Confession: Up until a few months ago, I used to thaw frozen meat on the counter.
Gasp! Shock! Gnashing of Teeth!
I know.
I grew up in one of those houses, where meat was thawed via countertop with reckless abandon. Since then, I've come to realize that my food safety knowledge is somewhat skewed. When I found out that this method was completely and totally unsafe, I started questioning all of my food preparation theories! What is a safe thawing method? How quickly does one need to freeze meat after purchasing? Can you refreeze thawed meat? Does microwaving kill all bacteria? Do I really need to use a food thermometer?
The USDA has an answer for that.
Thanks to their Food Safety website, the USDA gives all food handlers an amazing go-to resource (yes: if you ever prepare a meal, you are a food handler!). Once I found it, I spent lots of time clicking through to get answers to all of my burning food safety/food preparation questions. And boy, am I glad I did. I've been remiss in many food prep areas!
They've also created this helpful infographic to "debunk" some of the more common food myths:
How helpful is that?
I'd love to hear from you:
What are YOUR worst Food Prep offenses?
What are some of your burning Food Safety questions?
Here's to safer cooking and eating!
