Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. Think about it: Knives! Fire! Bacteria! Observing basic rules of kitchen safety is a good habit to develop.

Safety in the Kitchen

Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. Think about it: Knives! Fire! Bacteria! Observing basic rules of kitchen safety is a good habit to develop. Always pay attention to what you’re doing in the kitchen because one slip can cause serious injury or accidents.

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Knife Safety

The safe use of knives is imperative for obvious reasons. There are only a few rules to remember, but they are crucial:

Why does the dinner knife’s blade point towards the plate?

So you do not cut yourself when reaching for the dinner knife!

• Knives are placed at the right of the plate, with the knife's cutting edge facing the plate.

• However, the butter spreader should be placed diagonally on the bread plate, with the blade's edge toward the dinner fork.

1. A sharp knife is a safe knife.

• Why?• Using a dull knife is an invitation to disaster. If

you try to force a dull knife through the surface of a food product, it’s more likely to slip and cause an injury. Also, if you do happen to cut yourself, a sharp knife will result in an easier wound to attend to.

When sharpening, set your angle to 22.5 degrees as directed below

2. Never, ever grab a falling knife.• Why?• Make certain the knife is completely on your

work surface, without the handle sticking out into traffic areas. Remember - a falling knife has no handle, so get your hands and feet out of the way.

3. Use the right knife for the right job.

• Why?• Many knife injuries occur when laziness

induces us to use the knife at hand rather than the correct knife for a job. Place your knife inventory where it is easily accessible so you won’t be tempted to make this mistake.

• Left: sharpening steel. • Top to bottom: A) 10” chef’s knife, B) 9” chef’s

knife, C) 8” chef’s knife, D) Oriental chef’s knife

Draw Knife A

and Knife D.

• Top to bottom: E) Serrated slicer or “bread” knife, F) boning knife, G) paring knife, H) and I) bird’s beak or “tourner” knife

What is a TOURNE knife?

• Tourne (tour-nay) literally translates into "to turn" in French, this knife cut results in a football-shaped product with 7 even sides and 2 blunt ends.

• These cuts are most often used for potatoes, turnips, carrots or beets.

• Tournee'd potatoes

4. Always cut away from - never towards – yourself.

• Why? • You can get cut. If the angle is wrong, turn the

product around. or turn your cutting board around.

• Caution: If your cutting board doesn’t have rubber feet, you should place it atop a damp kitchen towel to make sure it doesn’t move while you’re cutting.

Remember: when possible, cut away from your body!

FYI: See the rubber feet.

• Our cutting boards do not have rubber feet. We will use anti-skid pads. At home, you may need to use a damp towel.

5. When you have a knife in hand, keep your eyes on the blade.

• Why?• This rule stands whether you are cutting

something or carrying a knife. The simple fact is: you’re unlikely to cut yourself if you’re watching the blade, especially the tip of the blade.

Front View

Back View

6. Carry a knife properly.

• How?• You must get used to the idea that the only

way to walk with a knife in hand is to carry it pointed straight down, with the blade turned towards your thigh. Keep your arm rigid. You don’t want any one going to the emergency room with a puncture wound from your knife.

Another precaution: Say “knife, knife…”

7. Never, ever put a knife in a sink full of water.

• Why? • You will be cut! In addition to soaking

probably being bad for your knife handle, putting a knife in a sink full of (likely soapy) water is just asking for trouble. Wash your sharp knives by hand (not in a dishwasher!) and put them away immediately.

No, No! You will be cut, especially if covered in soapy water.

8. Always cut on a cutting board.

• Why?• Don’t cut on metal, glass or marble. This will

ultimately damage a knife’s edge and the countertop, which will allow bacteria to grow.

• Recall: How do you keep the cutting board from slipping?

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• Purchase a cutting board with rubber feet.• Use a damp towel under the board.

Recall: What are 8 facts you learned?

• 1. cut on a cutting board• 2. no knives in sink• 3. carry knives properly• 4. keep your eyes focused• 5. cut away from self• 6. use the right knife/job• 7. get out of the way…• 8. use sharp knives

What about your feet and cuts?• Wear close-toed shoes!• What if the hammer was a knife or broken

glass?

Preventing Fires and Burns

1. Never throw hot grease in the garbage can

• Never throw hot grease in the garbage can. Even if the grease isn't on fire, it can cause something in the garbage to burn.

• Instead, let grease cool and dispose of it in an old coffee can.

2. Know what oils to use or use what is recommended in the recipe directions.

• Know the smoke points of your oils and never subject an oil with a low smoke point to high heat cooking – it can catch fire!

What is a smoke point?• Cooking (vegetable) oils and

(animal) fats react differently to heat.

• In general, the hotter they get, the more they break down and eventually start to smoke.

• That means, the temperature at which a given oil/fat will start to smoke is called its smoke point.

• To say that an oil has a high smoke point means that it can be heated to a relatively high temperature before it starts to smoke.

What happens after the oil reaches its smoke point?

3. Be aware of the items around the stovetop

• Kitchen towels, oven mitts, appliance cords and even curtains can easily catch fire if set near a hot burner.

• Always move flammable items away from your stovetop. (Vegetable spray cans, etc.)

• Be careful when using towels to move a pot off the burner. Ideally, use an oven mitt, but if using a towel, be sure it doesn't dangle down and touch the burner.

4. Watch your clothing

• Long, flowing sleeves, large-fitting shirts and even aprons can catch fire.

• When cooking, wear short or close-fitted sleeves and keep your baggy shirts tucked in or tied back with a well-fitted apron.

5. Stay in the Kitchen &If you turn it on, turn it off!!

• The most common fires occur from people leaving food on the stove unattended. Don't leave the kitchen while you have things cooking!

• If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the stove and take your pots and pans off the heat. This is equally important if you are broiling food in the oven - take the food out of the oven and turn off the broiler.

• If frying, have a lid ready, in case of fire.

What is broiling?

• Broiling is a cooking method in which food is cooked directly under high heat. Scallops or steak can be cooked under the broiler, giving them a nice caramelized crust and a juicy interior.

No thermostat

6. Be prepared to put out a fire

• The best thing to do if you have a stovetop fire is to put a proper fitting lid over the pan or pot to smother it.

• Never use water and never pick a burning pan up and put it in the sink – you not only risk spreading the fire to the sink, you risk getting badly burned if the burning ingredients slosh out.

• Don't use flour to put out a fire – it can burn, too – and it makes a mess; baking soda is okay for small fires.

Turn off the heat!

Cover!

For small fires, use baking soda.

Never use water or move to another location!

Stop, drop, roll• In the event you do catch

fire, follow the Stop, Drop, Roll Principal.

• Don't run if your clothing catches fire – stop where you are, drop to the ground, and roll.

• Then get to a hospital to get treatment for your burns.

Recall? So what do you do in case of a Grease Fire?

• Turn off the heat!• Cover with a lid or cookie sheet.• If the grease fire persists, throw baking soda

onto it. The baking soda cuts off the oxygen supply. Baking soda will put out small grease fires, but won't work as effectively on larger ones.

• Never use water or flour!• Never move the pot/skillet until the fire is out

and container has cooled.

PreventingBurns

1. Keep pot handles turned inward.

• Why?• If the handles point out over the edge of the

stove, someone could bump them and send a pan full of hot food flying.

2. Stand back from hot grease and boiling liquids, including water.

• Why?• These liquids can spatter and burn you, so

keep your distance.

3. Never mix hot liquids in a blender.

• Why?• They can explode out of

the blender container, even with the lid on.

4. Always use oven mitts…• when taking things out of the oven or from

the stove top. Protective mitten types are the best.

5. Be very careful when draining hot pasta or pouring hot liquids…

• like soup from a pot into a bowl. A splatter of boiling water, hot soup, or hot oil can burn you.

6. Stand back from a hot pan when you remove the lid.

• Why?• You don’t want to get steam burns.

7. Never touch the stovetop with your bare hand!

• Why?• You may not know whether the burners are

still hot.

Preventing Falls

1. Wear proper shoes.

• To prevent falls, wear rubber sole shoes.

2. Wipe up all spills immediately!

3. Use sturdy ladders!

• Never use a chair or other unbalanced device.

4. What about horseplay (rough or boisterous)?

• Directions:• Each team member will record 4 dangerous

actions regarding horseplay and why each one could cause accidents in the kitchens (labs). These will be prohibited.

• The Team Leader will record the best 4 answers on a white board.

• Be prepared to present your findings to the class.• You have 7 minutes. Begin.

Towel slapping/popping = loss of 50 points and you will be removed from lab.

Zero tolerance for cell phone use at any time! We have clocks and timers! You must focus on the jobs to prevent accidents!I will take up your

phone and turn it into the office, no matter what the excuse!

Throwing food at a team member for any reason! Loss of lab and 50 points

Pushing or Shoving

NO NO NO NO

Being Flirty Cute

Preventing Food Poisoning

Some of the primary foods to watch out for and carefully handle include:

• Raw and undercooked meat and poultry (especially chicken and pork)• Unpasteurized milk or cheese• Raw and undercooked eggs (this includes some salad dressings or desserts that call for uncooked eggs)• Raw and undercooked shellfish• Improperly canned goods• Smoked fish• Unwashed produce, especially spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, and melons

Storing Food

• Food that has been cooked and left out for two or more hours without proper packaging and cooling is a breeding ground for bacteria.

• Temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit are considered the ideal range of growth for bacteria – the average temperature in your home is likely to fall in the peak of this range.

While you cannot stop the progress of bacteria growth,

• even with freezing, you can safely limit the amount of time the food is spent uncovered and in dangerous temperatures.

• Put leftovers away right after your meal.

Tips

• 1. Meats should be stored away from produce in the refrigerator – ideally on the bottom shelf so that the juices cannot drip onto anything else.

• 2. Most meat will last four days at the very most in the fridge.

• 3. Chicken and ground beef usually last only one or two days.

• 4. Leftovers should likewise be eaten within four days.

• 5. In the freezer, most uncooked meat will last three months to a year, with ground beef on the short end and steaks or roasts on the longer end.

• 6. Even with these guidelines, you may notice that freezer burn (sublimation) can prevent your meat from tasting very good.

7. Cook meat to proper internal temperatures. This means you need to use a meat thermometer to determine

the temperature in the middle of the meat, not the outside.

• Beef, veal, and lamb roasts or steaks should be cooked to 145 degrees F.

• Ground poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees F.• Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F.• Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees F.• Pork, ground veal and beef should be cooked to 160 degrees F.• Defrost food either in the refrigerator or under cold, running

water.

8. Don't cross-contaminate.

If anything touches raw meat or its juices (including surfaces, utensils, or even towels), wash it thoroughly before allowing ready-to-eat foods be touched.

9. Keep the area where you cut meat separate from the rest of the kitchen.

It's a good idea to have a separate non-wooden cutting board that you use for solely for meat (making sure it is thoroughly washed after each use).

10. Wash your hands regularly,

especially after handling raw meat. This means you must use hot, soapy water for at least twenty seconds.

11. Avoid using dish towels around dangerous foods.

Dish towels are okay for wiping up juice spills or wiping flour off the counter.

They are not okay for drying your hands or cleaning a surface that has had raw or undercooked meat/poultry/fish on it.

Recall + Preventing Food Poisoning

Directions:1. Use the empty space at the bottom of your

Key Concepts for the assignment.2. List 10 facts that you learned from your

Key Concepts using the information from PREVENTING FOOD POISONING.

3. You have 10 minutes. Begin.