While it may seem somewhat intuitive to wash all your foods before eating them, not all
ingredients require that type of care.
"So, how many of you think you need to wash a chicken before you cook it?
That's not right!"
You might think washing raw chicken and other kinds of meat prior to cooking helps to clean
off bacteria and stave off foodborne illnesses, but the opposite is true.
With poultry, the water you would use to rinse it isn't scalding hot enough to actually kill
off bacteria, which means that doing so only redistributes any harmful bacteria onto your
kitchen surfaces.
When you then prepare other foods on those same surfaces, cross-contamination may cause
illness.
Similar to the rationale for not washing raw poultry, the USDA advises against washing
raw meat such as beef, lamb, and pork.
You're better off skipping the meat wash and instead, thoroughly washing and cleaning your
kitchen surfaces in between cooking sessions.
The same goes for washing raw fish.
To put it simply: you shouldn't.
Instead, buy fish that's been gutted and scaled from a reputable fishmonger.
Wash your hands well and clean surfaces in your kitchen work areas as thoroughly as possible.
These simple precautions are your best bet for preventing foodborne illnesses.
A whole turkey can be one of the biggest challenges anyone can face in the kitchen, and that's
quite literal.
Trying to wrestle with a raw, 20-pound bird might be the hardest part of preparing your
fancy meal, and that's just one more reason to skip washing your bird.
As with the above meat, washing it won't remove bacteria, it'll just spread it around.
There is a single exception, though, and according to the US government's Food Safety blog, turkeys
that have been brined need to be rinsed.
Washing a brined turkey involves running cold water through the inside cavity of the turkey,
although you still shouldn't rinse or wash the outside of the bird.
Moving away from meat, many bagged salads, as well as pre-cut and packaged produce like
carrots or celery, have been pre-washed so you do not need to wash them after buying.
These products will be labeled as ready-to-eat if they have been pre-washed.
In fact, washing them once you get home can actually increase the chances of contaminating
them with bacteria that may already be on your kitchen surfaces.
Since commercially packaged produce has often been "triple washed," they are perfect to
eat as is.
While it might not get you sick, you still shouldn't wash pasta before cooking.
The natural starches in all varieties of pasta are exactly what you want to keep.
Often, you'll want to reserve some of the cooking water because that starchy content
is invaluable when it comes to helping you create the silkiest sauce possible.
The starch from that water helps the sauce cling to the noodles, resulting in a thick,
tasty sauce that coats the pasta perfectly.
The USDA does not recommend washing eggs you purchase from the store.
As a special technique of washing eggs is required as part of the commercialization
process, doing so once your eggs are home can increase the risk of cross-contamination.
Eggs are washed and cleaned once they've been laid in order to remove any bacteria.
They are then coated with mineral oil to give the shells a layer of protection.
As such, there's no need for you to re-wash them.
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