Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Living Well

With spring, many Nevadans look forward to spending time outdoors. In an effort to enjoy the nice weather before the heat of summer, families stay outside as much as possible and meals are often eaten as picnics.

Unfortunately, people are not the only ones who enjoy the warmer weather. Warm temperatures allow bacteria to grow more easily in food. This means it is important to plan for safety when eating outdoors.

Perishable foods should never be allowed to stay at room temperature for longer than two hours one hour if the weather is very warm. If picnicking in the yard or near the house, keep foods in the refrigerator until ready to prepare and serve. If the picnic will be away from home, foods should be kept in an ice chest until used.

Since a full ice chest keeps food cold longer than a partially full one, choose an ice chest that is the right size for the amount of food to be carried. Freezer packs or ice are best to pack around food to keep it cold. If using ice, it is a good idea to pack it in plastic bags so foods will not be soaked by the melting ice.

Put raw meat, fish or poultry in plastic bags before placing them in the ice chest. This will prevent juices from these products from contacting and possibly contaminating other foods, such as produce, which may be eaten without cooking. Another way to prevent this 'cross- contamination' is to keep raw meat products in a separate ice chest from other foods.

Foods will keep best if the ice chest is kept as cold as possible. Opening the lid when absolutely necessary will help keep the cold inside. Transport the ice chest to the picnic site in the body of the car since this is cooler than the trunk. Once at the picnic site, place the ice chest in the shade. Don't leave it sitting in the sun.

When cooking food outdoors, take precautions to assure that food is thoroughly cooked. The best way to do this is to use a meat thermometer to make sure ground beef reaches at least 160 F and poultry cooks to 180 F. Solid pieces of meat, such as steaks and chops, can be eaten rare, but should be cooked long enough to assure they are well heated on the surface. Hot dogs should be steaming hot throughout.

Eating outdoors offers special challenges in making sure that everything that contacts food is clean. If running water is available, wash hands before handling food and again anytime they touch something that is not clean.

Utensils and dishes used with raw meat, fish, and poultry should be washed before being used with cooked foods or foods that will be eaten without cooking.

If running water will not be available at the picnic site, take extra utensils and dishes so that there is no need to use the same ones for raw and for cooked products. Baby wipes or liquid hand sanitizers may be used to clean hands and hands should be cleaned as often as they would be washed.

As mentioned above, perishable foods should not be kept out of the refrigerator or ice chest for longer than two hours one hour on a very warm day. Don't leave perishable foods on the table for snacking throughout the day. Sit them out at serving time and once the meal is over, put the food back in the ice chest. Perishable foods that have been out for longer than two hours should be discarded.

Once back in the kitchen, remove food from the ice chest and refrigerate immediately. If the outdoor stay was long and the food has become warm, throw it away. Any food that is of questionable safety, also should be discarded.

Wash ice chests thoroughly, especially if they have contained raw meat, poultry or fish and allow them to air dry before placing them in storage.

Assuring safe food is a greater challenge when eating outdoors. However, with a little extra care and planning you can have safe meals while enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

For more information on safe handling of foods, contact the Nevada County Cooperative Extension office.