Food Storage

FSM 388: Coolers, Cars, and Bear Boxes: What Goes Where in Your Campground

Transcript [Music] Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute. In Washington State, we live in bear country. During the day, REI co-op recommends stashing all food in a closed cooler or hard sided vehicle—even for quick bathroom breaks—and whenever you leave camp for a hike. At night, place food and your cooler in a campground […]

FSM 385: Camping Cooler Tips: Pack it Cold, Eat it Safe

Transcript [Music] From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute. Planning a car camping trip this summer? Coolers are a key piece of outdoor equipment, keeping perishable food safe to eat.• Pack food cold, frozen if possible. To keep all your perishable foods safe, maintain temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or […]

FSM 368: Keep Holiday Foods Safe from Store to Your Table

Transcript [Music] This is Susie Craig from Washington State University Extension. Did you know December grocery sales top $53 billion? With holiday excitement and stress, it’s easy to overlook key food safety steps from the store to your table. Busy schedules, crowded stores, and holiday distractions can lead to unsafe handling of perishable foods such […]

FSM 364: Holiday Pies and Desserts: Keep Them Safe, Keep Them Delicious

Transcript [Music] From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute. The holidays are a time for baking and sharing favorite family desserts. But don’t let foodborne illness ruin your celebrations! Pies and desserts made with perishable ingredients—like eggs, cream, milk, or whipped toppings—need special care. Pumpkin, custard, chiffon, and cream pies […]

FSM 331: Buying, Transporting, and Storing Produce From Farmers Markets

Transcript [Music] I’m Susie Craig. Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute. Fruits and vegetables are a staple at farmers markets. Whole produce is safe to display and purchase, but pre-cut items like cantaloupe and watermelon should be refrigerated or kept on ice by vendors. After buying pre-cut items, store in a cooler or insulated […]

FSM 314: Safely Using Frozen Leftovers During the Busiest Season of the Year

Episode transcript [Music] I’m Susie Craig. Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute. It’s a busy time of the year. Minimize time in the kitchen, go easy on your budget, and minimize food waste by taking inventory and using frozen leftovers. Frozen leftovers maintain quality between two and six months of storage. Use the oldest […]

FSM 313: Take Care with Thanksgiving Leftovers: Maximize Your Budget, Minimize Food Waste

Episode transcript [Music] Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute from Washington State University Extension. Food, often large quantities of food are part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Here are two suggestions to maximize your budget and minimize food waste while protecting your family from foodborne illness. • Practice the Two-Hour Rule after cooking, serving, and when […]

FSM 309: The Dilemma: What to Do with Chocolate After Halloween

Episode transcript [music] I’m Susie Craig. Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute. Are you concerned about what to do with leftover chocolate candy from Halloween? From a food safety perspective, the risk of foodborne pathogens is very low because of a natural preservative in chocolate and low water activity which bacteria need to grow […]

FSM 305: Fridgescaping and Food Safety

Episode transcript [music] This is Susie Craig from Washington State University Extension. From TikTok to Pinterest, there are photos of refrigerator shelves filled with plates of uncovered raw meat, crystal pitchers of milk, framed photographs, bowls of fruit, even twinkle lights. It’s called fridgescaping. Decorative plates and vintage crystal pitchers may contain lead, which is […]