Tips for a safe Summer BBQ
Date Posted:7 February 2020
1. Always separate raw meats and poultry from the rest of the food.
Do not mix them with your ready-to-eat produce and other food items even if they’re packed and sealed securely in individual plastic bags. Have a separate cooler for them and make sure you place them there with a chock-full of ice. If your barbecue venue’s a long drive away, don’t place the cooler in your trunk where it can get hot.
2. Do not reuse the marinade you used when grilling.
What we often do during our summer cookouts is we marinate our meats first before we grill them then use the same marinade on whatever food we’re grilling to make them more savory.
We have to make sure, though, that we discard the USED MARINADE to prevent the meat's raw juices from getting into our cooked food. If you plan on using the same marinade as a dip later, save some before using it to marinate your raw food items.
3. Be wary of leftovers.
Food spoils fast when the weather’s hot. So, don’t leave raw meats and salads at room temperature for over two hours
.
4. Wash, wash, and wash.
Proper washing of things is, arguably, the most basic way to prevent the spread of bacteria from one surface and item to another.
When washing your hands, lather soap between your fingers and up to your wrist while singing “Happy Birthday” twice before rinsing. It’s also vital to wash reusable bags frequently as these can harbor microorganisms that could get into your ready-to-eat food items.
With these tips, the Purplespoilz team hopes you’ll have many fun but safe cookouts!
