Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips
The Fourth of July is just around the corner and for a lot of us
that means heading out to the lake or to the park for a picnic
with friends or family.
Unfortunately, if we're not careful when we plan, transport and
serve that picnic, our outing might not end up happily.
Here are some tips to remember when planning an outdoor meal:
1. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Bacteria multiply
quickly at temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees. Foods that
have been kept at unsafe temperatures are a prime source of
foodborne illnesses.
2. Plan ahead and try to take foods that don't spoil so quickly.
At any rate, don't eat anything that's been sitting out for more
than an hour, especially if the temperature is over 80.
3. Try to take only the amount of food that will be eaten, so
there will be no leftovers.
4. Pack your food with ice or cold packs in an insulated cooler.
Place foods that will be eaten last in the bottom. You can make
your own blocks of ice by freezing water in milk cartons or
other plastic containers.
Place ice blocks or cold packs between containers of food, never
just place containers of food on top of ice.
5. You might want to bring 2 coolers -- 1 for drinks, because it
will be opened more often, and 1 for the food, that can be set
in the shade and kept closed until needed.
6. If you're planning to cook hamburgers at the picnic site,
shape your meat into patties and freeze before putting into the
cooler. Take along a meat thermometer to be sure you cook the
meat to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees.
7. An extra zip-top bag full of ice can be placed in the top of
the cooler. The extra ice will come in handy for the trip home.
If your day is a long one, and the ice melts the cold water can
come in handy, also.
8. Carry your cooler inside your car, instead of in your hot
trunk and be sure to place it in a shady spot and maybe even
cover it with a blanket when you reach your destination. Open it
only when necessary.
9. Instead of bringing whole jars of condiments, pack what you
will need into smaller plastic containers.
10. Bring lots of clean utensils for serving as well as eating.
Pack pre-moistened towelettes and paper towels for easy cleanup.
11. And remember this rule from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture regarding leftovers: When in doubt, throw it out!