Infested

Argh!  Last night we decided to kick up our heels and make something quick from a box.  So I dumped the mac into the boiling water, and up floated a couple of insects!  The next box in the cupboard had a lovely little worm hanging out in it.  Lovely.  Our cupboard is infested with Indian meal moths.

I should have caught on when the sunflower seeds clumped together.  I assumed they were just old and decomposing.  The dried mango that went yucky. . . I just assumed that it was a contaminated batch, and I hadn't looked too closely.

Now that I know what I am dealing with, I realize I have to strip out all of the cupboard's non-canned dry goods, and dispose, freeze, or eat them promptly.  And vacuum out the cupboards.  And hope like hell that there are no meal moth larvae lurking under the oven or in another room, because it appears that these bugs are hard as hell to be rid of.

The worst part will be the spice cupboard, but I've been needing an excuse to sort it and start over.

It's a damn good thing these bugs don't carry diseases.  They are disgusting; they eat your dry goods and poop in them, and web them up with silk, but they're edible; or at least won't make you sick other than at the thought of eating insects.

Refrigerating and Freezing

Ugh. . . this is the last essay.  I'll need to hammer on it some more, but the hard first draft is done.  I also had friends review the "food safety" essay, and they gave me great feedback, which I have implemented.

This leaves two more soup recipes I would still like to shoehorn in, and then lots of revisions.

This vacation is turning out to be quite productive!

Refrigerating and Freezing Your Cooked Foods

Cooked foods need to be eaten, refrigerated, or frozen within two hours of being cooked. The sooner the food is refrigerated or frozen, the longer it will last, and the quality will remain higher for longer.

The USDA recommends that refrigerated leftovers be eaten or thrown away within two days. However, foods that are cooked for later use, if handled carefully and refrigerated promptly, can be good for up to five days when refrigerated . This makes it possible to cook meal elements on a weekend (such as Boiled Beans #, Boiled Grains #, or Pot Roast #) that can be assembled into quick week-night meals.

When you need to put a hot food into the refrigerator or freezer, avoid leaving it out to cool at room temperature, because this extends the time that the food will spend in the danger zone. You can cool some foods quickly (such as boiled grains, boiled beans, or steamed vegetables) by putting the food in a colander and running cold tap water over it. You can cool a large pot of food by setting it in a sink filled with ice and water. Large chunks of meat or whole poultry can be cooled by cutting up the meat and placing it on a cold plate before moving it into a container for storage.

While you can cool food by moving it directly to the refrigerator or freezer, if you do this with too large a quantity of food, you run the risk of putting everything in the refrigerator or freezer in the danger zone. If you need to do this, make sure the hot food has as much space around it as possible, so that the cold air can circulate.

Hot glass cookware should not be cooled quickly, because it could shatter.

When handling foods prior to storage, practice safe food-handling: wash your hands, and also handle the food as little as possible with your hands.

Refrigerates foods can be moved into the freezer at any time. However, a food that is on the verge of spoiling before freezing will be just as bad when it comes back out of the freezer. The sooner you freeze your food, the better.

“Disposable” plastic boxes are ideal for refrigerating and freezing foods, because they are inexpensive and can be washed and reused until they break. These boxes come in a range of sizes, and can be heated in the microwave. To remove a frozen block of food from one of these boxes, run some hot tap water over the box. Do note, however, that these boxes become brittle when frozen, which can make them shatter when dropped.

When freezing soups, boiled grains, beans in their cooking water, or other wet food, it helps to save the food in individual serving sizes. Baby food and broth can be frozen in ice-cube trays and then moved to a sealed container. Chopped greens can be saved in any sized container, because the desired amount can be easily broken off with a fork. To keep them from sticking together, slices of meatloaf, pancakes, French toast, and similar items can either be frozen on a cookie sheet, and then moved to a container; or they can be frozen separated by pieces of parchment paper. Cooked beans and meatballs can also be frozen first on a cookie sheet in order to keep them from sticking together into one large mass.

Fresh produce can be be “blanched” (dipped in boiling water) and then frozen for long-term storage. More information on blanching can be found online at http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09330.html

The safest way to thaw frozen food is in the refrigerator. Small items will require a day or two to thaw in the refrigerator. Larger items, such as turkey, will take about one day to thaw for each 4 or 5 pounds.

Smaller quantities of frozen food can be thawed safely in a bowl of cold water, or in the microwave on the “defrost” setting. Never leave food to thaw at room temperature.

More information on freezing can be found at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Focus_On_Freezing/index.asp

Baby Food

I had taken this section out, but wok up this morning inspired to put it back in.  Feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Baby Food

When your baby can hold up her head, and when she begins to watch and grab for what you are eating, it is time to introduce “solid foods” into her diet. “Solid food” really means “any food other than breast milk or formula”.

Jarred baby food is generally quite good in quality, if bland. However, it is expensive, and if used improperly, wasteful. To avoid waste, do not feed the baby directly from a jar of baby food and do not heat food while it is in the jar. Transfer a small amount of the food to its own bowl, and save the remainder of the jar for the next day. Discard leftovers after 24 hours, to be absolutely safe.

Baby cereals are finely-ground grains that need only to be mixed with baby food or a liquid. No cooking is required.

Consult your doctor as to what foods to introduce when. Keep in mind that the guidelines have changed frequently over the years, and that some foods (such as peanut and spices) which are not usually fed to infants in the United States are regularly used as baby food in other countries.

You can make your own baby food by cooking Steamed Vegetables #, and then mashing the vegetables with a fork and then adding a little water, breast milk, or formula. The same technique can be used with some fruits and meats, as well. A food processor or blender will help if you wish to make more than one or two meals' worth. Save baby food for later by freezing it in an ice-cube tray. Once frozen, transfer the cubes of frozen baby food into a tightly-sealing container.

Frozen baby food can be heated on the stove in a pan, or in the microwave. Always stir heated baby food, and always test baby food temperature before feeding it to the baby. You can use a clean finger to test the temperature, or you can taste the food.

Some fresh fruits lend themselves very well to being made into baby food: banana, avocado, peach, nectarine, mango, and the gooey interior of tomatoes. Baked Squash # and Baked Root Vegetables # also work reasonably well. And there are any number of foods that you might cook for yourself which can be mashed on your plate in tiny quantities to share with your baby.

Infants need to start with foods that are as as close as possible to the consistency of milk. Over time, the baby can be gradually introduced to foods that have a more lumpy consistency, such as mashed banana with no added water, followed by small bites of foods that require no chewing, such as Cheerios which have been broken into pieces. You can test small bites of food by holding it in your mouth. If, after holding it on your tongue for a short while, you can swallow it without chewing, then you can let your baby try it.

Be sure to read up on the Heimlich maneuver for infants before introducing solid foods.

Kitchen Safety

I'm exhausted.  Bedtime took stupidly long tonight.  I didn't start writing until 10:30.

I know this is still quite rough.  Mom is going to look over it tomorrow to help me pin down what's missing.  Ugh, this part is tedious.

Cooking Safely

The kitchen is a fun place, and a source of full bellies and tasty treats. But it is also a dangerous place, as a source of burns, cuts, fires, and food-borne illness. This information can be tedious, but if you are new to cooking, please read this section, and save yourself a trip to the emergency room.

Knife Safety

Knives are safest when kept sharp, because dull knives often slide in unpredictable directions. You can use a sharpening steel at home to keep your knives sharper for longer, but eventually all knives need to be taken to a professional knife sharpener to be restored to optimal sharpness.

Protect your knives and counter top by using a cutting board.

In general, cut away from yourself, and towards a cutting board. When cutting a rounded vegetable, first carefully cut off one side. Then set the vegetable so that the cut side is down on the cutting board. This will prevent the vegetable from rolling while you cut.

When using a paring knife for peeling potatoes, or making other small and controlled cuts, it is safe to cut towards your thumb, and no cutting board is needed. Hold the knife in the fingers of your dominant hand, with the blade facing your thumb. Use your thumb to guide the food to the knife.

Heat Safety

Kitchens are full of hot surfaces, and every cook gets burned on occasion by grabbing a hot handle by mistake. Keep several pot-holders stationed around the kitchen where you can grab them in a hurry.

Don't reach into a hot stove. Instead, use a pot holder to pull the oven shelf out.

Keep all pot handles turned so that they aren't hanging over open space. This is particularly important if children are present. With children present, do as much cooking on the back burners as you can, and never leave a young child unsupervised near a hot stove.

Appliance Safety

Keep toasters and other counter-top appliances unplugged when not in use. Read all appliance directions thoroughly.

Fire Safety

It's a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen. Read the instructions carefully, so that you know how to work the extinguisher in an emergency. After being used, even just a little, most extinguishers will either need to be recharged (refilled) or replaced. Aim at the base of the fire, not at the tops of the flames.

Do not use water to put out a grease fire! A grease fire must be smothered. Use a wet towel, a pot lid, or baking soda, or salt to smother a fire. If the fire is in the oven or microwave, close the door and turn off the device. If the oven continues to smoke as if there is still a fire inside, call 911.

Toasters accumulate crumbs, and these crumbs must be cleaned out regularly to prevent fires. If you have a toaster fire, unplug the device if possible before putting out the fire.

Test your smoke alarms every month to make sure they are in working order.

The Danger Zone

Food rots quickly between 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and 140. This is the “danger zone”. With the exception of sealed canned goods and dry foods like crackers, food must be kept below 40 or above 140 to keep for any length of time. Cooked dishes can be left at room temperature, I.E. the “danger zone”, for a maximum of two hours. Food left at room temperature for longer than two hours must be thrown away. On a hot day, food should be thrown away after just one hour.

Animal Products

Most animal products have the potential to be carrying bacteria or parasites which are dangerous to humans. This is why meats and eggs typically have a minimum temperature that they must be cooked to in order to be safe to eat.

When in doubt, cook all hot dishes to 165 degrees. Some foods are safely cooked at lower temperatures, but the majority need to be cooked to 165. Exceptions are eggs (160), whole beef (140), ground beef (160), fish and shellfish (145), and uncooked ham (145). Leftovers should be reheated to 165 degrees.

Never eat an egg that has been damaged.

Milk and milk products are typically pasteurized, which eliminates bacteria and parasites from them. Milk and milk products must be refrigerated to prevent spoilage.

Cooling Hot Foods

When you need to put a hot food into the refrigerator or freezer, avoid leaving it out to cool at room temperature to cool, because this extends the time that the food will spend in the danger zone. You can cool some foods quickly (such as boiled grains) by putting the food in a colander and running cold tap water over it. Ice is a good tool for cooling food. Or clear a space in the refrigerator to allow air to circulate freely around the food. (Note, however, that hot glass cookware should not be cooled quickly, because it could shatter.)

Cold Food Safety

Strictly speaking, leftovers should only be kept for a couple of days. However, pre-cooked ingredients such as boiled grains, boiled beans, or baked chicken, if handled carefully, and cooled and refrigerated promptly, will be good for at least five days.

Food can be frozen once after you buy it. Once a frozen food has thawed, it must be refrigerated and cooked within 24 hours. Do not refreeze a thawed food. When you buy frozen food, if it thaws too much before you can get it into your own freezer, then it cannot be refrozen, and should be cooked and eaten within 24 hours.

Some foods, such as cream sauces or cheese, cannot be frozen because the quality of the food deteriorates. This doesn't make the food dangerous to eat; it merely makes it unappetizing.

Food must be sealed tightly when frozen, or it will become “freezer burned”. Freezer burn isn't dangerous, but it tastes bad.

Frozen foods keep from a month to several years, depending on the type of food, and weather the freezer is opened regularly or not. If a frozen food is kept in the freezer for too long, it will slowly become less nutritious, and the quality will become less good. Empty your freezer once a year, and label everything you freeze with the date and what it is.

Thawing Safely

The safest way to thaw frozen food is in the refrigerator. Smaller quantities of frozen food can be thawed safely in a bowl of cold water, or in the microwave. Never leave food to thaw at room temperature.

Canned Foods

Sealed wet foods, such as canned foods and sealed jars, can be kept on a shelf at room temperature until their expiration date. Do not eat or taste foods from cans that have swollen, rusted, become leaky, that are badly dented, or if the food looks or smells unusual. Do not eat food from a jar that is no longer safely sealed.

Most canned or jarred food must be refrigerated after opening, and after opening must also be used or thrown away within seven days. This information will be printed somewhere on the label in small print. This especially applies to things like juice and applesauce that children will be eating. This does not necessarily apply to condiments, such as catchup or pickles. When in doubt, throw it out.

Dry Foods

Dry goods such as cereals, crackers, cake mixes, spices, and flour, can be kept on a shelf at room temperature in their original packages or in tightly sealed airtight containers, until their expiration date. When dry goods are not sealed, the food will absorb moisture from the air, causing the food to become stale. This is not dangerous; it is merely unappetizing.

When a food has a “use by” date, or a “best if used by” date, the food can be used within a reasonable amount of time after that date.

Cross Contamination

Cross Contamination is a major cause of food poisoning. I.E., the raw meat dripped on the top of the beer can, or the cooked meat was placed on the platter that had held raw meat, or someone didn’t wash their hands after handling raw egg, etc. Prevent cross contamination by washing your hands immediately after handling raw animal products, and always wash your hands before cooking, before handling clean dishes, and after using the restroom. Wash promptly anything that touched raw animal products. Store raw animal products so that they can't drip onto anything in the refrigerator.