A few basics when you’re in the kitchen…
Storing and Thawing Meat
- Buying your meat in bulk saves time and money. You can keep frozen meat for up to 3 months. Divide the meat into small portions and put into freezer bags or air tight containers. Only defrost the amount you need.
- The best way to thaw meat is in the fridge, so plan ahead and take out what you’ll need in the morning. It takes about 8 hours (sometimes more) for meat to thaw in a fridge.
- Only thaw meat in the microwave if you plan to use all of it straight away.
- Once you have thawed meat, don’t re-freeze it unless you have cooked it first.
Hygiene
- Always wash your hands with soap and hot water before cooking.
- Make sure you have at least 2 chopping boards, one for cutting the raw meat, and one for the vegetables. If you only have 1 chopping board wash it well with soap and hot water between uses.
- Meat should be cooked all the way through, use a knife to cut into the meat, if it’s pink keep cooking.
- Only re-heat leftover food once, more than this will encourage bacteria to form and you could get sick.
