With Easter comes family gatherings to share delicious meals. In the midst of all the egg-citement, it’s important to prioritize food safety to ensure everyone enjoys the holiday without any health concerns.
From handling ingredients properly to cooking and storing leftovers, following some simple food guidelines can help prevent food-borne illness from showing up to the party.
These food safety tips are brought to you in partnership with The Tuscarawas County Health Department.
Egg-celent Food Safety
Eggs are a staple in Easter celebrations whether for decorating, hard boiling or hunting- When it comes to Easter, eggs are everywhere! Here are a few tips for egg handling..
- Eggs should not sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. Keep hard-boiled and deviled eggs in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- When cooking a dish that contains eggs, be sure to cook to an internal temperature of 160F
- If you’re decorating hard boiled eggs and plan to eat them later, remember to only use food safe dyes!
Preparing the protein
Brisket and Ham are the most common meats for an Easter meal. Here are a few tips for preparing popular Easter meats..
- Make sure to allow plenty of time for your meat to thaw. In the refrigerator, it can take far more than 24hrs for some pieces of meat to thaw. Some briskets can even take up to several days to thaw. The heavier the brisket/ham, the longer it’ll take to thaw.
- When cooking your brisket, cook it fat side up and be sure to reach an internal temperature of 145F
- When it comes to ham, be sure to read your packaging to know how to properly prepare it. Some hams come fully cooked and others need to be cooked in order to be safely consumed. If your ham needs cooked it will need to reach an internal temperature of 160F.
Storing leftovers
When it comes to big family dinners there is always an abundance of food left over. If stored properly, those leftovers can get you out of cooking dinner over the next few days! Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your dinner..
- Hot food should be kept hot at 140F or higher. Since bacteria can grow rapidly between 140F and 40F, food needs to be stored and refrigerated within two hours of being left at room temperature.
- Cold food should be kept at a temperature of 40F or below. Cold dishes that have been left out at room temperature for more than two hours should be thrown away.
- As a rule of thumb, discard any food that has been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Store all food in airtight containers
- Storage life can vary a little depending on composition of the dish. As a good rule of thumb, consume leftovers within 3-4 days of storing.
Happy Easter from your friends at Newsymom and The Tuscarawas County Health Department! Remember, putting a little extra care into following food safety guidelines in the kitchen goes a long way in keeping your family healthy while creating lasting memories.
If you have questions about food safety, call the Tuscarawas County Health Department’s environmental health specialists at 330-343-5550 or via eh@tchdnow.org
Citations: https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/food-safety-tips-passover-and-easter