There are a few things you should have a healthy fear of in your kitchen. Get these tips and tricks to manage that fear and take control in your kitchen!
5 Things To Fear In The Kitchen
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I’m all about getting the fear out of your kitchen. But John has asked me to write a post about a few things that you should have a healthy fear of in your kitchen.
Let’s just say… I’ve had a few… incidents… lately. Learn from my mistakes!
1. Sharp Knives
Sharp knives are a chef’s best tool. You should sharpen your knives frequently (and, of course, make sure you are using the right knife for the job). But all those sharp blades mean that accidents can happen!
It should go without saying that you need to keep your knives out of reach of young children. Sometimes you may also need to keep your knives out of reach of clumsy adults!
Always hand wash and dry your knives. Your “good” knives should never go in the dishwasher – this can make them get dull more quickly. And all that banging around in the dishwasher can chip the blades. When you are hand washing knives, never leave knives in soapy water – it’s too easy to accidentally cut your fingers under the bubbles. And keep the knives blade-down in the dish drainer so no one accidentally pokes themselves while grabbing other dishes to dry.
2. Boiling Water
Boiling water is awesome. And it’s essential for perfect mashed potatoes and creamy, comforting mac & cheese. It’s also a big part of canning. But it’s hot. And hot stuff can burn you. So please be careful.
This one really stems from a pressure cooker incident I had at the end of the summer. I was canning in a pressure cooker, and forced the lid off the pressure cooker before all the pressure had released. I sprayed boiling water all over the kitchen and all over myself. I ended up with second degree burns on my hands, stomach, legs, and toes. Luckily, our toddler was asleep in bed, and the water sprayed down instead of up in my face. I am fine now, just left with a few scars (and a slight fear of pressure cookers).
But you should not be afraid of pressure cookers! Check out this post on canning safety. Or think about trying an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. If you are using a pressure cooker, but don’t need the pressure to build up (like for boiling water canning), use a glass non-locking lid like this instead.
And this fear of “hot things” brings us to my next point…
3. Hot Pans in the Oven
We should all know that when you take things out of a hot oven, those things will be hot. We should. But shortly after my pressure cooker “incident,” I had another incident. I burned my arm on a pan I was taking out of a 400 degree oven. I know better, I was just in a hurry! This time it was just a first degree burn, but it still hurt!
Always use oven mitts or pot holders. And take your time. You’re better off to take a few extra minutes (and really, usually it is just a few extra seconds), than to end up with a burn that will take a week or more to heal.
While we’re on it… do you know what else is always hot right out of the oven? These probe thermometers. I grab it with my bare fingers every single time. and I always yell and swear I won’t do it again. And then I do. Sigh.
4. Moldy Food
We have all had those things in the back of your refrigerator that turn into unidentifiable science projects. It’s okay… it happens to everyone. And we all know that when food looks like that, it’s time to throw it away. But even if food has only a little bit of mold on it, you should throw it away. There are a few exceptions that can be trimmed back and still eaten after you throw away the moldy parts. But in general, if you find mold, and aren’t sure what to do with that food, just throw it out. Food poisining is no fun, and is nothing to take a chance with.
5. Bad Bacteria
Finally, speaking of food poisoning, you should always think about food safety and bad bacteria. Farmers, food processors, and grocery stores have a big responsibility in preventing food poisoning, but so do you in your own kitchen! Here are a few basic (and simple) rules for food safety in your kitchen:
- Clean. Wash your hands before you handle food, clean cutting boards and utensils well after use, clean (or throw away) sponges and dish rags frequently, and wash dish towels regularly.
- Separate. Keep raw meat away from fresh produce and other foods in your refrigerator. Always wash utensils and plates that were used to hold raw meat before reusing.
- Cook. Use a meat thermometer to make sure that meat, poultry, and egg dishes are fully cooked.
- Chill. Do not leave food in the “danger zone” (above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and below 140 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than two hours. At these temperatures, the “bad bacteria” can grow and multiply, and potentially cause food poisoning.
What are you afraid of in the kitchen? How can we help you conquor those fears?
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Definitely fearful of raw meat. Maybe a little more specifics on “safe food handling.” I think the internet has plenty of advice about cleaning your utensils and cutting boards and washing hands…but whenever I handle raw meat, I feel like I’m cleaning for hours after I start cooking. It’s to the point that I avoid raw meat now because the subsequent cleanup feels like such a task. I may be more sensitive than most, but I’m very fearful of spreading bacteria…so it would be helpful to hear your procedures if you are cutting up, say, chicken breast to cook. How do you lay out your workspace? How do you transfer the raw meat to the pan? How to you transfer your dirtied dishes to the sink/dishwasher? How often are you washing your hands? How do you clean the counters afterwards? It sounds so basic, but the literature on the internet leads one to believe they need to bleach everything, which I think is extreme. Sorry for the long post!
These are awesome questions, Amanda. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! This is a great topic for a post all it’s own, and I’ll get working on it!