Questions on handling, preparing, and storing food in ways that prevent foodborne illness.
7
votes
3answers
4k views
Hygiene-wise, need to clean grill/broiling tray after each use?
Hygenically speaking, is it necessary to clean an outdoor barbeque
grill and/or an oven broiling tray after each use? Thoughts:
Many people don't clean their barbeque grills all summer long, in
part ...
2
votes
3answers
863 views
Should brussel sprouts ever taste chemically?
So I got a bunch of what I thought were locally grown organic brussel sprouts from the local coop the other day. They came in an unlabeled zip lock bag, which usually means small local farm. I ...
5
votes
3answers
869 views
Testicles as food?
When I read that you can buy and eat testicles I wondered whether I should try it once, since I'm basically open to anything that tastes good. I wonder how I should prepare them. If I buy testicles ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
What do I do with mildly fermented maple syrup?
Our organic grade A maple syrup, bought in bulk, has gone slightly fermented in the fridge. If I were still in college, this would be great, but I am a bit older. What do I do with this stuff? Can I ...
10
votes
9answers
3k views
How can I ensure food safety if my cooking utensils have touched raw meat?
Twice in the past week or so, I've wondered whether my cooking utensil was still clean enough to cook / serve with. Here were the situations:
Cooking ground sausage (no casing). While breaking the ...
17
votes
12answers
15k views
How do I stop my fire alarm from going off when I cook?
My fire alarm always goes off when I cook, even when the food is not burning. Because of this, I have never been able to keep batteries in my fire alarms. How can I stop this from happening?
6
votes
4answers
12k views
My ginger is blueish… is it safe?
I bought ginger at the grocery store last week and kept it, unpeeled, in the fridge. Today I sliced it open and there is a ring of a blueish colour, instead of the yellow I was expecting. The ginger ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What are these spots on my butternut squash?
I just roasted a bunch of butternut squash for dinner and am getting to puree, but am noticing that some of the pieces have weird glue-looking spots. It sort of looks like when water weeps out of the ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
Is my Citrus Sugar still good?
So I made citrus sugar about a month ago... and in the process of deciding how to give it away I realized that I have been storing it wrong. During the last month it has been stored in a dark area in ...
5
votes
3answers
552 views
A question of Fishmonger basics and fish processing and handling?
I went to a fishmonger for the first time yesterday and I have a few basic questions. Should the place smell like fish? I have been informed that it should not smell like fish and if it did they did ...
1
vote
2answers
395 views
How long does a fruit and sugar mixture last?
I made a sauce with frozen rhubarb and raspberry mixed with sugar and reduced it until there is hardly any juice left. I put the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Would this still be ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Are fresh, raw cashews different from store-bought?
I have a pen pal in Brazil (is it still a pen pal if we e-mail? anyway...) and knowing that I like nuts sent me some cashews. Apparently there is a cashew farm near enough to her that she went right ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
Refrigerating Clam Juice
Most store-bought stock/broth packaging contains some claim like "refrigerate after opening, and use within 7-10 days". My bottle of clam juice makes no claims whatsoever about refrigeration or shelf ...
15
votes
4answers
248k views
How long will uncooked chicken keep in the fridge?
My wife is obsessed about not leaving uncooked meats in the fridge longer than a day (esp. Chicken). If we buy chicken breast and we're not going to use them the next day, she'll put them in the ...
11
votes
6answers
4k views
Botulism, Garlic, Cold pressed Olive oil and mason jars
I make a product I invented called Maybe It's Marinade. Cold pressed extra virgin olive olive, pressed garlic as the base in three varieties, AoliOliO, Dill and Cayenne Pepper, garlic powder, and ...
3
votes
4answers
5k views
how long to cook a turkey per pound
I'm cooking a turkey for thanksgiving for the first time. I've got a beautiful 11 lb turkey and according to the websites I found, I should cook it for about three hours. When I asked my girlfriend's ...
18
votes
1answer
10k views
Why doesn't Bailey's go bad?
I realize it can go bad after a long time, but why does it take so much longer than other dairy products? Does it have to do with the alcohol content? If so, what is the process that is happening?
3
votes
8answers
7k views
Why would pork cause upset stomach in two out of three people that ate it? [closed]
I recently cooked a delicious meal of roasted pork shoulder with apples and cranberries for my husband and a friend. All three of us ate it. My husband and friend complained of stomach trouble ...
8
votes
6answers
3k views
dry garlic in oil --> botulism risk?
My girlfriend and I are thinking of preparing some flavored oils for Christmas presents this year (don't tell anyone!). We've read online that fresh garlic presents a health hazard when stored at room ...
12
votes
1answer
3k views
How should I deal with blood released while thawing meat in the refrigerator?
Saturday I pulled a package of venison from my freezer to thaw and hope to make stroganoff with it tonight. However, this morning I noticed that the package (in a bowl) had really released a lot of ...
6
votes
3answers
12k views
How long does it take for unopened cheese to go bad?
I bought one of those blocks of Dubliner cheese (at Costco, sealed relatively well in wax paper) and left it in my car all afternoon and overnight by mistake.
Given that it is unopened and the ...
47
votes
8answers
9k views
Is it safe to put hot food in the fridge?
I heard that putting really warm food in the fridge right after cooking it is not the right thing to do. It might cause bacterial growth? Is this true?
5
votes
2answers
1k views
frozen blueberries kept thawed
Had a couple bags of frozen blueberries. Put them in the fridge to thaw. They've been in the fridge for several weeks. Can I still cook with them?
18
votes
10answers
5k views
Can I boil eggs in the same pot I'm boling something else?
I know cooking the eggs kills the salmonella and that the risk is small even for raw eggs. However, I stopped boiling the eggs in the same pot I'm boiling something else, like potatoes, when I learnt ...
4
votes
1answer
173 views
Which container to use for combined milk?
My local supermarket was out of 1% milk today, so I decided to get half a gallon of 2% and half a gallon of skim milk and combine the two at home. Now I'm wondering in what I should store the combined ...
11
votes
6answers
21k views
Can store bought salmon be used for sashimi?
Is it safe to consume raw fish purchased at the fish counter of a typical suburban grocery store? If not, do you have any tips for finding sushi grade fish.
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Is it safe to eat pumpkins grown specifically for carving?
As it is coming up to Halloween, there is an abundance of cheap pumpkins in the shops now. I quite like to eat pumpkin rather than carve them. Are the large round orange pumpkins good to eat are are ...
16
votes
2answers
3k views
Do I need to pre-cook bacon when adding it to a quiche?
I've got a quiche recipe that requires me to use bacon but it's not clear on whether or not I should cook the bacon before adding it to the quiche.
The quiche is to be cooked at 180C for 25 mins so ...
1
vote
0answers
836 views
How long can I keep eggs past the sell by date and still eat them? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How long can I keep eggs in the refrigerator?
I've got some eggs in a carton (regular Grade A eggs) in the refrigerator. The "sell by" date on them is October 2nd. ...
12
votes
4answers
9k views
Should maple syrup be stored in the refrigerator?
Is there any reason to store maple syrup in the refrigerator? It tastes better when it's a little warmer.
17
votes
5answers
13k views
How long can hard cheeses last in a refrigerator?
I had chunks of various hard cheeses, mostly parmesan, in my refrigerator for varying lengths of time. Some as long as 3+ months.
I've never seen any obvious signs of spoilage and have never been ...
9
votes
3answers
725 views
What is a kitchen rag?
In his answer to a question about nail biting, nicorellius referred to not wiping your hands with the "kitchen rag". I've never worked in a professional kitchen, and the only rags I have around my ...
3
votes
3answers
275 views
Cooking with a cut or burn on my hands
I know from this question that I should avoid cooking (at least without gloves) if I have an open cut.
However, once a cut starts to heal, how can I tell if it's safe to cook without gloves? Are ...
4
votes
2answers
478 views
Is there anything wrong with soft shrimp?
Once in a while when I'm thawing and prepping frozen shrimp, I'll come across one that's quite a bit softer than the others. The flesh is a bit floppy and not firm like the others, and even the shell ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
How long does shrimp paste last in the fridge?
Basically, I have some shrimp paste, it's a nice, very dark purple colour, and I keep it in the fridge. It's not "dry", but it's dry enough to be extremely firm when I take some out of the jar with a ...
11
votes
6answers
80k views
I need to quickly and safely thaw frozen ground beef, what are my options?
Since reading the answers to my question about defrosting meat on the counter I've been good about giving my meat time to defrost in the refrigerator. However, my plans for tonight have changed and ...
25
votes
11answers
19k views
How long can I keep eggs in the refrigerator?
To keep eggs useful and healthy, what is the average time I can keep them in refrigerator? Can I freeze, and re-use them after melting, or will they be useless or not healthy to eat?
6
votes
4answers
14k views
Is rare duck breast safe?
Other forms of poultry are regarded as undercooked at the slightest sign of pink juices and yet it is common practice to cook duck so that it's medium rare. Is the risk of food poisoning significantly ...
2
votes
2answers
409 views
Would baking a cake for 2 hours at 350 degrees F be safe to eat if it's still moist?
I'm trying to modify a recipe for a cake which calls for 3 cups of shredded butter nut squash. I thought I could replace this with roughly the same amount of pureed pumpkin (like what you would get in ...
10
votes
6answers
13k views
Can I Brown Beef For Slow Cooking the Night Before
Many slow cooker recipes suggest that beef be browned before being added to the slow cooker, which is definitely better for the flavor of the dish. I've always believed that this browning must occur ...
6
votes
5answers
37k views
Can I put frozen meat in a slow cooker?
I was wondering if I can put meat directly from the freezer into a slow-cooker. I want to be able to put chicken in the slow-cooker without having to let it defrost for a whole day in the fridge.
It ...
3
votes
4answers
463 views
I bite my nails. How can I keep proper hygiene in the kitchen?
I'm not a professional chef, but I think someone will have this issue, somewhere, and is a chef. A similar question asked about having a cold, but nail biting is much worse due to the obvious amount ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What precautions should I take when preparing food while I have a cold?
If I have a cold, what precautions should I take while preparing food to make sure that I don't transmit germs?
3
votes
3answers
8k views
Are vegetables poisonous if they have roots, are sprouting or are many weeks old?
Can I use sprouting vegetables? Are they poisonous?
When cooked, does the sprouting have an effect to foods taste?
Can I use my potatoes or carrots if they already has some roots...?
How about when ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Will botulism growing in my home-canned vegetables pop the lid?
I remember that in my biology class in high school the teacher told showed us a puffed up can of pineapples which he claimed had botulism in it.
Is that remotely true? and if so, can I tell if my ...
4
votes
4answers
739 views
What is the preferred method for sanitizing the kitchen?
I'm aware of a number of ways for sanitizing.
Soap.
Ammoniac.
Bleach.
Sodium bicarbonate.
Which of these is the preferred method of sanitation?
Which concentrations are recommended?
How can you ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
Can lemon juice concentrate be used after the use-by-date?
My lemon juice concentrate's use by date passed a few months ago. It was kept it in the fridge the whole time. Is it still safe to use it?
5
votes
1answer
188 views
How to safely grill meat/fruit/veggie skewers
This weekend we grilled kebabs with steak, onions, peppers, and big pineapple spears. No ill effects, but I noticed that the pineapple was still cool where it was touching the meat, and the meat ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
Are there other parts of a Lobster that are edible apart from the Tail and Claws?
I was thinking of the innards - specifically the white parts inside of the main body and what looks like eggs.
7
votes
5answers
4k views
Minimum procedure for sterilizing mason jars for canning
My wife and I are about to do some tomato canning tomorrow. We have a bunch of mason jars that we didn't have time to sterilize. She thinks that just washing them in hot water is enough. After ...
