It's scary when you go to a barbecue and find someone putting the cooked chicken on the same plate that held the raw chicken, or that the potato salad has been left in the sun for hours. Charmian Smith gives a few tips for not poisoning your friends or family this summer.
Food always seems to taste better outdoors. But the warm weather that makes outdoor cooking and eating such a delight also has its dangers, and not just the ants and flies.
Bacteria that cause food poisoning love warmth as much as we do and we need to take a little extra care to not give them the time and temperature to multiply.
There's no need to be paranoid, but following a few simple rules makes sense.
Cook food to steaming hot (above 65degC) and cook meat properly - this kills the bugs.
Chill food to 5degC or below - this prevents bugs multiplying.
Cover food to keep off insects and dust.
Clean hands, utensils, boards and benchtops with soap and hot water, and dry.
Separate raw food from cooked and ready-to-eat food so they do not contaminate each other.
- The most likely foods to be contaminated by bacteria are raw meats and chicken, which should be kept separate from other foods; and any plates, utensils or hands that have touched them should be washed before touching other food. Defrost frozen food in the fridge and make sure chicken, sausages and mince patties are cooked through - it's a good idea to precook them first then finish them on the barbecue.
- Marinate meat in the fridge, not on the bench.
- Hands can also be contaminated - always wash hands thoroughly before preparing or eating food, and especially after going to the toilet, touching animals, blowing your nose or gardening. Take some wet wipes or some hand sanitiser on picnics or to places where water for hand washing is not available.
- Dairy foods such as soft cheeses, yoghurt, cream and things made with them are favourite foods for bacteria, so keep them in the fridge below 5degC or in a chilly bin with frozen pads. If they have been out for more than four hours, they should be discarded. Mayonnaise made with eggs is something else to be wary of if it, or a salad made with it, has been out of the fridge for a while.
- If you are preparing food to be eaten cold away from home, such as quiches, pies, rice or pasta salads, or desserts, make sure they are cold before you leave by cooling them in the fridge and taking them in a chilly bin with frozen pads. Make sure food is well wrapped or in a sealed container so it is not contaminated by other foods, especially raw meats.
- When at the picnic site or camp, keep the chilly bin in the shade and keep food covered to protect it from flies and other insects. Don't keep perishable food in the chilly bin for more than a day unless it can be kept at about 5degC, If you are not sure of the quality of the water at picnic sites or camping grounds boil it for at least a minute before drinking or using it to make up dried milk or juice, or for washing salad.
- If you can, take filtered water from home.
Managing without a fridge or with only a very small one: Most of us are so used to buying food once a week and keeping it in the fridge that managing without one, as when you are camping or tramping, or even managing with just a small fridge in a campervan, can be a bit tricky.
In the past, before fridges were widely available, people had safes in a cool part of the house or outside which kept insects off food and allowed air to circulate.
They bought fresh food every couple of days - meat from the butcher, milk from the milkman, fish from the fishmonger and fruit and vegetables from the greengrocer, and they also grew their own vegetables.
Food was cooked and eaten soon after and leftovers reheated and used the next day so there was little time for bacteria to grow.
However, when you are camping or staying in a remote place, it's not always easy to buy fresh food regularly and even more difficult to keep it cold unless you are in a motorcamp and have a fridge.
If you have a small gas or electric fridge in a campervan or caravan, it's a good idea to use a thermometer to give you some idea of temperature.
Many gas and battery-operated fridges need to be adjusted manually according to the temperature outside.
If you have only a small fridge or chiller, keep pickles and jams outside the fridge because they are preserved with vinegar or sugar and will keep for a while.
Put beer, wine and other drinks to cool in a stream or bucket of cold water, and fresh vegetables in a chilly bin with pads frozen in the ice tray compartment of your fridge or in the camping ground freezer.
Some foods keep fine for a few days without refrigeration, such as bread, cake, fresh fruit and vegetables, salami, eggs, hard cheese, butter and margarine.
However, keep them in the shade or other cool place and protected from insects and animals.
Dried foods, such as rice, pasta, powdered milk, breakfast cereals, flour, biscuits, jerky and dried meat, nuts, dried fruit and vegetables keep well without refrigeration, and so do canned or bottled foods, honey, jam, longlife milk and stocks.
However, make sure you use clean or boiled water for making up dried milk, yoghurt or juice.
If you are camping in remote areas there are a few things you can do to provide yourself with fresh vegetables, although they won't work so well for trampers:Hydroponic lettuces will keep fresh for several days with their roots in a bowl of water.
If you feel the lack of fresh greens you could always sprout your own seeds: use a glass jar with a piece of muslin over the top.
Soak sprouting seeds such as alfalfa, mung beans, peas or lentils for an hour or two then rinse a couple of times daily and in a few days you will have fresh, healthy sprouts for soups, sandwiches, salads and anything else that takes your fancy.
Vegetables à la Grecque
This is a delicious and easy dish to prepare ahead of time for a picnic or barbecue, or while camping, because you do everything in one pot.
The vinegar and lemon juice in the marinade discourage bacteria.
You can serve it as antipasto or as a side with freshly-caught fish, barbecued meat, feta cheese or hard-boiled eggs. Mop up the juices with bread.
Use a mix of three to six of whatever vegetables you have.
The dish in the photograph was made with potato, carrot, turnip, red pepper, broccolini and silver beet, which is what I happened to have on hand.
Like many of the best dishes the recipe is infinitely variable - and despite the name, it's not actually a Greek recipe but French.
500g-800g vegetables washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 Tbsp wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/2-1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
a bay leaf or 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, marjoram or oregano
a pinch of sugar (optional)
water or wine s
alt to taste
juice of a lemon
chopped parsley (optional)
Heat the oil and cook the garlic gently without colouring it.
Add vinegar, spices and herbs and vegetables - add vegetables that take a while to cook such as potatoes and carrots first, and those that cook quickly such as beans and zucchini a little later.
Add a little water or wine (if you are using tinned tomatoes you may not need much). You don't want to swamp the veges, but you need enough liquid to cook them and for a marinade and sauce.
Put on the lid and simmer for 5-10min until vegetables are just cooked but still a bit crisp.
Add lemon juice, check seasoning, sprinkle with parsley or other chopped herbs if you wish, and leave to cool and marinate.
This dish can be served at room temperature or cold.
