Keep baking fun and safe for your family this winter!
Flour, eggs and baking safety
Baking our favorite “sometimes foods,” such as cakes and cookies, are fun to make and eat. We must be safe when doing so. Eating unbaked doughs and batters can cause illness. Flour like eggs should not be eaten raw or uncooked. The eggs (in shell) and flour we buy are rarely pasteurized for safety. Pasteurizing is a process that uses heat to kill harmful germs. Flour may contain bad bacteria commonly known as E. coli, that can cause serious illness. Remember to role model good food handling and eating practices!
Preparing for a winter power outage
Keep doors to the refrigerator and freezer closed as much as possible while the power is out. Have an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator and freezer. This tool gives you information about safe temperatures in the fridge and freezer (visit our blog for more information on food safety and power outages).
These are two examples of appliance thermometers. They can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer. Note that the temperature of the refrigerator is unsafe at 49.1°F, and should be between a safe temperature of 32°F -40°F. Image credit: S. Henley
You cannot replace a cold garage or outside for your refrigerator
Even if temperatures outside are the same as your refrigerator, you do not want to leave food outside, this includes a cold garage. Your refrigerator is clean and temperature controlled. Outdoor temperatures can vary, allowing foodborne pathogens to grow.
Staying healthy is important to all of us. Safe food handling creates a safer and enjoyable place to live for everyone. Enjoy your winter and stay safe!
Freezing leftovers safely
Leftovers, the humble remains of a once mighty meal are often tricky to preserve well for later reuse. When freezing a meal, use an airtight container that is leak proof for leftover stews, cooked fruit, vegetables, meat proteins, or grains pastas.
Labeling the freezer container with the name of your leftovers, date to put in the freezer, and quantity to help keep your freezer organized. The quality of your leftovers is best when your freezer is between -20°F to 0°F.
Freezing fruits and vegetables: General tips to freeze fruits and vegetables include rinsing them under running tap water and drying them with a clean towel. Sorting by size and quantity, with a label on the freezer package will keep you organized. The best way to freeze fruits and vegetables will take a few more steps, so visit websites such as Preserve Smart and download a free App or visit The National Center for Home Food Preservation for great resources to help you learn how to preserve all types of healthful foods.
Freezing proteins: Meats are best frozen in packaging that has as much air removed as possible. Air can cause freezer burn which makes the meat not taste so good. Meat will freeze and thaw out faster if they are packaged in amounts just right for a meal. If buying meat in bulk, use freezer safe packages to freeze meat in smaller packages. Remove as much air as possible and label before placing in the freezer. If you have freezer or butcher paper, here are two ways you can wrap your meat:
Preserving foods provides great fun in the kitchen for the whole family. Cooking can teach our kids to be self-sufficient, strong and healthy.
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