Category "food-safety"

raw chicken in an "off" crockpot

I put chicken in a crock pot and thought it was on low. It was off. It's been two hours. Do I need to throw out the chicken? It was fairly cold because it was m

How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat?

If I left food out of the refrigerator for some period of time, is it still safe? If I left it out too long, can I salvage it by cooking it mo

How long does hot chocolate stay good?

My resource for food shelf life is usually stilltasty.com . However, I can't find hot chocolate on the list. I'm talking about a small pot of hot chocolate - mi

Do restaurants regularly disinfect baskets and trays?

I certainly hope the answer to this question is yes, but do restaurants regularly disinfect baskets and trays? Even if they are covered with paper wrappers or

Is jerky safe concerning parasites?

In the commercial production of beef (or any meat) jerky, how is the threat of parasites handled? The at-home recipes are simply soaking the meat in a salt sol

Can one become ill from consuming food smoked with wood that contains a common fungus?

If someone used common wood (oak, hickory, etc) from the woodpile, which had been sitting in the rain and weather for some moderate time and, consequently, may

Is there anything special about fugu meat?

I know that fugu is fairly well known both inside and outside Japan, and wild versions of the fish contains a toxin 1200 times more potent than cyanide. (Fun fa

Is storing homeade dressing with garlic powder safe?

I would like to make a salad dressing with apple cider vinegar, evoo, maple syrup, mustard, onion and garlic powder, cayenne, and italian seasoning. I know noth

Browning Beef Stew (safety question)

I'm making beef stew in a cast iron dutch oven for the first time. I have some stewing meat, and have oiled the bottom of the dutch oven. The problem is my cas

Raw Eggs, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough...And Freezing

I have often heard the warning that one should not eat raw chocolate chip cookie dough which contains raw eggs, due to the risk (however slight) of salmonella.

Can steaming cans of jams be safely used instead of boiling to sterilise?

Can i sterilise my filled jars of marmalade, raspberry and cherry jam in a steamer unit, such as those used to steam vegetables or baby bottles? I usually make

Fermented rice horchata

I have been making some horchata (using white rice, cinnamon and water). I left it for a day and when I returned, it looked slightly fermented (a stream of bubb

Can you refreeze chicken after it has been cooked from frozen

I buy chicken breasts already frozen from my local supermarket. I want to let them defrost naturally (IE leave the breasts out until thawed at room temperate) a

Brined cheese behaves almost as if carbonated

I bought (at least what I thought was) some Bulgarian/Turkish-style brined soft cheese today, and when I got home I noticed the container seemed over-pressurise

Can buttermilk be frozen successfully?

Can I freeze unused buttermilk bought at the supermarket for later use? Can it later on be thawed and used safely?

Is sterilized milk safe to use with a breadmaker's timer function?

I recently started making bread with a breadmaker and was wondering if it's safe to keep sterilized milk in the machine for a few hours before the program start

Are these worms in my black eyed peas/beans?

I was cooking some organic black eyed peas earlier today and I found what appeared to be worms. I had the peas for about 1.5 weeks before I cooked them. Is thi

Is it contaminating the spice to touch it after touching raw meat?

When I cook raw meat, especially chicken strips, I have it spread out on the chopping board with a few bags and containers of spice to the side. I don't actuall

Why let your pie cool instead of eating it hot?

I like most of my foods nice and hot. Is there a culinary reason for waiting for your pie to cool before serving? Or is it just to prevent burns?

What are some techniques to cool down a dish so that we can store it in the refrigerator safely?

My wife just cooked some 'plof' (an Ashkenazi Jewish recipe). A one pot chicken, rice, onion, carrots dish. All those are in their respective layers. She just