Kitchen Fire Safety III

Before leaving the kitchen when the work is done:

• Unplug equipment.
• Check pilot lights, deep-fat pan fryers.
• Check for and clean up accumulated grease.
• Remove combustibles from near hot surfaces.
• No cigarette smoking in hazardous areas.

Kitchen Fire Safety II

Appliances:

• Electrical- Unplug portables when unattended. Keep cords away from hot surfaces, water, and near sinks. Report even the slightest shock received from an appliance ( except static), note the conditions of all cords: splices, missing grounding prongs, and use of extension cords for temporary use only.
• Hot Surfaces- Keep free from combustibles: Potholders, boxes, plastic utensils, etc. Turn off hotplates when not in use. Be alert to prevent personal burns. Pot handles should not extend out from oven tops.
• Microwave ovens- Know the dangers. No metal or plastic products; use only approved utensils and ware.

Kitchen Fire Safety I

Clothing and Hair:

• Wear appropriate clothing while around open-flame appliances or hot surfaces; loose-fitting long sleeved shirts or open jackets could come into contact with flames or hot surfaces.
• Keep long hair up and confined. Avoid use of flammable hair spray.

Food Handling Guidelines

The four main factors to ensuring the safety of your food are:

• Good personal hygiene.
• Food temperature control.
• Avoiding food cross-contamination.
• Thorough cleaning and sanitizing of all kitchen equipment used in food preparation.

Summer And Watermelon

Watermelon is the low-calorie perfect diet food. This summer favorite contains fiber, folate, potassium and calcium. It is also rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that protects against certain cancers and osteoporosis. Enjoy this terrific summer treat without the worry of putting on the pounds.

Kitchen Safety Tips When Shopping

• Always shop for frozen and cold products last. Use a cooler for transporting refrigerated items home especially in the summer.
• Don't let juice from raw meat, poultry, or fish drip on your hands, they may contain bacteria. If the juice gets on your hands, wash as soon as possible.
• Try to avoid all unpasteurized milk, juice, eggnog or other fresh foods made with raw eggs.
  

Kitchen Safety For Children

The kitchen can be a very dangerous room for children. The following few rules if practiced can help to avoid accidents:

• Children must always be supervised while in the kitchen.
• Make sure to keep sharp objects out of their reach.
• Keep all handles of pots and pans on the stove inward so that children cannot reach them.
• Make sure that anything with hot fluids is not within the reach of children.

Some Kitchen Knife Safety

Protect your fingers: Curl your fingers under and position them on top of the item to be cut, for example an onion half. With your hand on the onion and fingers safely tucked, place the side of the knife next to your knuckles. Cut while maintaining a strong grip on the onion. Make sure to use a cutting board when cutting.

Taking Care Of Your Kitchen Cutlery Continued...

You should keep your kitchen knives away from sand and gritty materials. Be especially aware when you are using your knives outside, camping, barbecuing etc. If your knife or knives get wet you should dry them immediately. When you are washing your cutlery do so in mild soapy water, then dry completely with a towel. Do not allow your knives to drip dry.

Taking Care Of Your Kitchen Cutlery Continued..

It's sometimes tempting to use the kitchen knife to pry something, use it as a screwdriver or chisel, and many other actions for which it was not intended. Even using the handle of your knife as a hammer is not recommended. The pins, springs and handle can loosen or break, rendering your knife useless.

Taking Proper Care Of Your Kitchen Cutlery

One of the most important rules for use of your kitchen knives is to be sure that your blade lands on a soft surface, such as wood or plastic, instead of a hard surface like ceramic or metal.  Striking your kitchen cutlery against hard surfaces will rapidly dull the blade and hinder the performance of you knife, even if you are using high quality ceramic or stainless steel cutlery.