If you have read any of the other articles on my site, you will have come to realise that I am a big promoter of having a digital food thermometer in your kitchen toolkit. In this article I will explain the reasons why I believe every kitchen should have one, and some of the other useful ways that one can be used. So what is a Digital Meat Thermometer? A digital meat thermometer is a probed device that is inserted into the thickest part of the meat you are cooking, to accurately provide the internal temperature. This allows you to accurately assess if the meat has reached a high enough…
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Is It Safe To Part Cook Chicken And Finish Cooking Later?
We all lead busy lives and so welcome short cuts that make our lives that little bit easier. So you may be wondering if it is OK to get ahead with your meal plans and part cook some chicken to finish cooking later and save time. Is it safe to part cook chicken and finish cooking later? NO! Part cooking chicken to finish at a later time should never be done. Part cooked chicken is a breeding ground for food borne pathogens that can cause food poisoning, and even result in death. Continue reading if you want to know exactly why you should never part cook chicken to finish cooking…
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Fresh Turkey Looks or Smells Bad – Is It Safe To Eat?
Thanksgiving and Christmas are the most popular times that fresh turkeys are cooked for a celebration meal. With so many birds sold over the festive period, it is inevitable that some bad ones may slip through the supply chain. In this article we will explain how you can tell whether your turkey is likely to be safe to go ahead and cook, or if you may want to return the bird to the supplier for a refund. So how can you tell if a turkey is safe to eat? A whole fresh turkey that is ready to cook should be clean and healthy looking, with very little odor. The skin…
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Meat With Freezer Burn Is Safe To Eat
As freezer owners, we are all guilty of throwing things in and forgetting about them. Every once in a while we will come across a package that we no longer recognise and thaw out to see what we have. Upon thawing, we find that it’s some special offer meat we bought a year ago but now it is discolored and freezer burnt. So now we are asking ourselves……. Is it safe to eat meat that has freezer burn? Yes, it is safe to eat meat that has freezer burn, providing the meat has not spoiled. Freezer burn will affect the taste and texture of the meat, but will not make it…
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Does Cooking Meat Extend The ‘Use By’ Date?
You may have found some meat in the refrigerator that needs using that day and wondered if cooking the meat will extend the ‘Use By’ date. So does cooking meat extend the ‘Use By’ Date? No, cooking the meat does not extend the ‘Use By’ date, however it does give you longer to use the meat. Once the meat has been cooked, the ‘Use by’ date becomes redundant, as this is the date that the meat needed to be either cooked or frozen by. Once cooked, the meat has a useable time of up to three more days. Sometimes dates marked on foods can be confusing and may lead you…
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Can Lamb Be Eaten Rare or Still Pink In The Middle?
Lamb is a meat that is not eaten as often as perhaps Beef or Chicken, and so it can leave the person doing the cooking wondering just how well they have to cook it. So can Lamb be cooked so that it is rare or still pink in the centre? Yes, lamb chops, steaks, and roasts can be cooked and served rare, or medium rare, providing it has reached an internal temperature of at least 145oF. However, any form of ground or minced lamb, should be cooked thoroughly to a minimum temperature of at least 165oC, to ensure any harmful bacteria are eliminated. We will now look at when and…
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Food Mold – Is It Safe To Eat Moldy Food & What Causes It?
We have all been the victim of food mold! You want to make a sandwich and the bread has blue spots on it, or the the cheese has furry edges. Maybe those Strawberries you were saving have now gone soft and grown white fur. This is frustrating and leaves us asking -Can I eat it anyway? So Is It Safe To Eat Food Mold? Unless the mold is present as part of the food processing, such as in blue veined cheese, it is generally not considered safe to eat moldy food. Although small amounts are relatively harmless to most healthy adults, the mold can cause some health problems such as…
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Salmonella Risks When Eating Chicken: What You Need to Know!
When preparing a meal with chicken, there is some concern that you may end up getting salmonella poisoning. Although Salmonella poisoning is one of the most common types of poisoning in the United States, there are ways that you can drastically reduce your chances of suffering from it. So what is Salmonella? Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning. It is most commonly found in poultry, eggs, and meat. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever. In this article we will cover the chances of getting salmonella poisoning from eating cooked chicken, and the steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of…
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How Long Will A Turkey Breast Last In The Freezer?
Often during the holiday season it is a great time to pick up a bargain on the unsold festive turkey meat. Grocery stores will want to free up their selling space after the Thanksgiving or Christmas season and will sell their remaining stock for sometimes as much as 90% markdown. Many of you will want to take advantage of these great offers, but may be hesitant due to not knowing how long the meat will last in your freezer. Alternatively, you may have one of those bargains in your freezer from last year, and want to know if it is still safe to eat. Well, this article will cover everything…
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Cooked Chicken Looks Pink! How To Tell if It’s Safe To Eat.
There is nothing worse than preparing cooked chicken for a meal, starting to carve, and seeing that it is still pink! Suddenly you are left wondering whether you are about to poison all your guests or family! Well don’t PANIC!!! Here we will explain when it is, and isn’t. safe to eat pink chicken. So how do you know if pink chicken is safe to eat? Cooked chicken that looks pink when you cut into it, does not necessarily mean that it is undercooked, or unsafe to eat. Although many people rely on clear juices to determine doneness, the only positive way is doing a temperature check. When probed in…
