We sometimes struggle with what to throw our or keep in our kitchens. When to toss the cutting board or throw out leftovers. Most of the time we hang on to things much longer than we should. For instance, do you use a sponge in your kitchen? Even if you are microwaving or boiling it to remove germs, pathogens remain because of all the holes in it. If you want to use one, replace it frequently. You could use paper towels however, that would put a big dent in your budget. Swap out your sponge for a dishcloth and change it every couple of days.

I often put leftovers in my fridge with the intent of eating them for lunch the next day. More often than not I find them a week , sometimes two weeks later. They have managed to find a place in the back of my refrigerator shelf to hide. Lately I have developed the habit of cleaning out my refrigerator weekly on garbage day. The rule of thumb for cooked food or leftovers is to throw it out after three to four days. Dispose of leftovers that contain tomatoes or onion after two days.

Without a doubt I am not the only one who has frozen food in Tupperware containers. If you find that Tupperware has developed a crystallized film, its time to throw it out. You may have properly handled the food when you placed it in the container, so bacteria would not be the issue. But if you see lots of ice crystals, lots of snow, or it looks really dry, toss it. Its not likely you will be able to identify the contents, unless you labeled it, but it most certainly will not taste good.

Go through your old food storage containers and get rid of anything made of clear rigid plastic, and stamped with a 7 or “pc”. These are the containers that may contain BPA. Multiple trips through the dishwasher can cause leeching of the chemical. To eliminate chemical leeching concerns these containers should not be used in the microwave. Discard any containers that are warped or cracked as well.

I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, there are times I will buy a sauce and never use it again. Examine all of your sauces, if they have started to separate, they are probably no good. If they don’t look right, you don’t want to keep them anymore. Also examine the expiration dates on condiments, there is no good reason to keep them after the expiration date. Most dry goods last a long time, but after a year they start to lose their flavor and potency. Every Spring I clean out my spice cabinet and get rid of old spices.

Because baking powder is not pure sodium bicarbonate, like baking soda, it is likely to lose its potency faster. Baking powder contains an acid, like cream of tarter, and a moisture absorber such as cornstarch. If yours has a really old expiration date you may want to test it. To test it combine a teaspoon of baking powder with 1/3 cup of hot water, if it bubbles rapidly, it’s fine.

After roasting a whole chicken, I use the carcass to make chicken broth, I do the same with beef. In between times I do what the majority of people do, buy pre-made vegetable, beef, and chicken broths. Most recipes only call for 1/2 to one cup of the broth. Store the rest in the fridge, use it to boil noodles, rice, or veggies. The broth makes a great soup base some or it can be frozen. Egg whites and yolks should be frozen within 24 hours.

In my kitchen are numerous cutting boards, of all different sizes and shapes and made of different materials from plastic to wood. No matter what its made from, when a cutting board, rolling pin, or wooden spoon develop cracks, throw them out. Bacteria have a field day in the deep grooves. and its impossible to properly clean an item full of them.

The age of Teflon and other coated pans has made clean up a breeze. Once a nonstick pan has a deep scratch get rid of it. Teflon coated pans when heated too high, give off fumes that can trigger flu-like symptoms.

You know to buy and cook meat before its expiration date. If you can small the meat through the package, or it doesn’t smell right after it’s been out of the packaging for a few minutes, don’t take a chance. If it smells bad, it’s going to taste bad. Use your common sense on this one, return it to your market or dispose of it. When it comes to food safety make wise decisions.

Until next time,

Peace, Love, and Blessings💕