Outdoor Cooking Safety

Aww summer will be here in two more months and there will be lots of outdoor cooking going on. What would a Texas barbeque be like without a bowl of potato salad or coleslaw?  And to make sure that everyone enjoys it, you have to keep them cold.  As we get ready to fire up our grills whether at home, at the lake, or your local park we have to have some type of portable refrigration to avoid spoilage and possible food poisoning.  One of the main foods that is typically know for quick spoilage is potato salad and coleslaw! 



While both contain mayo, these salads can go bad quickly and can turn your delicious dish into a bowl of bacteria.  If you are outside the best thing to do is to keep your potato salad in a separate ice chest or invest in a portable refrigerated cooler.  Portable refrigerated cooler prices vary for inexpensive to very expensive.  Whatever you choose, be sure to review the performance of the cooler for the best results you need. 

You also want to make sure that when transporting raw meat to your cookout, you want to have it already seasoned and prepared for the grill by putting them in zip lock bags for easy carry.  For double protection, I drop each zip lock bag of meat in a clean trash bag and then ice it down in the cooler. Take extra gallon of water and hand soap to wash your hands after handling raw meats.  Hand sanitizers aren't enough when it comes to cleaning your hand from handling raw meat.



We are ready to have fun with the family and friends and keeping your food safe from spoilage makes for a great outdoor gathering.  It's always best to have your cookout remembered for good food and fellowship rather than someone getting sick from ruined food.  Happy cookout and keep it safe.