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Get ready for exciting summer culinary adventures as the sun shines brighter! Whether you are exploring new places or enjoying the warmth in your backyard, there is one thing we all want—safe food. No one, from beginners to master grillers, should have to worry about foodborne illnesses while cooking outdoors. Don't fret! Just follow our top 10 tips to make your outdoor cooking adventures delicious and safe.
1. Make a plan
Grilling safely begins with planning not only your menu but also your food safety supplies. As you decide what foods to grill, also consider how you will keep different dishes hot or cold, how you will serve them safely, and how you’ll protect them from pests.
- Drinks and food should be kept in separate coolers.
- When cooking, utensils and plates used for raw meats cannot be used again for cooked foods and produce.
- When serving hot foods outdoors, you will need warming pans and canned fuel.
- For cold foods, you will need a container to hold ice that is bigger than your serving dish. Consider getting an ice scoop for any bagged ice used for cold drinks.
Now crunch the numbers: From coolers and containers to utensils and lids, ask yourself how many of each you will need to keep your food safe. Speaking of numbers, make sure you have a food thermometer on hand.
If you know you won’t have access to a sink when preparing, cooking, or serving, plan to set up your own handwashing station with clean water, soap, and a bucket—or bring an alcohol-based sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Planning beforehand can help you know what to expect and what you may be missing so you can prepare for grilling safely.
2. Purchase Your Supplies and Ingredients.
When you are at the store:
- Purchase ingredients that look fresh and are packaged neatly.
- Use bags provided by the store for meat and poultry, if available.
- Keep your raw meat and poultry away from other products while in your cart, on the checkout counter, and in your grocery bags.
These steps will help prevent any germs that are on the meat from contaminating your other groceries.
Once you leave the store:
- Chill any cold items at 40 °F or below within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the outside temperature is over 90°F.
- Bring a cooler or insulated bags with you if you are not heading straight home after purchasing your groceries.
3. Store Your Meats Properly.
Keeping your refrigerator clean is another way to help prevent foodborne illness.
- Store any raw meat or poultry in a container or on a plate to keep juices from dripping onto other foods in your fridge. The same goes for when you are marinating or thawing.
- Keep your proteins in the fridge while they are marinating and soaking up all that good flavor. Before you start marinating, separate out any marinade or sauce you plan to serve alongside the cooked meat.
- Avoid thawing frozen meats for too long, which can allow harmful bacteria to multiply to unsafe levels. If you have time, thaw meats in the refrigerator with a plate or bowl underneath to catch any drippings. If you are in a time crunch, you can run the food under cool water that is 70 °F or less. You also can thaw it in the microwave, but keep in mind that this will start the cooking process. Only use the microwave method if you plan to cook the food immediately after thawing.
4. Wash.
From grilling at home to serving food outdoors, you should start by washing all of your tools, including your hands!
- Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds, scrubbing thoroughly.
- For the rest of your tools, like bowls and utensils, use warm soapy water and a clean towel.
- Wash your produce as well—but skip the soap this time.
- Do not wash raw meat—it can splash germs onto your countertops. When handling raw meat, use a separate set of utensils, bowls, plates, and cutting boards.
When packing for your outdoor cooking, be sure everything you bring is properly cleaned. While you still need to wash your hands before handling food, you will be glad to have one less step to worry about once you’ve arrived.
5. Prepare.
Prepare your food in the comfort of your own kitchen when possible. You do not want to show up with a full-sized watermelon and end up struggling to cut it with a pocket knife without a flat surface to rest it on. Blunders like this can be dangerous in more ways than one. Instead, prepare what you want to bring ahead of time.
Gather your items and determine what special containers and utensils you need for what you are serving. For example, if you are barbecuing on-site, you will want separate utensils for raw meats and cooked meats to avoid cross-contamination. This is where your initial planning comes into play.
6. Transport.
If you are traveling to your cookout location, pack your cooler right before you hit the road with plenty of ice or frozen ice packs surrounding your food.
- On hot days, have your cooler ride in the air-conditioned cab of your vehicle and store it in the shade as much as possible.
- Keep your drinks and ice for drinks in a separate cooler from your food, since you’ll want to open these more often, which can let cold air out.
- When transporting hot food, carefully fill your insulated container with boiling water and let it stand for a few minutes, and then dump out the water before adding your hot food.
7. Setup.
If you are cooking on-site, you will need to set up your space. Designating areas for raw food versus cooked food is a helpful way to be sure you are keeping food safety in mind when cooking.
As you set up your space, be sure to keep everything clean.
- Don’t put containers or utensils on the ground or leave cold food out in the sun. Be mindful as you unpack your car and set up your space.
- This is also a great time to set up your serving area. If you will need to repurpose a cooking area as a serving area, make sure you clean it thoroughly before transitioning the space.
8. Cook.
To prevent cross-contamination, any raw meats and poultry should go straight from the container to the grill without touching anything else. That container should then be thrown away or packed up for proper washing at home.
Be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw meat and before touching any cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
The only way to eliminate certain harmful germs in raw meat and poultry is to cook them properly. Despite what people may say about color and texture, the only way to know that your food is thoroughly cooked is to use a food thermometer.
- When using a food thermometer, place the probe into the thickest part of the food without touching any bones.
- Cook all poultry products to an internal temperature of 165 °F and hamburgers and sausages to 160 °F.
- If the food hasn’t reached the minimum internal cooking temperature, it isn’t safe to eat yet—keep cooking until it gets there!
- Once everything is cooked properly, use a clean plate or pan to serve your cooked items.
9. Serve.
As you get your serving table ready, wash your hands—or use hand sanitizer if you’re on the go.
- Set up each food item with its own serving utensils, keeping the serving side in the food and the handle out of the food. The last thing you want to do is fish for utensils, risking spreading germs from your hands directly into the dish.
- Keep prepared food safe by monitoring its temperature. Minimize the amount of time that food is in the dangerous range of 40 °F to 140 °F, which is where harmful germs can multiply to unsafe levels.
- For hot foods—140 °F or above—use chafing dishes and canned fuel to maintain proper temperature. Putting a lid or foil over the dish can help it stay hot longer.
- For cold foods—40 °F or below—fill a bowl or pan larger than the serving dish with ice and a little cold water. Place the serving dish inside this ice bath, making sure the ice goes up the sides of the serving container to keep the food surrounded by the cold.
- When serving ice for drinks, use a designated ice scoop.
- If flies are finding your food too delicious to resist, cover your food with lids, foil, or plastic wrap to help protect it while you aren’t serving.
10. Take Care of Leftovers.
Don’t let the excitement of the party distract you from food safety! Set a timer to remind yourself to put away leftover food before it’s out too long.
- Hot and cold foods cannot be left out at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
- When the temperature hits 90 °F, these foods shouldn’t be out longer than 1 hour.
No matter the time frame, if cold foods are no longer cold, they should go in the trash. If throwing out food makes you cringe, try to plan ahead. Avoid wasting food by only buying and taking what you will need.
Follow these simple steps every time you grill at home or cook outdoors, and you will keep your friends and family safe from foodborne illness while you enjoy good food and beautiful weather.
Always remember these four key steps to food safety:
- Clean (wash hands and surfaces often)
- Separate (avoid cross-contamination)
- Cook (cook food to proper temperatures)
- Chill (refrigerate promptly)
Happy grilling!
Status and Revision History
In Review on May 23, 2024
Published on Jun 14, 2024