Prepping Your Workspace

Whether you’re cooking at home for your family or preparing a dish for a client, the basic steps for setting up a clean workspace are the same.

One thing worth remembering: you can’t always tell if food is unsafe just by its smell or taste. When in doubt, throw it out.

Start with the simplest and most important step — wash your hands with warm water and soap. Do this before and after handling raw meat, poultry, fish, or seafood. Also wash your hands after handling pets, changing diapers, or using the washroom. If frequent hand-washing is hard on your skin, use disposable gloves and change them after each task.

Keep your cutting boards separate. Use a wooden board for produce and a non-porous board for raw meat, poultry, fish, and seafood. It’s a small habit that makes a real difference.

Any plate or utensil that has touched raw food needs to be washed thoroughly with soap before you use it again.

I prefer paper towels for wiping kitchen surfaces. If you use dishcloths, change them daily so they don’t become a source of cross-contamination. Sponges are harder to keep clean, so I generally avoid them.

Sanitize countertops, cutting boards, and utensils before and after preparing food. You can use a kitchen sanitizer according to the directions, or a simple bleach solution (5 mL of bleach mixed with 750 mL of water). Always rinse everything carefully with water afterward.

Don’t forget your reusable grocery bags or containers — wash them regularly too.

Once your surfaces are clean, turn to the food itself.

Wash fresh fruit and vegetables under running potable water before you use them. A vegetable brush works well on produce with firm skins, like carrots or melons. Don’t use soap on your produce, and avoid soaking it in the sink — bacteria from the sink can transfer to the food. Running water is the better way.

These steps are straightforward, but they protect the quality of the real meat and fresh food you’re working with. A clean start makes for a better meal.

While Buying Groceries

We’ve already talked about how important it is to keep cold food cold so it never sits in the temperature danger zone. That’s why your refrigerator should be set at 4°C (40°F) or lower and your freezer at –18°C (0°F) or lower.

When you buy meat, poultry, or fish — whether at the grocery store or from a butcher — you have about a two-hour window to get it into the fridge or freezer. The clock starts as soon as the package goes into your cart.

Most modern grocery stores are laid out so you walk through the produce section first. By the time you reach the meat counter, you’ve already spent time choosing fruit and vegetables. That nice T-bone steak you just picked up? The two-hour clock is already ticking.

Here’s a simple suggestion that makes a real difference: leave the meat, poultry, and fish until last. Choose everything else first, then pick up your meat on the way to the checkout. That way you have the best chance of getting home while it’s still properly cold.

If the trip home is longer, or if you’re taking the bus, bring a small cooler with ice packs. Portable coolers are inexpensive, easy to carry, and they keep your meat safe until you can get it into the fridge or freezer.

A little planning at the store helps protect the quality of the real meat you’re bringing home.