Storage, safety and ferments
6 short explainers. Read them in order, or jump to the question you have right now.
- 43Thaw food safelyA frozen chicken thaws from the outside in. On the counter, the surface warms into the danger zone, 4 to 60°C (40 to 140°F), where bacteria can double in…
- 44Cool leftovers quicklyA deep pot of soup loses heat slowly from its center. Bacteria multiply fastest between 4°C and 60°C (40 to 140°F), and a full stockpot put straight into…
- 45Make quick picklesA quick pickle is vegetables in a salty, sweet vinegar brine. A common mix is equal parts vinegar and water, plus a spoonful each of salt and sugar. Salt…
- 46Salt and time make sauerkrautSauerkraut is cabbage and salt, nothing else. The salt pulls water out of the cabbage to make its own brine. Lactic acid bacteria already on the leaves eat…
- 47Store fresh herbsSoft herbs like cilantro, parsley and mint last 1 to 2 weeks with their stems standing in a jar of water. Woody herbs like rosemary and thyme keep best…
- 48Freeze food without freezer burnIce crystals tear food cells as they grow. At -18°C (0°F) or colder, thin portions freeze fast and the crystals stay small, so more texture survives. Slow…
