FOOD PREPERATION AND MORE

[reinhard1]

we probably dont talk enough about food preperation. what tools do you use for the foods you prepare [knives, grinders, blenders, cleaning supplies ect ] casings, charcoal, grills, seasonings, cures, temperatures, refrigeration times, produce items, meat cuts, and more.

we have many people who post here on this forum with a lot of experience in cooking, grilling, or smoking. what do you look for in meat prior to purchasing, fresh fish, or vegetables.

for example in fresh fish i look for the code date for one thing and making sure the eyes of the fish are clear and not discolored or milky. prior to making sausage and using hog casings, how many of you soak your casings to soften them up and giving them an internal rinse by using you faucet in your sink? how long do you store your foods and in what type of containers. how do you freeze your foods.

sure the topic may be food preperation, but if you can start with that, incorporate that preperation with an example of a reciepe and then end up with how you store it and cook it would be great. i have learned a lot on this forum and i know i have a lot more to learn. lets here some ways you prepare foods that would be helpfull to others. i also have my "professional food manager certification training" book handy for any question you may have. it's been awhile since i've read it but it has a ton of great information on food handling, food born illness's, bacterias and sanitation, cooling foods, thawing foods, cross contamination, minumum cooking temps and a ton more. good luck.

[reinhard1]

to lightning: the most common cure is mortens tenderquick. this is a proven product that produces consistent results. the main preserving agents are salt, sugar, both sodium nitrate and sdium nitrite [curing agents that also contribute to development of color and flavor]. and propylene glycol to keep the mixture uniform. the ratio is one tablespoon to one pound of meat. when using this do not add additional salt to your reciepe if it calls for it.

there is also Prague Powder often pink in color. the ratio for this cure is 1 level tsp. per 5 pounds of meat or one ounce per 25 pounds of meat. this is commonly used when doing larger amounts of smoked sausage like smoked polish for example. often time you can go to butcher supply store and tell them you are going to make smoked brats and they will give you polish sausage seasoning packet for 25 pounds for example and when you tell them you are going to smoke it they will give you a one ounce pack of this cure. this has more sodium nitrate than salt so less of an amount of cure per pound is needed. when using this cure you can add the salt to your reciepe as stated if it's your own reciepe vs pre-make seasonings. hope that answeres the question. i use tenderquick for jerky and summersausage but i will use the pink stuff when i will be making smoked venison kielbasa. good luck.

[RebelSS]

Good post!!!

I'm gonna hit on knives and food safety......

I hand sharpen and hone all my knives...not EVEN going to get into mechanical doo-dads that "work wonders". Two good Arkansas stones, oil, steel, and top quality knives. Do not store in a drawer, only in a holder or sheath, keep out of dishwasher, sharpen frequently. End of subject.

For food safety....Had food poisioning twice and Norovirus (from restaurants...lettuce bar both times, undercooked food other time) Never again!!!! First things first: I wash EVERYTHING!!!! (Except bananas) ALL fruits, veggies, etc., including potatos. Don't cut melons without washing; the blade will drag any germs through the entire melon. I don't leave any cut item sitting out longer than one hour; there's no reason to. That includes fruits/veggies. All you need are a warmth, moist environment, and the germs that are already there.

Get that food in the 'fridge in about an hour...I feel the USDA guideline of 2 hours stretches it too far, especially outside at a picnic, etc.

Follow food temp guidlines...pork has now been dropped to 145 degrees, if you allow at least 3 minutes of rest time. Ground meats are still 160; poultry 165 degrees.

I keep my 'fridge at 34 degrees (I like my beverages ice cold) and the freezer at -10. USDA recommends a CONTINIOUS 40 degree 'fridge temp and zero degrees for the freezer.

When you prepare foods, remember to "make meat last"...ie; cut veggies, fruits, whatever first, then your meats last to avoid cross-contamination. Avoid cross-contamination also when stirring items like eggs, etc, with a different utensil.

If I am going to put a rub or spice on meat, I have all the bottles/jars opened first. Then when done with the meat, especially poultry, I wash everything in hot, soapy, water, and spray everything down with a water/bleach mixture, and wipe off with PAPER TOWELs, then wipe the jar's/bottles with the paper towel and water/bleach mixture. Good idea to wipe off those 'fridge handles, too. No one's going to get sick at my house!!!!

[reinhard1]

i think at times when you have been in the buisness of handling foods for years you see things to educate yourself when it comes to your own kitchen. i think refrigeration ideas when camping without electricity would also be a good topic on this thread as well. all ideas are welcome, and dont worry about hyjacking this thread as long as it is food related.

you would think a butcher would always have sharp knives. my grandfather came to visit us one time years ago prior to his passing. he lived in germany of course. well he owned a butcher shop over there. i was preparing a fresh ham with the shank still on. he wanted to take the shank off and wanted that part for himself and asked me for a good knife.

i gave him one of my boning knives and he started to do his thing. within seconds he turned to me and said in german "a sharp knife". i told him it is sharp. he asked me for my stone,oil, and smooth steel. when he was done he said "this is a sharp knife". i was amazed [and embarrassed as well]. so i learned an important lesson that day.

thanks for that post. sanitation is very important indeed. i've got a lot more stuff but i'm hoping to hear more from you and others. good luck.

[reinhard1]

HOT AND COLD SMOKED SAUSAGE CURES;

to safely cure smoked sausage, the only cures that are safe to use are commercial cures, which contain nitrites and /or nitrates. these compounds are found in nature and in many of the foods you normally eat.

Hot-Smoked Sausage Cure: Prague Powder #1 [also known as instacure #1 modern cure, TCM, FLP, and pink curing salt]. this cure is used only with products that do require cooking after smoking. after making, store your sausage in the refrigerator for up to three days or package and freeze. Prague Powder #1 cantains 6.25 percent sodium nitrite mixed with 93.75 percent salt. as the meat temperature rises, the sodium nitrite breaks down into nitric oxide and begins to dissipate at about 130 deg F when the smoking/cooking process is finished, only about 10 to 20 percent of the nitrite remains. when the product is reheated and cooked, the remaining nitrite continuew to dissipate. to be safe, store cooked sausages in the refrigerator for no more than three days or package and freeze.

Cold Smoked Sausage Cure: Prague Powder #2 [also known as Insta-cure#2]. this cure is used only with products that are dry-cured and with products that do not require cooking or refrigeration. prague powder #2 contains 1 ounce of sodium nitrite and 0.64 ounce of sodium nitrate mixed with 1 pound of salt. the small amount of sodium nitrate in this cure breaks down into sodium nitrite and then into nitric oxide. this process allows you to dry-cure products that take longer to cure. again to be safe , store cured sausages in the refrigerator for no more than three days or package and freeze. good luck.

[prov1900]

I will take a stab at it.

Chicken. Nothing worse on this earth than chicken that is 'past its prime'. When I buy it in the store, I do what I can to smell it in the package as I have been burned many times by chicken that smells like something in a rancid outhouse. Of course that goes to the garbage. Do not take a chance with chicken, unless you want to see stars and tweety birds LOL

Of all the meats, chicken is the most critical to keep 1. Cold 2. Clean. That includes your prep area. Prep cutting board (not wood) needs to be clean and when you are done cutting up your bird, or prepping it any other way, put that cutting board in the sink and wash it before you use it for anything else.

[reinhard1]

thanks for that input. cant stress enough about poultry. even if you buy it frozen. wash the product first in cold water always. you make a good point about wooden cutting boards. when i grew up that's all we ever had. my mother must have done a good job of cleaning it because i cant remember getting sick. but i would say like you did to not use them. over time bad things can soak in the cracks or little cuts from using knives. that is why wood cutting boards are not allowed in processing areas.

the following foods are identified by the FDA model food code as potentially hazardous foods:

milk and milk products

poultry

tofu

baked or boiled potatoes

cooked rice

shell eggs

fish

garlic and oil mixtures

raw sprouts and seeds

cooked beans

meats [beef, pork, lamb]

shelfish and crustacea

sliced melon

soy-protein foods

other heat-treated plant foods

potentially hazardous foods are generally high in protien, moist, and chemically neutral or only slightly acidic. some foods are considered potentially hazardous because the way they are processed or prepared may make them more likely to become contaminated [examples include sliced melons and raw sprouts].

the above information is taken from my handy dandy Professional Food Manager Certification Training book. good luck.

[reinhard1]

here is a little history on the use of salt and an unknown cure at the time "nitrates".

it is true that anceint greeks and romans used only salt to preserve their meat. but the natural salt they used was dug out of the salt mines at Salinae, Italy, and contained impurities. one of these impurities was sodium nitrate, which preserved the meat and gave their sausages the familiar smell and distinctive red color. every time you eat the Italian-style dry-cured raw ham prosciutto, you step back 2,000 years into history. makes you wonder what happened to those who ate the sausage when the salt came from a new pit that either did not have enough sodium nitrate or had it in too concentrated a form.

good luck.

[BLACKJACK]

thanks for that input. cant stress enough about poultry. even if you buy it frozen. wash the product first in cold water always. you make a good point about wooden cutting boards. when i grew up that's all we ever had. my mother must have done a good job of cleaning it because i cant remember getting sick. but i would say like you did to not use them. over time bad things can soak in the cracks or little cuts from using knives. that is why wood cutting boards are not allowed in processing areas.

the following foods are identified by the FDA model food code as potentially hazardous foods:

milk and milk products

poultry

tofu

baked or boiled potatoes

cooked rice

shell eggs

fish

garlic and oil mixtures

raw sprouts and seeds

cooked beans

meats [beef, pork, lamb]

shelfish and crustacea

sliced melon

soy-protein foods

other heat-treated plant foods

potentially hazardous foods are generally high in protien, moist, and chemically neutral or only slightly acidic. some foods are considered potentially hazardous because the way they are processed or prepared may make them more likely to become contaminated [examples include sliced melons and raw sprouts].

the above information is taken from my handy dandy Professional Food Manager Certification Training book. good luck.

I'm surprised to see baked potatoes on the list, I always bake a few extras, and leave them on the stove top for a few days, until I finish them up as my late night snack, always thought they were a healthy snack (except the salt that I put on them!!!).

[BLACKJACK]

As far as knife sharpening goes, I love my Chef's Choice electric sharpener, its one of those things, like my Vexilar, that if it quit tomorrow, I'd go buy another one ASAP. In five minutes I can sharpen all the knives in the kitchen, before when I did them on a stone, it took forever and they still weren't sharp. To each his own.

Another tool that pays for itself is my vacumn packer, its another tool where if it went out, I'd go buy another one. Fish, pheasants, pork loins on sale, jerky, etc, put it in, vacumn it up, and no freezer burn.

[reinhard1]

well, the way they presented this was as "potential" hazardous foods. if not properly prepared or refrigerated would by my guess. moisture also is a factor, makes them more prone to spoilage. i'll be going through some more items as time goes on. we have all eaten stuff over the years questionable at times and still survived but i think this is a good educational tool for reference. good luck.

[OnAFly]

I don't mean to steer this thread into a new direction, but it would be great for someone to throw up a how-to on sharpening knives. I know I've never been really good at it, so if anyone has some pointers, it would be appreciated at least by me

[LightningBG]

we have all eaten stuff over the years questionable at times and still survived but i think this is a good educational tool for reference. good luck.

You mean the 2 day old pizza that was laying on the floor back in college could have been dangerous? Guess I have dodged a few bullets in my life.

[BobT]

Quote:

I'm gonna hit on knives and food safety......

I hand sharpen and hone all my knives...not EVEN going to get into mechanical doo-dads that "work wonders". Two good Arkansas stones, oil, steel, and top quality knives. Do not store in a drawer, only in a holder or sheath, keep out of dishwasher, sharpen frequently. End of subject.

100% agree! I will also add that I ALWAYS slide my knives over a stone after each use. I just can't stand trying to do something with a dull knife. I have never used a powered knife sharpener that worked better than a wet stone.

A little off topic but when I was in the logging business I relied on maintaining razor sharp chainsaw chains. I never used a chain without first touching it with a file myself. Even new machine-sharpened chains were not sharp enough to suit me.

[BobT]

I don't mean to steer this thread into a new direction, but it would be great for someone to throw up a how-to on sharpening knives. I know I've never been really good at it, so if anyone has some pointers, it would be appreciated at least by me

I use a plain old flat fine sharpening stone with water. Hold the knife at about a 10 degree angle and slide over the stone in a circular patttern working one side then the other. As you get the edge more and more sharp begin using less and less pressure. If you're curling over the edge you are pressing too hard. You can tell when it is sharp by turning the blade sharp side up under a light and look for shiny surfaces along the edge. This indicates areas that are still dull or curved over. If your knife is really dull, it can take a long time to hone it to a good edge. My stone also has a course side that I'll use if I'm starting on a really dull knife and then finish it with the fine side. To keep them sharp lay them on the stone after each use. This is especially important with filet knives if you cut through fish bones.

Edit: I almost forgot. NEVER let anyone else use your knives. Undoubtedly they will use it on hard surfaces and such that will dull it in a hurry.

[reinhard1]

thanks, Bob, great info. i use mineral oil and the stone also and do it pretty much as you do. a dull knife is less safe than a sharp one. you tend to force your cuts more and put more pressure than neccessary on the item you are working on. thus resulting in a potential injury. good luck.

[reinhard1]

SIX FACTORS THAT AFFECT BACTERIAL GROWTH;

FOOD; bacteria require nutrients such as protiens and carbohydrates to reproduce. foods that contain these nutrients support bacterial growth [i.e. meats, dairy products, fish, eggs, and poultry].

ACIDITY: the bacteria most commonly involved in foodborne illness generally grow best on foods with a ph between 4.6 and 7.0. highly acidic foods, such as tomatoes and citrus fruits with ph values below 4.6, do not usually support bacterial growth.

TIME: like any organism, bacteria require time to grow and reproduce. given the right conditions, bacteria can reproduce every 15 to 30 minutes. this means that in five hours, a single bacterial cell could potentially grow into a colony of over one million cells.

TEMPERATURE: most bacteria that cause foodborne illness grow well at temperatures between 41 deg to 140 deg F. this temperature range is commonly referred to as the "temperature danger zone".

OXYGEN: most bacteria that cause foodborne illness require oxygen to survive and grow. it is important to know that some bacteria such as "clostridium botulinum" can only grow when oxygen is not present [such as inside a vacuum packaged or canned food] bacteria that require oxygen to grow are called aerobic bacteria. bacteria that grow in the abscence of oxygen are called anaerobic bacteria.

MOISTURE: bacteria also require water to survive. the amount of moisture available in a product can be expressed as its water activity.

of the six factors represented, time and temperature are the most important.if the bacteria are not geven the time to reproduce within the temperature danger zone, they will not be able to grow. when a potenteally hazardous food is left out at temperatures within the temperature danger zone, bacterial growth can occor rapidly.

good luck.

[reinhard1]

MOLDS; they are primarily spoilage organisms. while single mold cells are too small to see without a microscope, colonies of mold cells are often visible and may appear slimy or fuzzy. molds can cause foods to appear discolored, or have a foul taste, or have an odd smell.molds can grow on just about any type of food regardless of the water activity or ph, however, they tend to grow best on acidic, sweet foods that have a low water activity such as breads, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. some types of mold produce toxins as they grow which may pose serious health risks. cooking food can destroy mold cells, but will not remove these toxins and so foods contaminated by molds [which are not a natural part of the food] should always be discarded.

YEASTS: are spoilage organisms that tend to grow on acidic, sweet foods with a low water activity. honey, jams, jellies, and syrup are good examples of foods that may be spoiled by yeasts. yeasts produce alcohol and carbon dioxide as they grow, so foods spoiled by yeast may give off an odor of alcohol. yeasts are used to make bread rise[because of the carbon dioxide] and produce the alcohol in beer and wine. foods spoiled by yeasts must be thrown out. good luck.

[reinhard1]

Easier cheese grating: before grating cheese, put it in the freezer for about 40 minutes. this will make it easier to grate since it wont be as sticky.

Softening Marshmallows: to soften hard marshmallows, put them in a plastic bag and dip int hot water.

No Cry Onions: if peeling onions makes your eyes water, refrigerate the onions until you're ready to use them. a cold onion wont make your eyes tear as readily as one at room temperature.

Keep The Crumbs On Your Steaks:: to prevent bread crumbs from falling off steaks,chops,chicken, and fish in the frying pan, bread them several hours before using and place them in the refrigerator. [this tip i found very helpful, well a lot of these did].

more on the way. good luck.

[reinhard1]

Better Trail Bread--this is more for hunting and fishing. packing in a loaf of bread leaves you with a pack full of crumbs. bagels are less likely to crumble and are a treat on the trail. you can use tortillas for all kinds of stuff from morning toast to evening tacos. you can stuff pocketed pita bread with peanut butter or cream cheese for a great meal to go.

Vacuum Your Ears-- when cleaning sweet corn for freezing, use the vacuum cleaner and small round brush attachment to remove hair from each ear. it's a real timesaver. each ear comes out cleaner, too. good luck more to come

[reinhard1]

Grating Lemon Or Orange Peel: to grate limon or orange peel, wash and dry the fruit, rub it, using short strokes, across a small section of a fine grater. grate only the colored part of the peel. the white part has a bitter taste. you will get about 1 tbls of grated lemon rind from a medium lemon, and 2 tbls of grated orange peel from a medium orange.

Fruits And Vegetables That Keep: fresh fruits and vegetables that keep well on backpacking/hunting trips are potatoes, onions, garlic, cucumbers, yams, cabbage, carrots, apples, oranges and lemons. good luck.

[reinhard1]

Plant Food: a couple of plants sittin around are nice to have in the cabin. they drink up leftover cold coffee and cold tea, too.

Caked Baking Powder: if your baking powder is caked, moisture has gotten in and it has lost its leanening power. dont take a chance on spoiling a redipe and wasting other ingredients. throw out the old can and buy a fresh one.

Spice Up Soups: to season soups make a bouquet garni by placing parsley, celery leaves, dill peppercorns, thyme and bay leaf on a small square of cheesecloth. bring corners together and tie securely with a string. add to soup kettle. good luck.

[reinhard1]

Cake Doesn't Stick--sift powdered sugar over a cake plate before you put your cake on it to frost, then it wont stick to the plate when served.

Peeling Garlic Cloves--an easy way to peel a clove of garlic is to crush it lightly with the flat side of a large knife and the skin will separate.

To Keep Herbs--chop fresh herbs when they're available and freeze them in small plastic bags or containers for use in your recipes year-round.

Tomato Seed Removal--to remove seeds from a tomato, slice the tomato in half and gently squeeze it until the seeds fall out. good luck.

[reinhard1]

To Check If Egg Is Fresh--if you want to make sure that an egg is fresh, place it in a bowl of cold water. if it sinks, its fresh. if it's fairly fresh, it'll bob up on one-end. if it's stale, it'll float.

Prevent Scorching--to prevent milk from scorching, rinse the saucepan in cold water and dont dry it before adding the milk. then heat the milk over a low fire.

Egg Cleanup-- the best way to clean up a raw egg that's been dropped is to pour some salt over it. let it stand for a few minutes until the egg takes on a powder form and then sweep it up. good luck.

[reinhard1]

Jams, Jars and Jellies-when filling jars with jams and jellies, use a regular funnel like you would use to fill bottles. this works like a charm, and you'll have no sticky rims. when sealing the jars with hot paraffin use a small gravy ladle to dip up the melted paraffin and pour it over the jams and jellies to seal them. there will be no drips on the side of the jars to clean off.

A Canning Shortcut--a shortcut in preparing tomatoes for canning is to put the cooked, quartered tomatoes in the blender for a few seconds before running them through a colander. this saves a lot of time and the juice turnes out much thicker.

De-Salt Soup--if soup is too salty, slice a raw potato into soup and allow to boil for a short time. remove potato. good luck.