Here I will be discussing important information concerning time and Temperature abuse and the minimum requirements as set by the organization known as ServSafe.
When making purchases from retail outlets and vendors there are a few rules you should remember to help keep you safe.
- Eggs – Should be clean and unbroken with a surrounding air Temperature of 45°F or less.
- Cold Foods – Should be purchased at 41°F or less, unless otherwise noted.
- Hot Foods – Should not be purchased at any less then 135°F.
- Frozen Foods – All frozen foods should be purchased at no higher then 32°F. And should be frozen all the way through.
Your refrigerator should maintain an internal Temperature of 41°F or less. Set your freezer to keep frozen products frozen, this temperature will vary based on the product being kept frozen. Food kept in the pantry should be kept at a temperature of 50°F and 70°F and free of moisture.
Cooking Temperatures
As a cook weather you are a professional or even a novice at home cook one piece of equipment you should be sure to have in your kitchen is Thermometers. There are several types of thermometers. Be sure to have an Oven Thermometer and an Instant Read Thermometer. Having these two thermometers will help protect you from under cooking foods such as chicken and turkey.
There are two methods typically used to test weather meat has reached the desired temperature. One of which as you all know is to stick the piece of meat with a thermometer and check it. Below you will find there is a table that shows the minimum cooking Temperatures that need to be achieved according to ServSafe in order to be considered safe for consumption.
Cooking Temperature Requirements Chart
The next is what’s known as doing a “Finger Test”. Using this method requires some experience and knowledge of cooking various meats to the various Temperatures listed below. I do not recommend beginner cooks, novice cooks, or even home cooks use this method.
Raw Finger Test
Rare Finger Test
Medium Rare Finger Test
Medium Finger Test
Well Done Finger test
