How to store cooked seafood?

All foods, including seafood, must be handled and prepared in a clean area to avoid cross-
contamination. Always remember to keep your hands, preparation area and utensils clean. Never let
raw seafood come in contact with already cooked or ready-to-eat foods (e.g. salads, fruit, smoked fish).
Whether you are storing fresh fish or thawing frozen fish in your refrigerator, make sure that the juices
from raw seafood do not drip onto food that has already been cooked or food that will not be cooked.

Marinades are great for seafood but should not be saved and used as a sauce unless the marinade has
been cooked to a temperature of at least 165°F to eliminate microorganisms from the raw fish. Always
marinate in the refrigerator in a glass or plastic container.

Never serve cooked seafood on a plate that held the raw product without proper cleaning. Store
leftovers, properly wrapped, in the refrigerator within 2 hours. Bacteria will grow rapidly in the
temperature “Danger Zone” of 40-140°F so keep hot food above 140°F and cold food below 40°F.

Store it in a shallow covered container to allow the fish to cool to the proper temperature more quickly.

Cooked fish can be stored for up to 2 to 3 days in a refrigerator at 40°F or less.

If leftovers are not going to be used within this time, they can be frozen and stored for up to one month.

How to store starch and cereals?

Corn, wheat, rice, and oats are favorite grains for making cereals. All cereals keep best in airtight
containers that keep out moisture, dust and insects. At home, a tightly sealed plastic bag is sufficient
protection. Always look for a “use-by” date on the package. Crispness can be restored to ready-to-eat
cereal by spreading it in a baking pan and putting it in a 350 °F oven for 5 minutes. Instant hot cereals
keep up to one year in their original box, but a tightly covered container is better. Since whole-grain
cereals are rich in natural oils, purchase containers that do not have a rancid odor. Store whole-grain
cereals in tightly covered containers or sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator where they should remain
fresh for 5 months. When stored at room temperature, they will stay fresh one month. And just same to
starch that must be keep in airtight containers.

-In starch dish

Cooked pasta (pasta noodles)
Pour the noodles into a colander. Allow mush as moisture as possible to drain. Noodles left in
standing water become overly soft and mushy.
Sprinkle 1tsp. salad oil over the noodles. Toss the pasta so the noodles are evenly coated in the oil.
Salad oil prevents the pasta from sticking together.
Place the pasta in a tight-sealed container. Store in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Cooked pasta can be stored unsauced in an airtight container and refrigerated separate from the
pasta and can be stored for 6 or 7 days. This prevents the pasta from soaking up too much flavor and oil
from the sauce, which causes the taste of the pasta to be drowned out. If the pasta is stored together
with the sauce, it should be eaten within 1 or 2 days to limit the amount of sauce that is absorbed. If
cooked pasta is not going to be used within the suggested time period, it should be frozen and then it
can be stored for approximately 3 months. Frozen cooked pasta should be thawed in the refrigerator
and not on the kitchen counter.
-In cereal dish
Oatmeal
Unopened dry oatmeal should be stored in a cool, clean and dry place.
Opened oatmeal ought to be stored tightly covered in a resealable plastic bag or in a plastic or glass
container. It is best practice to use opened oatmeal within one year.
Dry oatmeal can also be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for one year. Your freezer should be at
0 degrees Fahrenheit.
The “best by” or “best if used by” dates are really quality suggestions. The oatmeal after this date
would still be safe if it was stored properly. Oatmeal can develop an off smell or flavor depending on
where and how it was stored. So always look at, and smell, the dry oatmeal that you will be using.

Method of evaluating dishes

Evaluate the characteristics of food, as perceived by the five senses – appearance, aroma, taste, texture
and consistency. Define your standards and expectations for each dish and check if the prepared dish
matches up.

Appearance
 Colour and colour combinations
 Sizes and shapes of ingredients
 Visual attractiveness
 Eye appeal
 Signs of freshness

Aroma The smell or aroma such as tangy, herby, earthy, etc.

Taste The basic sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami tastes

Texture and Consistency The qualities felt with the finger, tongue, palate or teeth

Temperature Knowing the right temperature to serve dishes such as hot, cold and room temperature

Flavour Refer to the combination of aroma, texture, temperature and taste reacting with saliva.

Steps:
 For colour, texture and taste evaluations, place samples in clean, uncontaminated containers
and assign codes when evaluating more than one sample.
 Use separate food samples for each evaluator.
 When evaluating aroma, place sample at least 1 inch from the nose.
 When evaluating taste, bite off a small portion of the sample and chew slowly.
 When evaluating more than one dish, spit out the sample after tasting and rinse mouth with tap
water.
 For comparison and ranking purposes, 10 seconds is acceptable for easy recall of the tastes.
 For a single panellist who has to taste several samples, allocate 2 minutes of rest in between to
prevent fatigue.
 To evaluate liquids, take a small sip of the sample and swirl around the tongue before spitting
out.
 When evaluating more than one sample of liquids, rest for 1 minute between samples.