(FSS) Selection, Storage and Cooking Techniques Lesson

Select meats that are bright red, ask the butcher what he/she recommends, check the marbling or lines of fat in the meat, decide on a cut of meat depending on your cooking method.

Perishable meats should be   refrigerated, frozen, dried promptly or cured. Unpreserved meat has only a relatively short life in storage.

Store meat for up to five days in the refrigerator or six to 12 months in the freezer.

Defrost your meat 24-48 hours before cooking.

Use high heat to develop flavor, use low heat to preserve moisture and rest your meat. This means the meat will shed much less juice. Match the cut of the meat to the cooking method. Certain cuts respond best to quicker, dry-heat cooking methods, such as grilling or roasting.

• Make the dairy aisle one of the last stops in your shopping trip so the items you choose do not become warm in your cart.
• Make sure dairy products and eggs are cold when you select them.
• Examine containers for leaks or other damage.
• Check "sell by" dates. The "sell by" date is the last date a product should be offered for sale. This date allows you a reasonable length of time to use the food at home. Some products may also include "best if used by" information. This is the last day the manufacturer expects the product to be good to eat or drink.
• Go directly home from the market and refrigerate your purchases as soon as possible.

Dairy products must be stored in the refrigerator at temperatures of 2°C to 4°C (36° to 39°F). Rotate dairy products when fresh product arrives.

Cooking with dairy gives better results when proper cooking and baking techniques are applied.   Depending on the dairy product, the cooking techniques will vary.  

If purchasing packaged grains or whole-grain products, check the expiration date and select the one that's freshest.   When selecting from a bulk bin, sniff the grains to be sure they are fresh; they should either have no aroma or a slightly sweet, grassy scent. If they smell oily or rank, alert the store manager and pass them by.

Can be stored in rigid sealed containers to prevent moisture contamination or insect or rodent infestation. For kitchen use, glass containers are the most traditional method.

Rinse the grains thoroughly.  

Then, bring the water to a boil, add the grain, and return to a boil.  

Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for the indicated time.

When selecting fruits, you should buy in season. Use your senses to pick good fruit. The smell, touch and look of the fruit are all important. Check the stem of the fruit if it has one. The stem is the natural clock of when the fruit was picked. You want a green stem with ripe fruit. Also, look for mold on the fruit, check the color of the fruit, look for bruises and spots that indicate rough handling, smell the fruit for a ripe odor and feel for firmness or softness depending on the fruit.

Leave refrigerated produce unwashed in its original packaging or wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. Fruits and vegetables stored at room temperature should be removed from any packaging and left loose.  

There are various ways to cook fruit, and certain considerations should be made beforehand as fruit tends to be delicate, and can disintegrate easily. While fruits are most commonly used in desserts they can also form part of savory dishes. You can poach fruit, stew fruit or barbecue and grill fruit.

Choose vegetables in season when they are at their freshest and most readily available. This is when they will taste their best and be at their most nutritious form. Always look for crisp, fresh looking vegetables that have brightly colored leaves. Avoid any brown patches, wilted leaves, bruised or pulpy flesh.

The guidelines vary for safe storage of vegetables under dry conditions (without refrigerating or freezing). This is because different vegetables have different characteristics, for example, tomatoes contain a lot of water, while root vegetables   such as carrots and potatoes contain less. These factors, and many others, affect the amount of time that a vegetable can be kept in dry storage, as well as the temperature needed to preserve its usefulness.

Vegetables can be baked, boiled, steamed, stir-fry, sautéed, roasted, grilled stewed and they can be cooked in the microwave.