Keepin' It Cool

My husband and I built a very large home in November of 2019. I tell you this, not to be boastful, but for informational purposes. You see, we have both my mother and father-in-law, and my husband’s aunt and uncle living with us, ages 77, 84, 81, and 84, respectively.  It’s quite the party! All the 80-year-olds go bee-boppin’ around here like they don’t know how old they are; my father-in-law up on a ladder in the garage hanging lights (retired electrician—not retired in THIS house. Ha!) The uncle can be found putting out our flag in the mornings, or watering/fertilizing/weed killing the best-looking lawn in the neighborhood (that would be mine—and not to my credit AT ALL.) The aunt supports his efforts—she picks out and plants all the flowers, giving him more to water. And although my mother-in-law has some mobility issues, she’s always there with her handy dandy sewing machine, ready to sew my many pairs of split scrub pants, or yoga pants (yes, I have split yoga pants before. How, you say? Yoga pants are quite forgiving. Let’s just say…it’s a gift…)

There’s a point…I’m getting there…

We have lots of people. We do many things BIG. Big packs of toilet paper and paper towels. Jumbo sized packs of trash bags. We like butter. No, wait. We LOVE butter. So, we have tubs of it. The big ones. The other day, I opened the pantry door to look for my ginormous can of peanut butter. Oh, there it is, right there next to my giant jar of …mayonnaise??

I grabbed the jar, and as I suspected, it was lukewarm to the touch, and it was half full. Probably the result of a sleepy (and hungry) 19-year-old playing “deli” in the middle of the night. I wish I could take a survey right now. How many of you would just put that mayo right back in the fridge and use it tomorrow? It IS gigantic, after all. Not cheap. What a waste, huh? I’m telling you right now, my sister would kill me if I didn’t toss that right in the trash. And why? Opened mayonnaise needs to be refrigerated to keep bacteria from growing in it.

Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, are often used interchangeably. Most cases of food poisoning resolve within hours or days as vomiting and diarrhea rid the body of the offending agent. I have had ONE battle with food poisoning in my life.  And that was one violent vomiting episode too many. I know that bacteria are more likely to reproduce in temperatures above 40 degrees, and since I had no idea how long that mayo had been keeping my peanut butter company in the pantry, I wasn’t going to take a chance.

Summer is basically here. This means lots of outdoor activities, and these activities aren’t complete without GOODIES! The heat brings critical concern for foodborne illnesses, so I thought I might offer some tips about food safety in the great outdoors:

Keep foods cold—and separate—during transport. Use small coolers with ice or frozen gel packs to keep food below 40 degrees. Separate beverages, fruits/salads, and meats in separate containers. Keep coolers in air-conditioned parts of your car.

Wash your hands, utensils, and food preparation surfaces. Take along some antibacterial wipes, or even a jug of water with some soap and paper towels to wipe down surfaces. Keep all utensils and platters clean when preparing foods.

Grill foods thoroughly. Use a food thermometer. Burgers should reach 160 degrees, and chicken should reach 165 degrees.

Avoid contaminating cooked foods. When taking food from the grill to the table, never use the same platter or utensils that previously held raw meat.

Keep grilled food hot. Move it to the side of the grill so it stays at 140 degrees. If grilled food isn’t going to be eaten right away, wrap it well and place in an insulated container.

Keep perishable foods on ice. Drain off water as the ice melts and replace ice frequently. Don’t let any perishable food sit out longer than 2 hours. In temperatures above 90 degrees, that drops to 1 hour.

Bacteria live everywhere—even on our own skin. There are even good bacteria in our digestive systems. We CAN coexist. The 5 second rule still applies (or 10 seconds…or 12…I mean, are we talking a freaking CHEERIO on the ground? Or my sister’s fudge? It’s all relative. Ok…reel it in, Carey…) Our saliva and gastric juices have enzymes and acids that kill most bacteria in the mouth and stomach. It’s the ones that colonize and get beyond that defense system that cause the real problems.

So, remember—you turn up the heat at the pool party? You can expect colonies of bacteria to show up and bring friends. Let’s all give foodborne illness the COLD shoulder and follow the steps above this summer so we can all enjoy the sustenance and…

Be well!