Hand Washing

SteveWPBFL · August 2012

It seems like during a cook prep we have to wash our hands several times. We prep the meat and then we need to go through a door to outside or open a cupboard for a spice, back into the fridge, etc. Since we don't want to make touches with 'contaminated' hands we wash with soap. Even when we try to set everything up to minimize washing and get all the prep done at once it still seems like there's extra 'washes'. Does anybody have a good methodology to use? I see some people using disposable latex gloves, that's something we haven't tried. Hand spray? What would you do at a competition where facilities are limited? Just trying to catch up to the rest of ya .....

LizzieSamps · August 2012

Alright I really sound like a girl here, but bear with me! I have this problem too, so I have started wearing one latex non powdered glove on one hand that is the " contaminated " hand, and leave my other hand as the clean hand. So I grab doors, bottles, rubs, whatever with that clean hand and do the touching, rubbing with the gloved one. I used gloves because the rubs, etc stain my nails, and that looks nasty on a lady. If I am doing a large piece of meat, then I get a helper to be my clean hands, since both hands are needed to turn a butt or brisket, my boys help with doors, even shaking on the rub. Since you said "we" I am figuring maybe that might work for you.

Scott805 · August 2012

Alright I really sound like a girl here, but bear with me! I have this problem too, so I have started wearing one latex non powdered glove on one hand that is the " contaminated " hand, and leave my other hand as the clean hand. So I grab doors, bottles, rubs, whatever with that clean hand and do the touching, rubbing with the gloved one. I used gloves because the rubs, etc stain my nails, and that looks nasty on a lady. If I am doing a large piece of meat, then I get a helper to be my clean hands, since both hands are needed to turn a butt or brisket, my boys help with doors, even shaking on the rub. Since you said "we" I am figuring maybe that might work for you.

Scott805 · August 2012

lousubcap · August 2012

I use latex gloves-I try to stage everything before starting the prep work but still go through several pairs depending on the prep work involved.

fishlessman · August 2012

its probably the reason why the fda recomends taking chicken right out of the package and plunking it right onto the grill with no washing or rinsing. no contaminated gloves, knives, cutting boards, door knobs clothing, sink handle, countertop etc

DOCED · August 2012

I use the latex gloves for the really messy preps and Chlorox wipes for any potentially contaminated surfaces and a quick wipe of the hands then dry with a paper towel.Fast aqnd you don't need water or soap close by.I also use the one clean hand one dirty hand when possible.

ShedFarm · August 2012

I use 4mil disposable nitrile gloves, that I buy by the bucketful, from Gempler's. One pair goes on to clean out, prep, and light the Egg. Another set goes on, to prep the meat, and then one comes off, to be able to handle the shakers of seasoning. If I'm handling a large cut of meat, I'll go through more gloves, but it doesn't happen often enough, to cause me problems.

The number of gloves I go through at an Eggfest is ridiculous, but well worth it!

stike · August 2012

this hand washing concpt sounds interesting. would someone please explain it?
hahaha

i wash my hands, knives, etc. but i am decidedly less than OCD about it. i come from a hardy new england stock, who survived after eating many thanksgiving turkeys which were kept in the garage in between meals. we tend to fight bacteria by accepting their challenge.

but every few years we loose a weaker sibling or older frail aunt. sad, yes. but it keeps the rest of us hardy.

Griffin · August 2012

At fests, lots of gloves and Chlorox wipes plus plenty of cutting boards and utensils and a big box to throw contaminated boards, foil pans, knives, etc. especially if there is not a kitchen on hand to wash things in.

Browninggold · August 2012

Good one stike....I'll add to that. After that meal (only if it's 20 degrees below zero) everyone has to walk barefoot outside for 3 hours. That really thins out the herd

gerhardk · August 2012

One problem I have with gloves is that some people think they are for the protection of their hands not the food they are handling. I have seen fast food workers, while wearing gloves, handle cash, pick stuff off the floor, push down on the content of an overflowing trash can and then go on to prepare the next sandwich. My pet peeves are people running their hands through their hair and picking at various parts of their face/body and then go on with food prep work. I would rather see good hand washing practice than improper use of gloves.

Gerhard

stike · August 2012

^^^^ well said

fishlessman · August 2012

couple weeks back my sisterinlaw asked me if the hamburger was still good, it was a little brown on the outside, i picked off a chunk and ate it, told her it tasted fine. only time ive ever worn the gloves was cutting up a hundred jalapenos and that wasnt a food safety issue, you guys are really prepping food in your house with gloves, alcohol swabs, bleach etc LOL

)

Focker · August 2012

lol

this ocd bacteria push actually weakens our defenses(immune)

occasional glove use here, and that is mostly for convenience and keeping hands clean during the rub down of bbq

how did they survive 100 years ago?

fish, i've seen your color coded cutting board pics on the other forum. lol

now asceptic or sterile technique and standard, contact, or droplet precautions in a hospital is a completely different animal

Mickey · August 2012

couple weeks back my sisterinlaw asked me if the hamburger was still good, it was a little brown on the outside, i picked off a chunk and ate it, told her it tasted fine. only time ive ever worn the gloves was cutting up a hundred jalapenos and that wasnt a food safety issue, you guys are really prepping food in your house with gloves, alcohol swabs, bleach etc LOL
)

guys for real? I use gloves at fests to keep the blood contained (yep on both hands)......

stike · August 2012

Brown beef is better beef. Straight up. Beef was never expected to be bright red until the last 75 years or so.

)

I can tell you that fishless isnt exagerrating. We're from similar backgrounds, same town/area as kids. Wood cutting boards, meat thawing on counters all day. Turkey stored in the wood shed or garage.

The overly cautious industry protections which guard against liability have trickled down to regular folk. Americans are more afraid of their food than ever before

Recipe i have here from ca1900 says that after making chicken liver pate', top with butter and it'll keep in a cool dark place (no fridges then) for up to five weeks

I have a 'friend' who tosses food afte two days. Wasteful.

I believe in washing my hands, but the day i use gloves to prep food at my own house is the day i give up.

We all should have been dead a hundred years ago. Thank god for the hairnets and nitrile gloves.

(tongue only partly in cheek)

lousubcap · August 2012

My primary aim with the gloves is to keep all the mustard, oils, rubs, seasonings etc either in their respective containers or on the food-not on the outside of all the other containers in use. Makes for quick clean-up and in my life I plan food prep time when the SWMBO is not in the house. No matter the degree of clean-up, I flunk the inspection almost every time. But that's a whole 'nother topic.

fishlessman · August 2012

lol
this ocd bacteria push actually weakens our defenses(immune)
occasional glove use here, and that is mostly for convenience and keeping hands clean during the rub down of bbq
how did they survive 100 years ago?
fish, i've seen your color coded cutting board pics on the other forum. lol

now asceptic or sterile technique and standard, contact, or droplet precautions in a hospital is a completely different animal

i have a 4 foot wide wooden boos block tabe at home for cutting on and a wooden board at camp and a white plastic one someone brought there, you must be thinking of someone else with color coated boards, i dont like to cut on anything except wood

Focker · August 2012

Sorry fish, was just messin' with ya

I know you have a beautiful boos table, seen pics

fishlessman · August 2012

couple weeks back my sisterinlaw asked me if the hamburger was still good, it was a little brown on the outside, i picked off a chunk and ate it, told her it tasted fine. only time ive ever worn the gloves was cutting up a hundred jalapenos and that wasnt a food safety issue, you guys are really prepping food in your house with gloves, alcohol swabs, bleach etc LOL
)
guys for real? I use gloves at fests to keep the blood contained (yep on both hands)......

when you cook ground beef you have to cook it to 160 internal, i dont think theres any laws for serving it raw. been eating raw burger for 30 something years at home and the restaurants here serve raw ground lamb as an appetizer. heres how i got hooked on raw burger, house up the street when i was a kid would warm it op on top of the fridge and we would eat it after it sat there an hour or two

Focker · August 2012

Our house growing up was similar. Food thawing all day. Leftovers kept for considerable amounts of time. One cutting board.

Early bachin' days I would stop by my parents and help "clean" out their fridge. Mom and Dad had to start labeling the leftovers "dog" for their dog because I was eating the really old stuff. hahaahaha

Griffin · August 2012

I don't use gloves at home, 'cept when I'm making grinding and making sausage. Lots of hand washing going on then and I get tired of it so I just started wearing gloves since I get them free at work....well free as they don't notice when a box goes missing here or there.

Little Steven · August 2012

I don't like having my nails stained either

Focker · August 2012

I don't use gloves at home, 'cept when I'm making grinding and making sausage. Lots of hand washing going on then and I get tired of it so I just started wearing gloves since I get them free at work....well free as they don't notice when a box goes missing here or there.

Gloves are actually pretty cheap by the box at restaurant supply stores

Theft at work is not necessary

Mickey · August 2012

couple weeks back my sisterinlaw asked me if the hamburger was still good, it was a little brown on the outside, i picked off a chunk and ate it, told her it tasted fine. only time ive ever worn the gloves was cutting up a hundred jalapenos and that wasnt a food safety issue, you guys are really prepping food in your house with gloves, alcohol swabs, bleach etc LOL
)
guys for real? I use gloves at fests to keep the blood contained (yep on both hands)......

couple weeks back my sisterinlaw asked me if the hamburger was still good, it was a little brown on the outside, i picked off a chunk and ate it, told her it tasted fine. only time ive ever worn the gloves was cutting up a hundred jalapenos and that wasnt a food safety issue, you guys are really prepping food in your house with gloves, alcohol swabs, bleach etc LOL
)
guys for real? I use gloves at fests to keep the blood contained (yep on both hands)......
when you cook ground beef you have to cook it to 160 internal, i dont think theres any laws for serving it raw. been eating raw burger for 30 something years at home and the restaurants here serve raw ground lamb as an appetizer. heres how i got hooked on raw burger, house up the street when i was a kid would warm it op on top of the fridge and we would eat it after it sat there an hour or two

Not talking about raw hamburger, always as a kid liked it better than after cooked. Just in the past 20 years stopped eating it raw. Was talking about the gloves in the house. Never have.Last Salado Fest somehow cut both hands and had gloves to keep going and not bleed on everything.

chuff · August 2012

Brown beef is better beef. Straight up. Beef was never expected to be bright red until the last 75 years or so. ) I can tell you that fishless isnt exagerrating. We're from similar backgrounds, same town/area as kids. Wood cutting boards, meat thawing on counters all day. Turkey stored in the wood shed or garage. The overly cautious industry protections which guard against liability have trickled down to regular folk. Americans are more afraid of their food than ever before Recipe i have here from ca1900 says that after making chicken liver pate', top with butter and it'll keep in a cool dark place (no fridges then) for up to five weeks I have a 'friend' who tosses food afte two days. Wasteful. I believe in washing my hands, but the day i use gloves to prep food at my own house is the day i give up. We all should have been dead a hundred years ago. Thank god for the hairnets and nitrile gloves. (tongue only partly in cheek)

I think what you're saying here is largely valid, but it doesn't account at all for the fact that our entire food system / industry has changed dramatically over the last 40 years nevermind the last 100. We are in the position of treating chicken like nuclear waste largely because of the conditions that most of our chickens are raised in and the processes used in modern processing factories.

I'm not a germophobe by any means but you can't discount the problems introduced into our food supply by the modern factory food system.

Lit · August 2012

I use one of the sensor pumps from bed bath and beyond and its really nice. Just wave your hand under it and you can change how much soap you get with the push of a button. Just got one of my egger friends one for his house warming gift.

AleBrewer · August 2012

No gloves when cooking at home....period!.....not gonna do it....wouldn't be prudent!

If you wear gloves at home, thats cool....but I'm with Stike on this one. I think we take things too far these days.

My sisters mother-in-law actually washes boneless chicken breasts in the sink with soap and water!!!

I try to get everything ready, and then do my prep so as to keep the need to wash hands to minimum. Seems to work ok for me. YMMV

hopkinsusmc87 · August 2012

Hand Washing, well I do a lot of it while preping and handleing cooked food. I go through a ton of paper towels but hey I too like to keep my hands clean. In no way am I worried about germs and I dont use gloves. Heck some germs are good for you! While at home its not a big deal, our kids bring more germs in the house than what we might introduce into the food we are cooking.

nolaegghead · August 2012

If I'm handling raw chicken, I try not to cross-contaminate anything the chicken touches and I'll wash my hands, or at least wipe them down well before prepping especially salad and raw eaten food. Cutting board gets washed before reusing. You have to eat a lot of live salmonella infected food to get it, but it isn't fun to get. Everything else, I'm like Stike.

Hand Washing

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