A Beginner’s Guide to Holding Food
What do beginners need to know about cooking and holding food? Quite a bit, as it turns out.
If you're looking to grasp the basics quickly, you have come to the right spot. In the post below, we've put together the most essential facts to get you started.
Times & Temperatures
When it comes to cooking and holding hot food, both times and the temperatures play critical roles. After making sure that your dishes have reached their optimum cooking temperatures, the next most important step is keeping them in safe temperature ranges until they're eaten. If you're serving your dishes all at once, this is much less complicated. For buffet lines, however, more care must be invested.
According to the USDA, hot dishes must stay 140 °F or warmer and cold food at 40 °F or colder. Additionally, any perishable food should not be left out for longer than two hours.
When putting together your menu plans, be sure you take all these factors into consideration. Only by meeting the proper standards will you ensure a safe and happy experience for everyone.
Tips & Tricks
If you're going to keep hot and cold foods at the temperatures listed above, you'll need to plan ahead and have the right supplies on hand.
Fortunately, there are plenty of commercial products available to help you keep your dishes out of the “danger zone.” Chafing dishes, steam tables, warming trays, and slow cookers work well for hot foods; while ice baths are good go-to options for cold items.
Need something a bit bigger? Still have questions and concerns? No worries, we've got you covered.
We Can Help
If you run a commercial, institutional, or industrial kitchen, be sure to check out our line of premium food warmers. Our products come in various sizes and styles, and we would love to help you select the perfect model to meet your needs.
Be sure to contact us with any questions or comments you might have.
We look forward to serving you!
Posted in: Cooking Tips & Recipes