Food storage and preparation tips

When dealing with food preparation of any kind, certain safety measures must be taken to prevent spoilage and spread of bacteria. Follow these simple tips to ensure you are handling and preparing your food safely.

• To store fresh herbs, wash them and stand them upright in a glass containing 2.5 to five centimetres (an inch or two) of cold water. Cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate.
• To freeze berries, place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, freeze then pack in airtight containers.
• Fruits, vegetables and grains left to soak in water can lose vitamins and minerals. Wash vegetables and fruits under running water to remove soil, insects and water-soluble pesticides just before using them.
• The skins of fruits and vegetables are especially concentrated in nutrients, but also are more likely to be tainted with ­bacteria or pesticide residues. While some nutrients are lost by peeling, this is not significant. Discard the coarse outer leaves of many green vegetables for the same reason.

• Store cottage cheese upside down in its original container. It will keep longer.
• Eggs are porous and will absorb refrigerator odours. Store them in their carton, not in the refrigerator door compartment.
• Before returning an opened ice cream carton to the freezer, press plastic wrap on the surface of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.

• Wash poultry under running water and pat it dry with paper towels before preparation. Some experts recommend washing with diluted vinegar to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the food reaches a safe temperature in the centre. This is the only way to tell if your food has reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.
• A thermometer in a rare-cooked roast or broiled steak should register 140°F (60°C). Bacteria exist only on the surface of raw meat. Therefore, roasts and steaks can be eaten rare, providing the surface of the meat is well cooked.
• Ground meats or ground poultry should always be well cooked and reach a temperature of 160°F (70°C). Poultry is cooked when the leg joints move easily and the juices run clear. Fish should flake easily with a fork. Pork should have no pink colour.
• Never refreeze ground meat or poultry.
• When basting or applying a sauce during grilling or broiling, brush the sauce on the cooked surface only. Be careful not to recontaminate fully cooked meat or poultry by adding sauce with a brush previously used on raw or undercooked foods.

• The average shelf life of spices and herbs, properly stored, can be one to two years for leafy herbs, two to three years for ground spices and four years for whole spices.
• Air, light, moisture and heat speed flavour and colour loss of herbs and spices. Store in a tightly covered container in a dark place away from sunlight, such as inside a cupboard or drawer. For open spice rack storage, choose a site away from light, heat and moisture.
• Avoid storing above or near the stove, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, sink or a heating vent. Check freshness of spices and herbs by look, smell and taste. A visual check for colour fading is a good indicator of flavour loss.