How to Prevent Illnesses Caused by Uncooked Foods by Using a Food Thermometer
I love to eat, I really do. Do you? This is why I also love to experiment in cooking. I do not cook with lots of seasonings or ingredients but I see to it that I cook deliciously and most of all that the foods are safe for me and my family.
What do we usually do first before cooking? Washing the ingredients, right? This is one of the most important things to do before slicing, grating, or chopping. Another thing to consider is the doneness (well-cooked or rarely cooked) of the ingredients. Some vegetables can be eaten raw but others cannot especially meat products.
Here are some of the foods that should be cooked well before served:
- poultry – 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- pork – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- liver – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
- patties – 165 degrees Fahrenheit
- sausages – 160 degrees Fahrenheit
Why Should you Cook Foods Thoroughly?
Raw food ingredients contain bacteria especially meat. In order to kill the germs with it, you should wash and cook it thoroughly. To monitor its doneness, you can use a food thermometer or meat thermometer. Some people also believe that frozen meats and poultries have lower bacteria in it. It may be true but experts say that freezing meat can only minimize the Campylobacter in it.
Overcooking is also Not Recommended
If undercooked foods will give your body unwanted bacteria, overcooked foods have a different but unhealthy effect too. Aside from serving your loved ones with tough and tasteless foods, you can also harm their health because overcooked vegetables are known to be harder to digest or metabolize and will generate carcinogenic substances. It is also widely known that overcooked vegetables will lose its nutrients. You can have the perfectly cooked vegetables by tasting it, testing its texture or by using a food thermometer.
Other Advantages of Having a Food Thermometer
There are various types of food thermometer sold according to your preferences. You can check my previous article about that. Here are other reasons why aside from the traditional ways of monitoring the doneness of your ingredients, you should also consider buying a food thermometer or meat thermometer.
1. You can Maintain the Temperature
A meat thermometer can be used to monitor if poultry is still at its best serving temperature. There are certain occasions when you need to reheat because the foods are already unpleasant to stay on the table in a cold temperature.
2. Avoid always opening the pot or the oven
To monitor the doneness of the food, we usually open the pots or the oven from time to time and use the fork to test the texture or check if the meat is already done. You can avoid this buy just inserting a food thermometer that can be cooked along with the food inside the pot or the oven. To monitor it, just read the vial that comes with the device.
3. Serve the Perfect Steak
We mentioned earlier the advantage of serving uncooked foods but here’s is one recipe that cannot be avoided by some. The rarely cooked steak! Some people really just love their steaks served rarely cooked and we cannot do anything about that. Someone inside the family might be one of those people. They have their own beliefs about eating rarely cooked meats and it is their own prerogatives so just serve it (laugh out).
Meat thermometer is an awesome tool to achieve those goals stated above. Check out this digital device being sold by Lavatools in Amazon. It can be used in meat, bread and liquids and is offered in a low price. If you want to give it a try, click on the link below. Thanks again for dropping by and hope to see you again in my next post.