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Hygiene
and Safety in the kitchen
Before you start
• Always wash
your hands before you start cooking.
• Wear
an apron to reduce visits to the launderette.
• Girls
and Hippies, be sure to tie back that long hair.
• Get
all the ingredients together and weigh/measure the quantities –
this way you’ll be unlikely to forget anything. Sieve icing sugar
and flour before using them.
• Be
realistic about how much time you have – especially if you’re
making food for an occasion. Don’t forget you’ll need time
to set the table, and make yourself gorgeous.
• Check
if you need a pre-heated oven and preheat it!
As you cook
• Use a chopping
board for cutting up fruit and vegetables.
• VERY
IMPORTANT - Always wash your hands after handling raw meat and thoroughly
clean your work surface, chopping board and any knives which may have
come into contact with the meat.
• Keep
your kitchen area as tidy as possible – this will help you to
feel as if you’re in control, and minimise clearing up later
when you’re tired.
• Keep
pan handles turned away from the front of the cooker top, to prevent
it accidentally being caught as you race around the kitchen.
• Don’t
let any pets in the kitchen when you’re cooking – both from
a hygiene point of view, and safety – you might trip over them
when you’re carrying something hot.
• Do
be creative and adapt recipes, but don’t guess too much at weights
and measures – too much or too little of one ingredient can have
devastating consequences!
• Don’t
handle food more than you have to.
• Make
sure you know what to do in the event of a fire in the kitchen. If
you have a frying pan fire, stay calm, turn off the power, wet a tea
towel with cold water, and throw it over the top of the flames. Check
if there is a fire extinguisher that you know how to use it.
• Make
sure food is cooked through properly before serving.
• LEFTOVERS
- If you’re reheating leftovers in the microwave or the conventional
oven – make sure food is piping hot – otherwise you run
the risk of poisoning your guests or even worse yourself!
• Don’t
leave food lurking around in the kitchen at room temperature. If you’re
not eating it, it should be in the fridge or in the bin!
Clearing up
• Use
hot water and the detergent of your choice, do cutlery first, then
follow on with crockery and finally pans. Change the water if it becomes
too greasy – this will occur if you’ve done some heavy duty
cooking.
• Check
your dishcloth – does it smell dubious? It should be rinsed through
with a handful of washing powder from time to time – otherwise
you’ll be making dishes dirtier as you wash them! Some people
like to wash it each time they use it.
• Don’t
wash up in the early hours of the morning – the effects of tiredness
and alcohol may mean you drop precious things like glasses and plates
which are expensive to replace.
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