooked to order just like it was when Louis made the very first “hamburger sandwich” in 1900 — hand-shaped patties served between toast with cheese (and onion if you’re lucky and it’s not too crowded). The burgers are even cooked on the original cast-iron grills that date back to 1898.

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Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified food safety training provider that specializes in efficiently re-certifying Florida’s most experienced food, beverage and hospitality professionals. We award CPFM certificates that satisfy FL. Statute 509.039. And we offer 6- hour food safety training classes.

Originally Posted to BUSINESS INSIDER

When you head to a restaurant, you might have your heart — or stomach — set on a particular dish.  Or, you might be a little more open to suggestion.

That’s the opportunity menu engineers and consultants are looking for. Behind the scenes, before you’re even thinking of dinner, they put careful thought into the way you choose what foods you eat.  Here are 11 of the sneakiest psychological tricks restaurants use to make you spend more money:

1. They don’t use dollar signs

A dollar sign is one of the top things restaurants should avoid including on a menu, because it immediately reminds the customers that they’re spending money.  According to research from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, guests given a menu without dollar signs spent significantly more than those who received a menu with them. Even if the prices were written out with words instead of numbers, such as “ten dollars,” guests spent less money because it still triggered the negative feelings associated with paying.

2. They are tricky with their numbers

Menu designers recognize that prices that end in 9, such as $9.99, tend to signify value, but not quality. In addition, prices that end in .95 instead of .99 are more effective, because they feel “friendlier” to customers. Most restaurants just leave the price without any cents at all, because it makes their menu cleaner, simpler, and to the point.

3. They use extremely descriptive language

Research from Cornell University revealed that items described in a more beautiful way are more appealing to and popular with customers. According to further research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, descriptive menu labels raised sales by 27%, compared to food items without descriptors.

On an NBC “Today” show interview, menu engineer Greg Rapp poses an example of Maryland Style Crab Cakes. They are described as “made by hand, with sweet jumbo crab meat, a touch of mayonnaise, our secret blend of seasonings, and golden cracker crumbs for a rich, tender crab cake.” This brings the ultimate sensory experience to the reader, and the descriptive labeling will make customers more likely to be satisfied at the end of the meal.

Interestingly, brand names in menu descriptions also help sales, which is why chain restaurants such as T.G.I. Friday’s use Jack Daniel’s sauce or Minute Maid orange juice on their menus. The more adjectives, the better.

4. They connect food to family

Customers are especially drawn to names of relatives, such as parents and grandparents, on menus. For example, people are more likely to buy Grandma’s warm, homemade cookies or Aunt Margo’s famous potato salad. It also can add a hint of nostalgia. 

5. They use ethnic food terms to make their food seem more authentic

According to Oxford experimental psychologist Charles Spence, an ethnic or geographic label, such as an Italian name, draws a person’s attention toward a certain feature in a dish and brings out certain flavors and textures. 

6. They visually highlight things

When foods are bolded, listed in a colored or fancier font, accompanied with photographs, or singled out in a box, they look far more special than the other dishes. However, high-end restaurants tend to avoid this strategy, because it can make them look tacky.

7. They use expensive items to draw you to the cheaper items

According to Rapp, restaurants use extremely expensive foods as decoys. “You probably won’t buy it, but you’ll find something a little cheaper and it’ll look more reasonable,” he says.  According to William Poundstone, author of “Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It),” in a New York Magazine interview, “The main role of that $115 platter — the only three-digit thing on the menu — is to make everything else near it look like a relative bargain.”

8. They offer foods in two portion sizes

This strategy is called bracketing. The customer has no idea how much smaller the small portion is, so they assume it’s the best value price because it costs less. What they don’t realize is that the restaurant wanted to sell the smaller portion at the lower price all along, and simply used the bigger portion with the higher price as comparison.

9. They analyze your reading patterns

Restaurants consider scan paths, which are a series of eye fixations that can be studied to see how people read certain things.  According to a Korean research study, a third of participants are likely to order the first item to which their attention is drawn. As a result, restaurants will put the most profitable items in the upper-right corner, because it is where people’s eyes go first.

This strategy is based on the primacy effect, which means people remember the items at the beginning of a list better. Another reason this works is that seeing a really expensive dish at first glance will make the rest of the menu appear reasonably priced in comparison.  Restaurants put the most focus on their main servings. According to a Cornell research study on eye movements on restaurant menus, most customers quickly scan the entire menu like a book, but focus the remainder of their attention on the entrees.

10. They limit your choices

Through features such as “try all” samplers, tapas, or fixed menus, restaurants remove the heavy responsibility people feel when choosing what to eat. It is much more effective for restaurants to limit their selection. Apparently, the optimum number of menu items is six items per category in fast-food restaurants, and seven to 10 items per category in fine dining establishments.

11. They set the mood to spend

And finally, a little reading music: According to psychology research from the University of Leicester, playing classical music in restaurants encourages diners to spend more, because it makes them feel more affluent. Meanwhile, less sophisticated pop music caused people to spend 10% less on their meals.

This post was originally written by Maggie Zhang.

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Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified food safety training provider that specializes in efficiently re-certifying Florida’s most experienced food, beverage and hospitality professionals. We award CPFM certificates that satisfy FL. Statute 509.039.

1. Buy (and use) a food thermometer

Because it is important to ensure that foodborne pathogens are destroyed during the cooking process, a food thermometer is an essential food safety tool in the kitchen. There is no other way to determine if a hamburger, roast, or piece of salmon is sufficiently heated. Buy the thermometer and follow these temperature guidelines for cooking: 

• Cook roasts and steaks to a minimum of 145°F
• All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°F
• Cook ground meat to at least 160°F (remember, color is not a reliable indicator of doneness)
• Cook eggs until the yolk and white are firm, not runny and egg dishes such as quiche should be cooked to 145°F
• Cook fish to 145°F
• Bring sauces, soups and gravy to a boil (212 °F) when reheating
• Reheat other leftovers to 165°F

2. Wash your hands before preparing food

OK, this may seem like a no-brainer. Sometimes when we do something by rote, rather than thinking about it, we can get complacent. We may think a quick little rinse under some tepid, running water will do the trick. It will not. So, recommit yourself to an effective hand-washing regimen. Before you pick up that paring knife or prepare that brick of cheese for slicing, wash your hands. Scrub your hands for at least 10-20 seconds under running water WITH SOAP. The soap helps to break up the soil that hides the microorganisms on your hands. Then, the running water can do its job and flush the soil and bacteria away. Be sure to wash again after handling raw meat, poultry, fish, eggs, produce; between handling different foods; after coughing, sneezing, handling garbage; or after contaminating hands in any way.

3. Don’t cook for others when you are sick

According to the State Department of Public Health, ill food workers are often the source of foodborne illness outbreaks. In some cases, restaurants have closed due to a lack of business resulting from a well-publicized outbreak. While you may not work in foodservice, if you are preparing food for family members, friends or housemates, it makes sense to heed this advice: do not prepare food for others if you are sick—particularly with vomiting or diarrhea. Even if you are suffering from a really bad cold or flu with extensive coughing and sneezing, it may make sense to let someone else do the cooking.

4. Never buy another kitchen sponge

I will be honest. I added this to the list because I have a problem with kitchen sponges. It is probably not fair: dishcloths and paper towels are just as likely to distribute bacteria and other pathogens around the kitchen if not handled safely. A study by the Good House Keeping Institute indicated that the most effective way to clean/sanitize a kitchen sponge is to soak it for five minutes in a solution of bleach and water (3/4 cup bleach in 1 gallon of water). Less effective, but still fairly good choices are to microwave the wet sponge for 1 minute on high or to put sponges in the dishwasher. But who really does this every time a sponge gets dirty? A tall stack of dishcloths that can be thrown in the (hot water) wash is my choice. I may only use one per day, or, if I am cleaning up after cutting up raw meat or chicken, I may go through two or three in a day. I have a basket full of them.

5. Wash your fruits and veggies before eating—all of them

Simple as that… wash all fruits and vegetables just before preparing and/or eating them. Wash under running water and use a scrub brush on hard rinds: wash the rinds even if you do not eat them. Washing will not guarantee that all raw produce is germ-free, but it will reduce your risk.

6. Think twice about eating raw animal foods

Most foodborne pathogens (microorganisms that cause disease) come from the intestinal system of animals. When animals poop out the pathogens, they can contaminate soil, water, plants, and other sources of the food we eat. So, it makes sense that eating animal foods that have not been cooked sufficiently to destroy the pathogens is risky. Raw eggs (a la Rocky), raw fish (a la sushi or ceviche), raw milk or raw chicken (no one eats raw chicken, do they?) all have the potential to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Therefore it is best to eat them cooked or pasteurized—cooked enough to destroy the pathogens. If you are a healthy adult, you may choose to take the risk and eat raw clams, raw milk or raw beef (a la carpaccio), but children and immune compromised individuals should avoid raw animal products at all costs.

7. Buy (and use) a refrigerator thermometer

I often implore Connecticut cooks to buy a refrigerator thermometer when there is an impending storm or other event that may lead to a power outage. With a thermometer in your fridge, you are better able to determine if food is safe as the outage wears on and the temperature inside the box starts to increase. But refrigerator thermometers are important, even if the weather outside is not so frightful! It is obvious to most of us that refrigeration is essential to keep food from spoiling. But also, the cold keeps the bacteria that cause foodborne illness from multiplying. Temperatures above 40°F can support faster growth of bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter and other microorganisms that can cause foodborne illness. Putting a refrigerator thermometer in the warmest part of your fridge—and looking at it regularly—will help you to monitor the temperature to ensure that the refrigerator is doing its job.

8. Learn how to cool foods safely

Cooking to the proper temperature is one way to make foods safe. But, if there are leftovers involved, it is only part of the story. To keep food safe after cooking, it is important to chill the food quickly. Break the food down to small amounts, no more than 2-3 inches thick and refrigerate promptly. Do not keep cooked foods at room temperature for more than a few hours before refrigeration. In fact, it is best to refrigerate as soon as you are through serving and eating your meal.

9. Throw out leftovers if they are more than 4 days old

During food preparation, perishable food travels in and out of the danger zone several times: from the processor to the store, to your car, to the kitchen, to the refrigerator or freezer, to the counter for preparation, to the oven, to the table, to the refrigerator again. Each trip through the danger zone (or through several pairs of hands) can increase the number of microorganisms on the food. In addition, some pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, can grow and multiply even at 40°F the refrigerator. Use your leftovers as soon as possible: take them for lunch; re-purpose them for tomorrow’s dinner; or freeze for eating later. Date them if you cannot remember when they were first served. Throw them away after four days.

10. Teach others how to handle food safely

Finally, if you are reading this article, you are getting the food safety message. Many folks simply do not know how food makes people sick. They do not understand that food can look and smell perfectly fine and still be perfectly contaminated. At your church supper, the soup kitchen, a neighborhood picnic or wherever you see or share food preparation duties, be sure to share your knowledge of how to prepare food safely so that you do not have to share a foodborne illness.

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Serve It Up Safe! is a ServSafe Certified food safety training provider that specializes in efficiently re-certifying Florida’s most experienced food, beverage and hospitality professionals. We award CPFM certificates that satisfy FL. Statute 509.039.