Chef Marie
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ARTICLES Tomato Scare!
The Federal Health Agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration are investigating this new salmonella outbreak which may have originated possibly with tomatoes and jalapenos coming from Mexico or Florida. Only red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes are involved in the outbreak. Cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, vine tomatoes (still attached to the vine), or home grown are not involved in the contamination and therefore safe to eat. This kind of situation reminds us once again how important it is to eat "organic" locally grown food! Though this might definitively be a safer choice, you still have to be vigilant regarding the safety of the food you eat. I always tell my clients to wash their fruits and vegetables in a vinegar wash. Use 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar for 1 pint water to wash your fresh fruits and vegetables. Rinse thoroughly once and finish by rinsing them under running water. Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables. Here are a few other safety tips to follow: • Don’t buy bruised or damaged fruits or vegetables. When buying in bulk, discard any that are spoiled before refrigerating • Always wash (as explained earlier) fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking • Always wash packaged vegetables such as salad, even if they are pre-washed • Keep raw meat, seafood, eggs, and any raw food prepped away from vegetables and fruits • Don’t stack up food, air must circulate freely • Wash cutting boards, knives, and counter top thoroughly with hot water and soap. Repeat cleaning process every time you prep a different product • At the end of the day and if you can't wash and sanitize in a dishwasher, wash your cutting boards with a bleach or white vinegar water solution and let air dry. Use bleach or white vinegar water solution to clean your countertops
• Refrigerate, as soon as possible, foods in warm weather To Your Health! |
