Issue 130: Thanksgiving Food Safety & Storage: Part 2

Happy Thanksgiving! In the midst of our busy-ness, we are called to pause and feel gratitude for all that we have. Wherever we focus our intention is where we will place our attention. One powerful way to cultivate wellness is to pause and see with your heart the many good things in your life. Believe me, there are a surprising number of them.

As for me, I am perpetually grateful to you, my readers and clients! You make me better and inspire me every day. Thank you! Truly.

I sent this out earlier than usual today so you can use it as a reference as you cook. You’ll be reminded of important cooking temperatures, how long food is safe when it’s left out (like on a buffet), handy rules for cleaning up, and what to do with those yummy leftovers. And go remind yourself of the good stuff from last week!
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Remember to print out the full comprehensive guide to food safety to keep all year!

In Wellness,  Mary Virginia

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Preparing the Meal

I don't know about you, but even I sometimes have to check our Joy of Cooking or my cell phone’s browser to remind myself of the temperature that tells me my bird is cooked. No more! We can all refer to my easy reference guide here.

But there’s more to food temps than just the cooking. We need to know how to keep food safe when it sits out for a while, too.

Minimum Safe Internal Temperature During Cooking

• Raw chicken, turkey (not stuffed), and other poultry: 165º.
  • Test deep in the thickest part of the bird.
• Stuffed turkey: stuffing - 165º; breast - 170º; thigh - 175º.
  • Note: turkey may be removed from the oven if it has reached 160º-165º if you allow it to sit for 20-45 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise about 5º.
• Eggs (not served immediately), chopped fish, ground meat/beef patties: 155º for at least 15 seconds.
• Eggs (served immediately), fish, beef steak, pork chops, game animals raised commercially: 145º for at least 15 seconds.
• Stuffed fish, stuffed meats, stuffed pasta, and all poultry: 165º for at least 15 seconds.
• Vegetables, fruits (eaten immediately): 135º
• Reheating food in the microwave: 165º, then allow to stand for 2 minutes before eating.

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What You Should Know About The Buffet, Long Meals, & The Temperature Danger Zone

This is so important if you have a meal or gathering that lasts for several hours!

Reminder: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.

Cold foods should be kept at 41ºF or below and hot foods kept at 135ºF or above to avoid bacterial growth before serving. Use ice below containers or heat underneath chafing dishes if on a buffet.

Harmful bacteria grow rapidly when food is kept for more than a cumulative total of four hours between 41º and 135º. That obviously includes room temperature.

Perishable food can be left out safely at room temperature for around 2 hours, but not longer. (Only 1 hour if the ambient temperature is 90º or above). Remember that even if you store it properly after this, the time it was left out is part of the cumulative 4 hours mentioned above.

Foods that contain water or are damp are more likely to grow bacteria. Very alkaline (like crackers) and very acidic (like lemons) foods are not hospitable to bacterial growth.
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Let’s Talk Leftovers

Remember that this is all about food safety. Just because you put it in the fridge when the meal was over doesn’t make it safe. Here’s how to store and use your leftovers so you can enjoy them for days! And know when to toss them.

Cooling Food

• Do not place still hot foods directly in the freezer or refrigerator. Allow them to cool first, stir them so that warm spots will even into cool ones, and then store in fridge or freezer. Otherwise bacteria can grow in the still warm parts of the food and contaminate the whole thing. Everyone else makes this mistake - don’t be everyone else!
• Here are some ways to cool food easily:
  • Reduce the size of the food product by cutting or dividing. It will cool more quickly and evenly.
  • Consider placing it in containers and then put the containers in ice water baths. Stir to mix cooling food into still warm spots until cool enough to place in fridge or freezer.
  • Use loose or no covers while cooling to prevent trapping heat.
• Cool from 135º to 70º in less than two hours, then 70º to 41º in less than four hours (fridge or freezer).
  
  

All the Yummy Food

• Good for 3 days if kept properly cooled, stored, and refrigerated.
  • If you’re not going to follow the three day boundary (and so many of us don’t 👋 ), then you’ll be especially interested in reheating and when to know when to toss old food (keep reading).
• You can reheat leftovers as often as you want - it resets the clock on spoilage! Food can be safe to eat indefinitely! (Although reheating might affect the texture).
  • Remember the rules about warming leftovers: Heat on the stove or in the oven to a core temp of at least 165º, or reheat in the microwave to 165º, then allow to stand for 2 minutes before eating.
• Good for 4-6 months if frozen (generally).​
  
  

Eeeeeewwwww - Fungi/Mold, Yeast, and Parasites

• Fungi/Mold: Throw out food with mold on it, although you can cut mold off of hard cheeses and still eat them if you cut it at least one inch from the mold.
• Yeast: Some can cause food spoilage. Look for bubbles, an alcohol smell or taste, discoloration, or slime.
• Parasites: They need a live host to survive. Freezing and heat will kill them.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

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Cleaning Up

We all want a sparkling kitchen, pots, pans, and dishes once our meal is done. However, we also really don’t want to spread germs and toxic chemicals onto our food with our cleaning supplies. 

The first tip was in last week’s newsletter, too, but so many people just don’t quite follow it that it bears repeating.

No Really - Don’t Keep Cleaning Supplies by the Food
Cleaning chemicals and the bugs collected on rags and sponges can transfer to the food via proximity. Don’t reuse washcloths, sponges, and tea towels used during meal prep after the meal. Put them in the wash.

Surprise! Wash Dishes and Containers in This Order
Wash the containers that have held non-animal proteins (vegetable, fruit, bread, etc.) first. Then wash items that have held mixed foods or cooked animal proteins. 

Leave the chopping boards and containers that held raw animal proteins until the very last, and put them in the dishwasher if you can (don’t put plastic in the dishwasher, even the lids). Dry and put away items in the drying rack or other clean items beforehand to avoid contaminating them with the raw animal proteins.

Then launder in hot water everything you used for cleaning.

Cleaning the Counter
Never, ever, ever use a cloth or sponge to wipe the counter if it has been used to clean items that touched raw animal proteins. In fact, I suggest having a fresh, dedicated cloth or sponge for wiping the counters. 

How to Clean your Sponge
Sanitize and deodorize your sponges and scrub brushes by putting them in the dishwasher. In a pinch, you can microwave your sponge for at least 30 seconds. It won’t smell any better (pee-yew!), but the bugs will die. You can also, frankly, wash the sponge thoroughly with dish soap, friction, and hot water to make it safer to use. Rinse completely.

Hot Tip: You should not use antibacterial soaps, sprays, and cleaners unless you have a true medical reason (even then, only when strictly necessary). Antibacterial soaps and cleaners contribute to antibiotic resistance in our bodies.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

While I love to talk food and nutrition, the most important part of gathering around the table is the ancient and profound connection we feel with each other when we share food. Let me encourage you to listen deeply rather than speaking first. Be curious. Ask a question and wait for the answer before deciding what to say next. Share yourself. Be present. Seek to be kind before all else. Experience the warm heart rhythms of others.

It’s so healing.

I wish you all the best now and always.
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