Food and the outdoors are two of their favourite things for many people globally. A nice picnic or a dinner served al fresco is refreshing and delightful, yet food safety should always be kept in mind. The worst is to have to return home in agonizing pain or nausea, especially if the outdoors location required some walking or hiking. With the correct preventative measures and precautions in place. During the warmer summer months, when we usually want to dine outside, the transport of our favoured delicatessen should be done with care.
- When transporting your food, ensure that hot stays hot with other hot items and cold are kept as fresh as possible with other frozen items. Don’t mix them up and pack them in separate containers.
- In the case where you have cooked something for the outing, let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge. Always make sure that food cools down outside covered, before placing it in cold storage.
- Don’t pack your basket of delightful treasures while some of them are still warm; the heat can create just the right temperature for bacteria present in your picnic bag, to start multiplying.
- For a nice and fresh touch to your meal, raw foods might be that bit of crunch which you are desiring. Yet keep in mind that raw goods are best eaten within four to five hours. Don’t hang on to these for too long.
- Certain products have a much smaller chance of growing bacteria, and these can be left outside safely. These include scones, cakes, nuts and chips.
Cooking Outside
The aroma of grilled meat sizzling away on a hot grill is the perfect companion when dining outside, yet extra care should be taken when cooking outside. Always be sure to prepare any form of processed meats like sausages and burgers until they are entirely cooked. You will know that your food is cooked when the juice dripping from them turns out to be precise. When cooking chops or steaks, you can cook them to preference.
- Be sure to always have clean plates and cutlery on hand during the preparation time as well as when serving.
- Take note that meat can be kept on the grill to keep it warm; make sure that it is shielded from flies and other unwanted guests.
- Always stock up on long-life items like jerky, baked beans, chips and canned meats.
- Long-life milk is a great solution as long as that you can keep it cold after being opened. If not settle for powdered milk.
- Cheese can be a great form of protein. Hard cheeses can travel with you for about 24 hours without needing to be cooled.
- Snap-lock bags are great to transport food in, to keep it fresh or to store items for later.
