3. Keep Cold Foods Cold, Hot Food Hot
It's easy for cold foods to become warm on a summer camping trip. While you're out exploring, the sun is beating down on your ice-filled cooler, turning cold ice into lukewarm water.
When cold foods are left to sit in the Danger Zone, between 40 and 140 degrees, bacteria grows rapidly. Keep these foods cold with a few simple tips:
- Buy fresh ice as soon as you notice water in the cooler.
- If you're gone for the day, pick up another bag on your way back to the campsite.
- Keep your cooler in the shade whenever possible.
In general, remember the 2-hour food safety rule: Foods become unsafe if they sit in the Danger Zone for more than 2 hours. The time window is only an hour if temperatures are above 90 degrees.
More: 5 Tips for Camping Food Storage
4. Keep Everything Clean
If your mom used to say a little dirt doesn't hurt, for the most part, she was right. However, campsite kitchens can harbor more than a little dirt. With one gust of wind, your kitchen could be covered in debris. Before cooking and eating meals, remember to:
- Check for foreign objects like twigs, pebbles or anything that could blow or fly into your food.
- Make sure all the dishes and utensils are wiped down before serving.
- Scrub the fire pit grill before putting food on it.
5. Cook Your Food Thoroughly
There's no stove or preheat setting for your campfire. There's also no predetermined time for how long it takes to cook your chicken breast or the chili—it all depends on how hot your fire and coals are.
Avoid any food-related illness by using a thermometer. A digital thermometer is best, but any thermometer is better than none at all.
"Digital thermometers register the temperature in the very tip of the probe, so the safety of thin foods—such as hamburger patties and boneless chicken breasts—as well as thicker foods can be determined," according to Food Safety While Camping.
In general, cooking temperatures should be as follows:
- Ground beef: 160 degrees
- Chicken: 170 degrees for cutlets and breasts, 180 degrees for legs and thighs
- Pork: 160 degrees
- Hot dogs: 165 degrees
- Eggs (whites): between 144 and 149 degrees
- Steaks and roasts: 145 degrees
- Shrimp, lobster, crabs: Cook until "pearly and opaque," according to the FDA.
More: 10 Delicious Foods to Cook Over a Campfire
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