Do you know what the “germiest” item in your kitchen is? If you said your sponge, you would actually be wrong, although sponges (and dishrags) should be cleaned on a daily basis to ensure that they are not harboring bacteria. It might surprise you to know that the biggest germ spreader in your kitchen is actually your can opener! This is because it comes in contact with both food and the outside of the cans themselves, and it is usually infrequently washed.
Leftovers, especially meat, should be throughly reheated before eating, especially if they have been in the refrigerator more than 36 hours. The refrigerator can slow down the growth of bacteria, but unlike freezing, it doesn’t eliminate that growth altogether.
One little know practice that should be done in every kitchen is the rinsing or washing of produce, even produce that is peeled. This is because harmful pesticides and bacteria can live on the outside of the fruit and then contaminate your hands or the part of your food that you eat.
Keep raw meat away from other food. Use a non-porous cutting board (not wood) to cut raw meat and fish. Although today’s dishwashers do a good job of sanitizing cutting boards, to be safe, keep a separate cutting board that is only used for raw meat and fish.
Never thaw frozen meat on the counter. Use the refrigerator, or if you need it thawed more quickly, thaw it in the microwave or under cold (not warm or hot running water). This will prevent the meat from thawing unevenly and allowing bacteria to grown on the surface while you are still waiting for the inside to thaw.
Never use a raw meat marinade as a sauce, unless you boil it first to kill the bacteria in it. The marinade needs to boil for at least one minute to be safe.
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