Real And Quirky

Dallas Fort Worth Homeschooling Mom of 5

You are here: Home / food / Father’s Day Cooking and Grilling Tips to Remember (and a giveaway!)

Father’s Day Cooking and Grilling Tips to Remember (and a giveaway!)

Share
Tweet
Pin
0 Shares

With Father’s Day coming up this weekend, there is NO doubt that men (and ladies!) will flock to the grill!  There are some important safety considerations that should be noted.  Thanks to NSF International – a nonprofit organization that is committed to protecting public health and safety by developing standards and certifying products against those standards – for sharing a list of its top tips for grilling. Whether you are novice or a grilling expert, these tips provide sound advice for keeping your grilling fun and safe this summer.

1. Start with a Clean Kitchen: According to a swab analysis by NSF International, the kitchen sponge and kitchen sink were the germiest places in the home – items that are typically used in multiple stages of the cooking and cleaning process. Avoid cross-contamination by ensuring these items are clean by:

a. Placing wet sponges in the microwave for two minutes once per day and replacing them often – every two weeks or more as needed. A better option for kitchen cleaning are dishcloths, towels and rags. These items can be sanitized by washing on the clothes washer’s hot water cycle with bleach. Replace every 1-2 days.
b. Washing and disinfecting the sides and bottom of the sink 1-2 times per week with a disinfecting cleaner. Sanitize kitchen drains and disposals monthly by pouring a solution of one teaspoon household bleach in one quart of water down the drain. Wash kitchen sink strainers in the dishwasher weekly.

2. Defrost Foods Safely. Don’t attempt to defrost foods quickly by leaving them sit overnight on a kitchen counter. Use one of the following methods:

a. Option I – Place a covered food in a shallow pan on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.
b. Option II – Defrost the food item in the microwave, but keep in mind that you must finish cooking the food immediately thereafter, as some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the microwave defrosting process.
c. Option III – If there is not enough time to thaw frozen foods, it is safe to cook foods from the frozen state. However, the cooking will take approximately 50% longer than the recommended time for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry.

3. Practice Proper Marinating. If marinating food, marinate in a refrigerator overnight and dispose of any leftover marinade that has been in contact with raw meat. While acids in marinades can help tenderize meat, too much vinegar or hot sauce can cause meat to be more stringy and tough.
 
4. Keep Hot Foods Hot and Cold Foods Cold Hot foods need to be kept at temperatures above 140 F and cold foods less than 40 F. Between these two temperatures, bacteria can multiply very rapidly and reach dangerous levels in as little as two hours.

5. Don’t cook with your eyes; Cook with a thermometer. In order to ensure food has reached a safe internal temperature, always use a certified food thermometer. Any leftovers should be put away within two hours (one hour if the temperature is over 90° F).

 6. Avoid Cross Contamination. Since bacteria can easily spread from one food to the next via dripping juices, hands, or utensils, think ahead to avoid cross contamination. Don’t use the same utensils and plates for raw and cooked foods, and always remember to wash your hands before preparing and consuming food.

 Thank you for those!!  There are several that I will be sharing with the hubbies I know that will be grilling.


I’ve generously been provided with a prize pack to give away to one of my readers!!!  Who wants to win?

Win grilling tongs, NSF Certified Tupperware, an NSF Certified meat thermometer, and an NSF apron to use in your safe cooking endeavors!

 

Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment with your email address telling me something you learned on NSF’s SafetyTown website.
Bonus Entries: (leave a separate comment for each extra entry you do!)
*Take the Food Safety Quiz.  How did your answers compare to what NSF recommends?
*Enter any of my other giveaways.  One extra entry per giveaway you enter.
*Follow me on Google Friend Connect (on the right hand side of this page).
*Follow me on Twitter @JennsRAQ.
*Like me on Facebook.
*Retweet this post or share it on Facebook using the icons on the post. 🙂  Thanks for spreading the word!

Contest will close 6/25.

*I was compensated for this post, but all opinions stated above are my own.

Share
Tweet
Pin
0 Shares

About Jenn L

Jenn lives in Fort Worth, Texas with her husband and 5 children. She is definitely real and quirky in person and on the internet. Jenn has been homeschooling her kids since 2009.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kwyndawn says

    I learned that they inspect water treatment and mark it with their seal only if it does what is claims it can do.

    kwyndawn(at)hotmail(dot)com

  2. Kwyndawn says

    I tried to take the quiz. I read and answered all the questions but they do not have a place to show their answers. However, I am sure I passed.

    kwyndawn(at)hotmail(dot)com

  15. ACMommy3 says

    I learned that you can look for the NSF Seal on Dishwashers to make sure the one you purchase effectively cleans & santizes your dishes! Cool, I knew they had seals on water filters and such, but not appliances too. 🙂 creedamy [at] yahoo[dot] com

  19. Stephanie says

    I learnt that The NSF mark on the label of bottled waters means that the product meets stringent Food and Drug Administration and international regulations not only for product quality but for processing and packaging as well.
    srgrant05(at)ymail(dot)com

  23. Reanne says

    NSF has a quality assurance program they enforce to help you know that when you buy organic, it’s organic!

    bringhamsweeps (at) yahoo *dot* com

  36. kellyr78 says

    I learned that I should contact my local water utility to ensure the chemicals used to treat my water are certified by NSF.

    KellywcuATyahooDOTcom

  50. Anonymous says

    I learned that the NSF mark existed! Nice to know!

    jenniekcoupons at gmail dot com

  52. Heather says

    I learned something new about chemicals in disposable glove, I never would have that about watching out for that before.

  53. Heather says

    The only question I didn’t get right was, that your not supposed to defrost meat by setting it out on the counter. Bacteria grows at room temp more rapidly.

  71. daivabaum says

    Their Shopfresh program assures that the produce we buy is fresher, deli purchases had been stored properly and food expiration dates are correct.
    poniabaum at gmail dot com

  89. Alicia C. says

    I learned that my water may not actually be treated with safe chemicals! NSF suggests calling my water department and asking whether they are using NSF/ANSI Standard 60 approved chemicals!
    ohmiss14 at yahoo dot com ☮

  90. Alicia C. says

    Well, I got 12 out of 18 points. I have to argue with the raw egg one. I buy my eggs fresh from a free-range farmer. The chance of those eggs having anything wrong with them is nearly zero. Oh, and the washing dishes one wasn’t fair! I let them sit until morning, but they get air-dried. Ick – I can’t imagine towel-drying…
    ohmiss14 at yahoo dot com ☮

  96. sueparks2003 says

    Shared on fb sps1113 at yahoo dot com
    Gladys Parker
    Check it out…
    Jenn’s RAQ: Father’s Day Cooking and Grilling Tips to Remember (and a giveaway!)
    https://www.realandquirky.com
    I learned that they inspect water treatment and mark it with their seal only if it does what is claims it can do. kwyndawn(at)hotmail(dot)com
    27 seconds ago · Like · · Share

  105. BeautyToLove says

    -Something I learned: The NSF Mark means that an item has been certified to safety standards.

    aliaskys (at) yahoo . com
    Thank You!! 🙂

[instagram-feed]