Simply good food - Et voilà
Simply good food - Et voilà
Maintaining good hygiene in the kitchen is essential in keeping yourself and those around you safe. Poor hygiene practices not only increase the risk of food poisoning, but can also result in more severe illnesses. To avoid such scenarios, it’s essential to remember the importance of cleanliness in the kitchen. This means following the basic guidelines of keeping surfaces clean, washing hands thoroughly before handling food and storing food items in the right conditions. Doing so can prevent any unwanted medical issues arising from food consumption ensuring that everyone stays safe and healthy.
Before starting any cooking in the kitchen, it is important to take the proper precautions. This includes cleaning and sanitising your hands after having been in contact with any raw ingredient, such as meat, fish, vegetables or fruit and before handling another type of ingredient.
Keep your kitchen clean at all times. A golden rule is the 40/20 rule : prepare and cook for 40 minutes and clean and tidy up for 20 minutes per hour in the kitchen. Doing this, you will find it much easier to work and cook in the kitchen and you will feel much calmer and relaxed preparing delicious meals. At the end of your meal, you will also find it much more enjoyable to return to the kitchen not having to clean up a complete mess of dishes and tools, which can ruin the happiness you just enjoyed preparing and eating your meals.
It is essential when using a cutting board that shortcuts are avoided to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. Once you have cut raw produce such as meat, fish, vegetables, or fruit, switch to a different board before moving onto prepping other items. Taking these precautions will make sure that you are preparing and eating food safely without being contaminated.
The same goes for the knife and other tools used in the kitchen, clean them thoroughly before moving on to other ingredients.
Making sure temperatures remain accurate during your cooking process is critical for proper food safety. Consequently, it is important to adhere to a few basic rules regarding core temperatures and take into account carryover cooking when planning. For additional details on cooking temperatures and carryover cooking, please go to.
Food that you intend to store for later use should not be left on the table for extended periods of time. Cool it down slightly first before swiftly transferring it to the refrigerator. Be aware of the time and temperature, as leaving the food in the so-called “danger zone” for too long increases the risk of food contamination by bacteria forming, see Bacteria turning spores turning bacteria.
If you plan to thaw food from the freezer, it is best to move the item to the refrigerator the day before. Place the frozen food in a bowl to avoid any leakage onto other food items.