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I think this is the right section, but please feel free to move this if there is a more appropriate section (hopefully not mental health- LOL!)
I am wondering how often others wash their hands during meal prep. I feel like I wash my hands too often but I can't stand the idea of touching something like meat, and then moving to vegetables, even if they're being cooked together. Sometimes its because I need to add seasoning and don't want to contaminate the outside of the container with germs.
Example: Last night I made meatloaf. Washed my hands to begin. Took out the meat, seasonings, bread crumbs, milk.
Emptied the meat into a bowl, washed my hands. Cut open the "cook in a bag" recipe I love, and added seasonings, milk, bread crumbs. Forgot the egg. Washed my hands, got the egg. Mixed it all in by hand. Washed my hands. Chopped onion (for loaf), and potatoes to go with it. Washed my hands. Got out my baking sheet and formed my loaf. Needed to add flour to the bag so it wouldn't stick. Washed my hands. Added flour. Put the loaf in the bag to cook. Washed my hands. Started on the vegetables.
This may be completely correct in how most people cook, but I have no idea. It's the only thing I ever stop to wonder "Is this something like OCD?" I'm a very tidy person but I don't think I typically fall into the OCD category.
Maybe it's poor prep planning, maybe I dislike germs more than some. Maybe I am missing the easier way??
What about you?
I wash my hands any time I touch anything. Like anything at all. My hands are all dry most of the time because I wash them a dozen times or more every day. I sanitize when I can't wash. If I even step into a bathroom, even if I don't touch anything, I wash my hands. If I touch the counter in my kitchen, I wash my hands. If I open a cabinet while I'm cooking, I wash my hands.
So you may feel like you're being excessive, but at least you know there's one person worse than you! :-)
It's a caustic chemical that has no business around food. It also screws up your neighborhood wastewater treatment plant's efforts to clean the water with as few chemicals as possible.
If you must sanitize anything (and usually there's no need; soap and water do an adequate job), use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water, or lemon juice.
The way I cut down my paper towel use was to take the paper towels completely out of the kitchen until I started reaching for the dish towel first.
It took me a couple weeks but now when I am in the kitchen cooking, cleaning, doing dishes etc and I need to dry my hands I rarely reach for the paper towels.
I just keep a kitchen towel over my shoulder when I'm prepping and cooking. Always there and in easy reach. Buying a bunch of bar towels like these is a great way to break the paper towel habit as you have plenty on hand to grab a fresh, clean one when needed: Amazon.com - Commercial Grade Bar Mop Towels (25-Pack) - Dish Towels
I think this is the right section, but please feel free to move this if there is a more appropriate section (hopefully not mental health- LOL!)
I am wondering how often others wash their hands during meal prep. I feel like I wash my hands too often but I can't stand the idea of touching something like meat, and then moving to vegetables, even if they're being cooked together. Sometimes its because I need to add seasoning and don't want to contaminate the outside of the container with germs.
Example: Last night I made meatloaf. Washed my hands to begin. Took out the meat, seasonings, bread crumbs, milk.
Emptied the meat into a bowl, washed my hands. Cut open the "cook in a bag" recipe I love, and added seasonings, milk, bread crumbs. Forgot the egg. Washed my hands, got the egg. Mixed it all in by hand. Washed my hands. Chopped onion (for loaf), and potatoes to go with it. Washed my hands. Got out my baking sheet and formed my loaf. Needed to add flour to the bag so it wouldn't stick. Washed my hands. Added flour. Put the loaf in the bag to cook. Washed my hands. Started on the vegetables.
This may be completely correct in how most people cook, but I have no idea. It's the only thing I ever stop to wonder "Is this something like OCD?" I'm a very tidy person but I don't think I typically fall into the OCD category.
Maybe it's poor prep planning, maybe I dislike germs more than some. Maybe I am missing the easier way??
What about you?
No I definitely don't wash my hands THAT much! I was when I am starting to handle the food, and after handling meat. If I am mixing something up with my hands, then yes I wash them afterward of course.
I wash my hands all the time when cooking - meatloaf is one of those things that I happen to wash my hands all the time when I make it. Most things not quite as much, but I'm very aware of cross contamination.
I try to pretty regularly especially if I am handling raw meat. You have to be so careful with keeping your hands cleaning in food prep, otherwise people get sick.
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