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2003/02/14, 01:18 PM
Alright, I know plenty about nutrition, but when it comes to kitchen basics, I'm a moron. First off, if I grill up some chicken today and wrap it in foil and store it in the fridge, how long will it be good for? How about beef? And how long does meat stay good in the freezer?
Also, now that I finally found those wonderful Omega-3 eggs (happy day!), they have no expiration dates on them. I'm one of those guys that's completely lost without expiration dates. How long do eggs usually stay good?
Like I said, a moron in kitchen basics. They need classes called, "How to survive being a bachelor 101."
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"Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters!"
-- Bob Dylan
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2003/02/26, 03:32 PM
I found some good stuff on this subject on the Mayo Clinic's webpage:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=E52A064C-BF17-4596-AF8BAE25C131437C&locID=
Poultry
Chicken and turkey are common types of poultry. Consider, too, other types of poultry, including game birds, realizing that these are usually higher in fat.
Choosing
Choose lean cuts. The leanest poultry choice is white meat from the breast of chicken or turkey, without the skin. Although skinless dark meat is also lean, it has almost twice the fat calories as white meat. Most stores carry both ground chicken and turkey. Look for packages of ground breast meat. Check the label. Ground breast meat generally has less fat than a package of mixed ground poultry, which may also contain skin.
Select poultry that looks moist and supple. Avoid poultry with signs of drying, discoloration, blemishes or bruising. Fresh poultry has a good, clean scent, free of odors.
Storing
Use fresh poultry within 2 days. Store poultry loosely wrapped in the coldest part of your refrigerator. To freeze fresh poultry, wrap it in airtight freezer bags and keep for up to 6 months.
Thaw frozen poultry in the refrigerator before use. Bacteria can grow rapidly on poultry at room temperature.
Cooking
Avoid contaminating other foods. You don't need to rinse poultry before cooking it. Use different cutting boards and separate knives when preparing raw poultry, meat or fish and other foods. Wash your hands and all the utensils and surfaces that came in contact with the raw poultry or its juices before using them with other foods.
Cook thoroughly before eating. To see if the meat is cooked through to its center, cut into the thickest part. Any juices should run clear. The meat should show no signs of uncooked or pink flesh. Better yet, use a cooking thermometer — it should register 165 F for ground poultry, 170 F for breast portions and 180 F for whole birds.
Seafood
For the purposes of meal planning, seafood includes all fish and shellfish from the sea as well as freshwater fish.
Choosing. Avoid fishy-smelling seafood. Look for these characteristics of fresh seafood:
Moist, bright and lustrous surface
Clean smell
Free of dry spots and discoloration
Whole fish at their freshest have:
Bright, clear eyes
Shiny, well-attached scales
Bright pink or red gills
Firm, springy flesh
If only frozen fish is available, buy it still frozen rather than defrosted.
Storing
Keep seafood cold. Securely wrap fresh fish and shellfish in a plastic bag or moisture-proof paper in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Use fresh fish within 2 days, and preferably 1 day, of purchase. Store frozen seafood up to 6 months for lean varieties and 3 months for fattier fish, such as salmon or tuna.
Defrost frozen seafood in the refrigerator just before cooking. Cook frozen fish within 1 day of defrosting.
Cooking
Take care not to overcook fish. As a general rule, allow 10 minutes of cooking time for every inch of thickness for medium-cooked fish. To see if it's done, use the tip of a small, sharp knife to cut into the flesh. The fish should separate into flakes and be opaque throughout (except for salmon and tuna, which may be cooked medium-rare). All fish should be cooked to 145 F.
Meat
An added benefit to using smaller amounts of beef, pork and lamb is that you may afford to purchase better cuts, which often have less fat.
Choosing
Avoid meat that is heavily marbled. Marbled meat is veined with fat.
Look for moistness and bright color. Pink meat is a sign of freshness, although vacuum-packed meats may look slightly purplish for lack of exposure to air.
Check labels on ground meat. Most stores carry several types of ground beef, with varying percentages of fat by weight. Look for packages with the lowest percentage.
Storing
Keep meat cold. Keep meat loosely wrapped in its store packaging in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Use whole cuts within 3 to 4 days and ground meat within 2 days of purchase.
Freeze meat in store packaging. Leave on the wrapping and add a second layer of airtight, freezer proof plastic before placing in the freezer.
Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator. Don't refreeze meat that has been defrosted. Cook previously frozen meat within 1 to 2 days of defrosting.
Cooking
Trim away all visible fat before cooking. If not trimmed away by the butcher, use a sharp knife to remove all the fat you can see. Rinse and pat dry whole cuts of meat before cooking. Dispose of meat wrappings.
Extend smaller servings. Cut meat into small pieces before using in recipes. Extend small quantities of ground meat by combining it with shredded raw or cooked pureed vegetables, breadcrumbs or cooked rice.
Cook thoroughly. To test if the meat is done, check thin cuts or small pieces simply by cutting into a sample. You can safely eat beef or lamb medium-rare, which looks reddish-pink in the center, or it may be cooked longer if you like. Cook ground beef medium to well-done. Cook pork to medium-well, still moist but with just a hint of pink. If you use a food thermometer, this is: Beef, veal, lamb (whole cuts):
Medium-rare 145 F
Medium 160 F (Cook ground meat to this temperature.)
Well-done 170 F
Pork, fresh:
Medium 160 F
Well-done 170 F
Expand your legume options
The term legume refers to a large family of plants whose seeds develop inside pods and are usually dried for ease of storage. Legumes include beans, peas and lentils. Because legumes are high in protein, these plant foods make an excellent substitute for animal sources of protein.
Choosing. Look for these common legumes in your supermarket:
White or navy beans
Lima beans
Pinto and black beans
Black-eyed peas
Split peas
Brown lentils
Shop in ethnic markets for less common legumes. Indian markets, for example, usually offer a good selection of lentils, including pink- and orange-colored ones. Chickpeas are readily found in Italian delicatessens, where they are more likely labeled garbanzo beans. Buying legumes in bulk often provides the freshest product at the greatest savings.
Purchase legumes recently dried. Whether buying bulk or packaged legumes, get them from a source with a quick turnover. Newly dried legumes cook more quickly. Look for legumes of a uniform size that will cook evenly. Be sure they are free of mold or any other impurities.
Storing. Store legumes at room temperature. After purchase, place in tightly covered jars away from heat, light and moisture. They'll keep well for up to 1 year.
Cooking. Carefully sort legumes before use. Bags of legumes may include a few small stones or fibers that you need to remove, along with any misshapen or discolored items, before cooking.
Pre-soak large dried legumes before cooking. Beans and other large dried legumes such as chickpeas and black-eyed peas require pre-soaking, a step that rehydrates them for more even cooking. Once soaked, the beans are ready to cook. Split peas and lentils require no pre-soaking.
For convenience, use canned legumes. Already prepared legumes are fine in dishes that don't require long simmering. Rinse them well to reduce the sodium that may have been added during processing.
Enjoying more legumes
Consider these ways to incorporate legumes into everyday meals:
Feature beans, peas or lentils in soups, stews, casseroles and salads.
Try tofu (soybean curd) in place of meat in stir-fries.
Use pureed beans as the basis for dips and spreads.
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"Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters!"
-- Bob Dylan
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