Keep Your Food and Family Safe This Summer!

After a long winter and cool spring, temperatures are finally warming up making everyone eager for outdoor picnics and barbecues. While these temperatures are ideal for that, they also provide a perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens in food to multiply rapidly and cause foodborne illness. You can help prevent harmful bacteria from making your family sick by avoiding the “Danger Zone” and following the “Core Four”. The Danger Zone:  temperature range between 40°F and 140°F

• Keep food out of this range as foodborne bacteria can grow rapidly to dangerous levels that can result in illness
  • Always keep cold food COLD, at or below 40°F, in coolers or in containers with ice or frozen gel packs
  • Keep hot foods HOT, at or above 140°F, on the grill or in insulated containers, heated chafing dishes, warming trays or slow cookers
  • Reheat foods to 165°F

Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often

• Wash hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food
• Clean kitchen surfaces, dishes and utensils with hot water and soap

Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate

• Have one cutting board for produce and another one for meat, poultry and seafood
• Use separate plates and utensils for raw and cooked foods
  • Wash plates, utensils, and cutting boards that held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs before reusing
• Marinate in the refrigerator and not on the counter keeping raw meat/poultry separate from any veggies you might be using
  • If you plan to reuse the marinade as a sauce be sure to boil it first to destroy any harmful bacteria or make extra to set aside before adding raw meat/poultry
  • Cook: Cook to safe internal temperatures
• Use a food thermometer to ensure food is thoroughly cooked
  • Whole cuts of meat (steaks, chops and roasts) – 145°F with a 3 minute rest time
  • Ground beef, pork, lamb and veal- 160°F
  • Poultry, including ground poultry- 165°F
  • Fish – 145°F
  • Leftovers – 165°F

  Chill: Refrigerate promptly

• Refrigerate perishable food within one hour in hot weather (above 90°F) and within two hours if temperatures are below 90°F
• Place leftover foods in shallow containers for quick cooling

Never taste foods you think might be unsafe.  Most food poisoning bacteria are tasteless, colorless, and odorless.  When in doubt, throw it out! Written By: Mark Larose from Garden State Growers Happy June to you gardeners! Summer is in the air. By now, you should be enjoying some of the fruits of your labors, or annuals of your labors! Color is abounding in your garden, and on a warm day with a nice breeze, your yard or home has the fragrant scent of Spring in it. Now is the time that many people are ready to do their summer planting. June is the time of year where the past meets the present along with a glimpse of the future. How so? Many of your flowers are just finishing up their bloom, while others are fully strutting their glory, and then again, some are just ready to burst with a rainbow of colors! One hint that you may not have tried is to include a bed of succulents. They add a sturdy and hardy base of color and are beautiful to look at as well. If you need some other suggestions to enhance the color spectrum of your garden, consider some Coreopsis, Marigolds, Periwinkle, Hollyhock, Sunflowers or Shasta Daisies. Also, try to do your watering at cooler times of the day after dusk to prevent quick evaporation. It’s not only the wise thing to do, but will help with your water bill as well. Don’t forget to pay attention to your lawn too. I’ve heard tell that so much attention is being paid to the garden, that sometimes, the beauty of green grass is lost in the mix. Remember that gardening is a wonderful family tradition for many. If you have children, consider including them in this seasons planting. Remember to take pictures of your garden for Facebook and show it off to your friends. Either way, have fun. Happy Gardening!