When combines are making rounds in local fields and trucks are lined up at the elevators, you can be sure that it’s time for meals to be taken to the field.
Whether you’re cooking for a harvest crew or packing food for a picnic or family reunion, you can trust that your carried meal will be safe to eat and enjoy by following a few simple “rules of the road.”
At warm temperatures, food poisoning bacteria can begin to multiply. During hot summer temperatures, they can multiply very quickly and cause illness. Keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold will keep your harvest meals safe to eat.
Keep cold foods cold
Keep perishable cold foods such as salads, lunch meats and deviled eggs in a cooler. The cooler should be well-insulated and packed with ice or freezer inserts.
To help the cooler do its job, put it in the passenger section of the car. It’s much cooler than the trunk. Be sure to put it in the shade when you reach your destination.
Other cold tips:
▪ Wash and sanitize a couple of milk jugs; fill with water and freeze. When taken to the field, the ice melts leaving cold drinking water, and the ice helps keep food cold during transport.
▪ Freeze ice in small plastic containers or butter tubs for water jugs and iced tea. These larger pieces of ice don’t melt as quickly.
Keep hot food hot
If you can keep your hot food at 140 degrees or warmer, it should stay safe from harmful bacterial growth. You have a two-hour “window of opportunity” to safely deliver, serve and eat the meal and get the leftovers back into refrigeration. If foods, especially meat and dairy products, have been out for longer than two hours– especially in hot outdoor temperatures– it is best to dispose of them.
Use another insulated food chest or thermos for transporting hot food. A thoroughly cooked casserole will usually stay safe and warm if you insulate it well. If you don’t have a second chest, try several layers of aluminum foil, followed by newspapers and a towel.
Other hot tips:
▪ Prepare a dish in an electric skillet. Unplug it, cover with a towel and it will stay hot while taken to the field.
▪ Try transporting hot, juicy food (that might spill) in your pressure cooker or sealable slow cooker. The rubber seal on these appliances will prevent drips and spills.
More tips for harvest meals
▪ Harvest is not the time to try that exotic new recipe. As you plan menus from old favorites, be sure you have all ingredients on hand. This eliminates last minute trips to the store.
▪ Cook large batches of basic foods like rice, macaroni and browned hamburger. Use for casseroles, side dishes, simple suppers, etc. Cool large quantities of food quickly in a shallow layer and use within two to three days, or freeze in meal-size portions to use later.
▪ Be sure your harvest meals include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Juicy chunks of melon, grapes, sliced tomatoes, baby carrots or a marinated vegetable salad will provide a refreshing side dish that tastes great, is high in important vitamins and minerals, and provides fiber to counteract digestive troubles from too many hours in a combine or truck.
▪ Take a thermos or lidded bucket of warm water, a wash rag, soap and a towel. The chance to wash up will be appreciated by those in the field, and will prevent the transfer of dirt, germs or chemicals from dirty hands while eating. Pop-up hand wipes are also a good alternative.
▪ Keep a box packed with paper plates, silverware, cups, toothpicks, salt & pepper and napkins so these items are always ready to go.
One final reminder: If you’re bringing meals to the harvest hands, be sure you know which field they are in!
Linda K. Beech is Ellis County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.