Do you have a summer party or a potluck coming up? You’ll want these easy tips to keep your cold foods cold, even in the summer heat.
Safe Food Handling for Your Summer Potluck
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Summers are amazing. The weather is beautiful, the sun is warm, and we want to spend time outside with friends and family. And with friends and family comes… food! Summer potlucks, picnics, and pitch-ins have some of the most creative recipes. But it can be a challenge to keep all that yummy food at the right temperature when it’s sitting out on a counter, table, or outside.
To keep your food safe – and your guests from getting sick – it’s important to keep cold foods cold. And “cold” means as close to 40 degrees F as possible.
How Do I Keep Cold Foods Cold?
Easier said than done? Not necessarily. Here are a few tips to keep your potluck food chilled.
Use Coolers for Extra Space
Prepping for a big party? You might run out of refrigerator space! Keep a large cooler or two handy and chilled with ice or ice packs. Stash covered dishes in the coolers if they won’t fit in the refrigerator.
Keep a clean cooler filled with extra ice for drinks or for icing down foods on the buffet table (see below for more tips on keeping foods cold once they are out).
Don’t Take it Out Until You Need It
The “safe zone” for cold foods is 40 degrees F or lower. So we want our cold foods to stay cold as long as possible. Keep everything stashed in the refrigerator or coolers with ice (or ice packs) until you’re ready to serve your guests.
Ice it Down
Kind of a no-brainer, right? Ice keeps everything cold! Large steel tubs like this round one or this oval one are great for keeping drinks icy cold and easy to grab.
Serving trays like this one with a built-in ice base are perfect. You can also use large buckets or trays as your “ice bases” on your buffet tables. Fill a tray about half way with ice. Then nestle your serving bowls down into the ice to keep the food nice and cold. Keep the top edges of the food bowls above the ice, or melting water could get in and water your delicious recipes down.
Keep an eye on your ice buckets during the day. Drain the extra water and add more ice as needed.
Start with Smaller Portions
Don’t put the giant bowl of pasta salad or big cheese tray out. Instead, use smaller bowls or plates for guests to serve themselves. Keep the large containers tucked away in the refrigerator, and refill or replace the smaller platters as needed. Ideally, the serving platters an bowls should be replaced every 1-2 hours.
Put It Away When You’re Finished
Is everybody done eating? Or are they taking a break? Pack up any leftovers and stash them back in the refrigerator or coolers. Don’t leave the food out all afternoon – that just means there’s more chance for it to spoil. Cold foods should only be out at room temperature for a maximum of 2 hours. If it’s really hot out (90 degrees F or hotter), food should only be left out for 1 hour.
There’s nothing wrong with eating in waves all day long. This is where those smaller portions come in super handy. You can put out part of the food at the beginning of the day, store or toss the leftovers (depending on how much is left and how long it has been out), and then get out the rest of the food for round two!
Use Up Leftovers
As with anything, any leftovers should be used within 3 days. After that, they get tossed.
Free Printable for How to Keep Cold Foods Cold
Be sure to click here to grab your free printable cheat sheet with these basic tips for keeping your cold foods cold!
What are your favorite recipes to bring to summer potlucks?
Enjoy!
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[…] small portions come into play. Check out these posts for more ideas and tips on how to keep your cold foods cold and your hot foods hot while everyone is enjoying the […]