Kitchen Fires: 8 Tips for Avoiding Cooking Accidents

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March 4, 2024

Be Present

The Red Cross reports that cooking is the leading cause of home fires. And that unattended cooking is the leading cause of these cooking fires. Their survey reports that around 70 percent of people have left the kitchen while cooking. Walking away from a lit stove, even for a few moments, can seriously increase the chances you have to start a kitchen fire. If something comes up that you have to attend to, turn off the stove and move the pot or pan in question to a safe place, and then come back to it when it can have your full attention.

Practice Kitchen Social Distancing

Young children and pets are at danger of cooking related burns, as well as the potential to be contributory to possible fires, so pretend the hot stove is the coronavirus and ensure that they are safely at least 6 feet away when it is on.

Set Up the Area

Keep a recently purchased, or recently recharged and inspected fire extinguisher somewhere in an obvious place in your kitchen. Be sure to keep the area around your stove clear of flammable items like dishtowels, utensils, bags or boxes. Give your stove and the surrounding area a really good deep clean, especially your hood and vent, or anywhere that can trap grease particles.

Take Your Temp

Frying, even shallow frying, is one of the riskier cooking techniques, since oil heated to a super-hot temperature can literally self-combust with no spark. When frying, always use a thermometer to ensure the oil temperature doesn’t go above 375°, and if you see the temp rising or smoke beginning to appear, turn the burner off, and carefully using proper safeguards, move the pot or pan to a cold burner towards the back of the stove and let the temp come down to a safe range.

Arrange Handles

Keep all pot handles turned towards the back of the stove when cooking so that you don’t knock into them or catch them. This also helps prevent you accidentally grabbing them without proper potholder protection to avoid spills and burns.

Dress the Part

Loose clothes, long sleeves, scarves, any of these can easily fall into the flame or catch on your electric burner. Long necklaces also can snag on pot handles with disastrous results. Avoid long and loose clothing and remove accessories before cooking.

Establish a Routine

Add the kitchen to your end-of-day checklist. You never want to go to bed without ensuring that doors and windows are closed and locked, the alarm is set, and the lights turned off... be sure to also look into your kitchen to be sure that all big appliances like the stove and oven are turned off, and small appliances unplugged where appropriate.

Avoid Water

Never throw water on grease fires, as it can make them spread, and the resulting instant steam can burn you as badly as the fire itself. If the fire is in a pot, put a lid on it or a flat baking sheet over it to tamp down the flames. Turn the stove off, and carefully, if possible, move the pot or pan off the burner. If you cannot stop it this way, use salt or baking soda to put out the fire. Finally, use a fire extinguisher if none of these works or if the fire spreads to a wall or other nearby surface.

From: allrecipes.com

Let's Talk Turkey

Click Here for USDA guidelines for safely preparing your turkey.

Handling Food Safely - Picnics and Barbecues

Picnic and barbecue season offers lots of opportunities for outdoor fun with family and friends. But these warm weather events also present opportunities for foodborne bacteria to thrive. As food heats up in summer temperatures, bacteria multiply rapidly. To protect yourself, your family, and friends from foodborne illness during warm-weather months, safe food handling when eating outdoors is critical. Read on for simple food safety guidelines for transporting your food to the picnic site, and preparing and serving it safely once you’ve arrived.

The Big Thaw - Safe Defrosting Methods

Uh, oh! You're home and forgot to thaw something for dinner. You grab a package of meat or chicken and use hot water to thaw it fast. But is this safe? What if you remembered to take food out of the freezer, but forgot and left the package on the counter all day while you were at work? Neither of these situations is considered safe, and these methods of thawing may lead to foodborne illness. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or egg products, as any perishable foods, must be kept at a safe temperature during "the big thaw." They are safe indefinitely while frozen. However, as soon as they begin to thaw and become warmer than 40°F, bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to multiply. Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen as it thaws on the counter, the outer layer of the food could be in the "Danger Zone," between 40° and 140°F — temperatures where bacteria multiply rapidly. When thawing frozen food, it's best to plan ahead and thaw in the refrigerator where it will remain at a safe, constant temperature — at 40°F or below. There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave. In a hurry? It's safe to cook foods from the frozen state. Refrigerator Thawing Planning ahead is the key to this method because of the lengthy time involved. A large frozen item like a turkey requires at least a day (24 hours) for every 5 pounds of weight. Even small amounts of frozen food — such as a pound of ground meat or boneless chicken breasts — require a full day to thaw. When thawing foods in the refrigerator, there are variables to take into account. Some areas of the appliance may keep food colder than other areas.Food will take longer to thaw in a refrigerator set at 35°F than one set at 40°F. After thawing in the refrigerator, items such as ground meat, stew meat, poultry, seafood, should remain safe and good quality for an additional day or two before cooking; red meat cuts (such as beef, pork or lamb roasts, chops and steaks) 3 to 5 days. Food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking, although there may be some loss of quality. Cold Water Thawing This method is faster than refrigerator thawing but requires more attention. The food must be in a leak-proof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks, bacteria from the air or surrounding environment could be introduced into the food. Also, the meat tissue may absorb water, resulting in a watery product. The bag should be submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Small packages of meat, poultry or seafood — about a pound — may thaw in an hour or less. A 3-to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per pound. If thawed completely, the food must be cooked immediately. Foods thawed by the cold water method should be cooked before refreezing. Microwave Thawing When thawing food in a microwave, plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during the thawing process (bringing the food to "Danger Zone" temperatures). Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn't have been destroyed and, indeed, the food may have reached optimal temperatures for bacteria to grow. After thawing in the microwave, always cook immediately after, whether microwave cooking, by conventional oven, or grilling. Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked before refreezing. Also, never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat. Cooking Without Thawing When there is not enough time to thaw frozen foods, or you're simply in a hurry, just remember: it is safe to cook foods from the frozen state. The cooking will take approximately 50% longer than the recommended time for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry. From: USDA Guide To Thawing Frozen Meat

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