  |
|
|
|
There are many types of hot-food cabinets, designed for special needs. Other devices such as the chafing dish and the overhead heat lamp keep hot foods hot on the buffet and on the kitchen serving line. Special kitchen equipment heats dishes so that hot foods will stay hot all the way to the table. Using the right equipment keeps foods both safe and appetizing. Most hot foods hold well on the steam table and in chafing dishes if treated properly. This means that moist foods must be kept moist and crisp foods crisp. To hold rice on a steam table, for example, put a thin layer of butter in the bottom of the pan before you put the rice in. This keeps the rice from drying out. Any moist food should have a source of continuing moisture or fat during its stay in a chafing dish. Crisp foods, on the other hand, must be protected from moisture. Never cover a pan of fried chicken or any deep-fried food; it will quickly lose its crunch and become soggy. Storage Storage is keeping foods for future use for unspecified periods of time may apply to products of any kind, raw, processed, or fully cooked. The three main kitchen storage areas are the dry storage area, the refrigerator, and the freezer. The latter two are spoken of together as cold storage. The dry storage area is typically a clean, cool, and dry, shelf-lined place near the receiving area. It is kept at 60-70°F (15-20°C) with humidity below 60 percent. Types of foods requiring this kind of storage include; rice, dried beans and peas; flour, cereals, and other grains; sugar, salt, dried herbs and spices; breads; oils and shortenings; unopened canned and bottled goods Dry foods should be stored off the floor. Containers should be clean and closed or tightly covered to prevent contamination from dust, insects, and rodents. New products are always placed either behind or under existing supplies of the same product to ensure that the oldest will be used first. This is called rotating the stock and is standard practice in all storage. First in, first out is the universal rule. Dating stock as it is shelved aids in efficient rotation and use. The storage methods for raw foods and processed foods are refrigeration and freezing. A refrigerator, known in everyday terms as a cooler, holds and stores foods at temperatures of 35 to 40°F (2-4°C). There are many forms—walk-in, often referred to simply as "the walk-in," reach-in, pass-through—and many sizes. The purpose of keeping foods in a cooler is to prevent bacterial growth and to maintain the texture, size, and weight of foods until use. Three factors in addition to temperature play a part: humidity, air circulation, and cleanliness. Since texture, size, and weight of foods are greatly affected by their water content, the relative humidity in a cooler is usually 80 to 85 percent to keep the foods from drying out. Air circulation, provided by fans in all but smaller coolers, maintains even temperature and humidity throughout. Cleanliness is essential to prevent spoilage. Ideal storage temperatures vary depending on the product. Meat and dairy products should be stored at 34—36°F (1-2°C). Fresh produce does better at a slightly warmer 36-38°F (2-3°C) so that there is no chance of freezing. Large operations, such as the airline caterer described earlier in this series, will have separate refrigerators to maintain appropriate temperatures for different products. Mizer, Porter, Sonnier, Food Preparation for the Professional, 1978, Page 65 Go To Page: 1
The copyright of the article Prepreparation Part 12 in Food Management is owned by Andrew A. Orr. Permission to republish Prepreparation Part 12 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
