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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??
Constantly, I am preparing food others will eat.
I also use vinyl disposable gloves for carving meat or making salad..
Just as important if not more so is maintaing a clean work environment, work surface.
If i'm cooking a huge meal which doesnt happin often anymore I keep a bucket with a cloth and mild bleach solution.
I wash my hands really well initially after I've pulled out all utensils, pots, pans, boxed ingredients (spices, flour, sugar etc). I usually prep all veggies and things like that first, then meat. I wash hands after meat handling.
I may periodically wash while cooking/handling.
Now if I'm making sausage or butchering- I wash A LOT and wear rubber gloves. I clean equipment vigourously, often and also wipe and sterilize my butcher block.
Really good to hear the responses. I usually prep my vegetables first also, but even with things like potatoes, I'd be washing my hands before moving on, since they leave the gritty feel. I used meatloaf as an example but there are some other dishes that make me feel like I spend as much time washing my hands as I do prepping the meal. I see nothing wrong with it and don't plan to change it. But admittedly so, I also have a food/germ "issue" that I don't eat any leftovers if more than a day old, and if meat isn't cooked within two days of thawing, it goes in the garbage. I cook a lot, so that doesn't happen often but it has happened.
I was wondering if anyone would come on here and say things like "As long as its cooked together, who cares" I just wanted to know if I'm the minority or the majority.
the first handwashing is for sanitizing my hands before handling raw food, also several in between hand rinsings after touching other items that could contaminate the food
after handling raw meats, I always wash the plate with soap & water to prevent contamination before reusing it.
I don't reuse dishes or utensils. It's not intentional but hubby does dishes when I cook, so I just leave the stuff in the sink I am done with. If its HUGE feast, I will get the main item cooking, and do the dishes to have room to move forward.
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.
I wouldn't have washed my hands after emptying the meat into a bowl, because I wouldn't have actually touched the meat (cut the plastic, held the tray, turned it over, and let the meat fall in the bowl). I wouldn't have washed my hands after dry ingredients. I'd brush my hands over the sink to get excess off, but they're not too dirty at that point to go in the fridge and get an egg. I probably also wouldn't have washed my hands to add the flour to the bag, as I would have had the flour ready in a prep bowl (or I would have put it in the bag before I started everything.
I wouldn't have washed my hands after emptying the meat into a bowl, because I wouldn't have actually touched the meat (cut the plastic, held the tray, turned it over, and let the meat fall in the bowl). I wouldn't have washed my hands after dry ingredients. I'd brush my hands over the sink to get excess off, but they're not too dirty at that point to go in the fridge and get an egg. I probably also wouldn't have washed my hands to add the flour to the bag, as I would have had the flour ready in a prep bowl (or I would have put it in the bag before I started everything.
Where I buy my meat there is a residue on the bottom of the package, where the wrap meets. Also, as it thaws the juices usually seep in there so I feel like its the same as touching the meat.
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