Kitchen Safety Tips
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Hands, counter tops, cutting boards, utensils and dishes should be washed with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before going on to the next.
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Don’t cross-contaminate. Separate all raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in the grocery cart and in your refrigerator. Use different cutting boards for raw meat products and fresh produce. Never place cooked food on a plate or platter that previously held raw meat or poultry.
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Cook meat and poultry to recommended temperatures. Use a thermometer instead of guessing by color to determine if its done. Throw out any unused marinade, or bring it to a boil to reuse it.
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Don’t overpack the refrigerator or picnic cooler. Your refrigerator should be at 40 degrees F or below for safe storage. Thaw food in the refrigerator or in cold water, changing the water often. And, refrigerate leftover food within 2 hours of cooking.
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Research has shown that kitchen sponges and dishcloths can contain alarming amounts of bacteria – so it’s critical to use clean materials when wiping down kitchen surfaces and before preparing meals.
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Cleaning Tips
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To get rid of smells in your microwave, cut half a lemon up into several small pieces and place in a cup of water. Add a couple of whole cloves. Place this in the microwave and boil for 5 minutes.
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To rid a cutting board of food smells, such as fish or onions, cut a lemon or lime in half and rub the board down with it.
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To freshen a smelly garbage disposal, grind up some lemons, oranges, or grapefruits. Save lemon and orange rinds in a plastic bag in the freezer to use for this purpose. When the disposal begins to smell, take a rind from the freezer and throw it down the disposal.
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Remove odors from your hands by rubbing them with lemons. Washing hands with a couple of tablespoons of mouthwash will also remove the odors.
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For plasticware that has been stained, place in a gallon of warm water, which has one cup of bleach added to it. Let it soak in this solution for at least 20 minutes. Take out and rinse well, and then wash as you normally would with hot soapy water.
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Clean stuck-on food from cookware by soaking it in baking soda and water for 10 minutes. After soaking, wash as normal. Baking soda can also be used as a scouring powder on the cookware.
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Clean up grease or oil spills by sprinkling flour over the spill. The flour soaks up the spill and can then be easily scraped up and disposed of. This prevents the grease or oil from being spread around while trying to wipe it up with a paper towel or rag.
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After grating cheese, grate a raw potato to clean the cheese out of the holes.
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To make stainless steel shine, rub it down with lemon peel. You can also soak it in club soda until the fizz is gone. After either process, wash in soapy water and dry.
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To make your copperware shine, cut a lemon in half, sprinkle it with salt, and rub the surface of the copperware.
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To clean darkened aluminum cookware, boil a quart of water with 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar for about 10 minutes.
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Make cleaning cooked-on splatters from the inside of the microwave easier by first boiling a cup of water in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Then let it set for a couple of more minutes to allow condensation to form. The condensation will help loosen the cooked on splatters and make clean up much easier.
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Kitchen Tips
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Brown SugarTo keep brown sugar soft and fresh, seal the package tight and store it in the refrigerator or place a piece of bread in with the brown sugar to prevent it from becoming hard. To soften brown sugar after it has hardened, place a fresh apple wedge in the bag of hardened sugar, seal the bag and leave it for 1 to 2 days until the sugar is soft again. Remove the apple wedge and stir sugar. Store in an airtight plastic bag.
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FlourTo prevent bugs from getting into the flour, add a bay leaf to your flour container or store it in the freezer.
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HoneyIf honey crystallizes, place the honey container in a pan or bowl of hot water and let it stand until the honey has melted. Then stir the melted honey until it is smooth.
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EggsCheck the shells of eggs to determine freshness. Fresh eggs have shells that are rough and chalky. Old eggs have shells that are smooth and have lost the chalky appearance. Or, place in cold salt water and if it sinks it is fresh. If it rises to the surface, it is old and should be discarded.
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GarlicSelect garlic that is plump and firm with paper-like skins that are tight and intact. Avoid any that are soft or that have begun to shrivel. Placing garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds should make the skins peel off easily. Place peeled and mince garlic in a small jar and pour just enough olive oil over it to cover the garlic and then refridgerate to keep fresh flavor for about a week. Instead of throwing out sprouting garlic, plant the cloves fairly close together in a pot or in the garden (if climate allows). The new shoots that appear will have a mild garlic flavor and can be used in the same manner as regular chives.
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ApplesWhen cutting apples into slices or chunks, sprinkle them with lemon juice or lemon-lime soda to keep them from turning brown. Or soak in apple juice to keep them from turning brown.
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PotatoesDo not store potatoes close to onions. The onions will cause the potatoes to rot faster. Place an apple in the bag with the potatoes to keep them from sprouting.
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TomatoesIf tomatoes are under-ripe, place them in a brown paper bag and store them overnight in a dark area, or try placing them in a covered bowl with an apple. The apple gives off ethylene gas, which hastens ripening. Firm up overripe tomatoes by placing them in a bowl of cold salt water and leaving them sit overnight.
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Chili PeppersKeep chili peppers fresh longer by storing them with the stems removed.
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MushroomsStore mushrooms, uncleaned, in a paper bag or their original container. Do not store in plastic or airtight plastic containers because they cause the mushrooms to retain moisture and decay faster.
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LemonsSelect lemons that are heavy for their size and have smooth skins. To get more juice out of a lemon, allow the lemon to reach room temperature and then roll it on a hard countertop using the palm of your hand. Roll it back and forth until you feel the skin loosening. To produce more juice from a lemon or other citrus fruit, place the fruit in a bowl of hot water before cutting and squeezing, or place it in the microwave for 10 seconds before squeezing
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LettuceChoose heads that are firm and have nice green leaves. Avoid heads that have leaves showing any discoloration. To remove the core from a head of lettuce, hit the core solidly on the top of the counter. This will separate the core from the head. The core can then be removed by giving it a slight twist and pulling it out.
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Storeage & Organization Tips
| Shelf StorageStore opened items, such as pasta, rice and cereals, in clear plastic or glass containers with tight fitting lids to keep them fresh and easily visible. Clear self-sealing bags can also be used. Use Lazy Susans on shelves that hold small items, such as spices, this makes access much easier and faster. Use shallow organizer shelving in tall, deep shelves to add layers for stacking small or shorter items. If you have a pantry with empty walls, add more shelving or stackable bins. Use wire or plastic baskets to hold odd shaped or bulky items. Be sure to place newest products in back of what is already on the shelf so that older items get used first.
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| Refrigerator StorageRemove and discard food that is spoiled or has been stored past the recommended storage time. Store leftovers in clear containers or bags so you can see what you are searching for without having to open several containers to find it. Try to keep like items together, vegetables in one bin, fruit in another bin, lunch meat, hot dogs, bacon and sausages together, condiiments in the same shelf, ect. Think about what you are going to get and where its at before opening the door to minimize the loss of cold air.
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| Freezer StorageWhen adding food to the freezer that is the same as something already stored there, be sure to place it in the same area and under or behind what is already there. This will ensure that the oldest food is used first. Organize smaller items using the freezer baskets. When buying meat, such as hamburger or pork chops in bulk, divide it up according to how much you use per meal, repackage and lable, including the date. Organize meat into different groups according to your own personal preference. Stack large, flat containers on the bottom, going smaller as you go up.
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