Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Hi,

I've been thinking about the P.P. and haven't spotted any on Cookaholics. But then, I tend to stick my head in the sand at times.

I was severely chastised (you know where) for admitting that chicken bones went from the plate into my freezer bad of chicken carcasses. Somebody may have actually touched one of those bones or actually chewed for a bit. I thought about this for quite a while and realized my explanation while sitting on the couch petting my dog while he licked me in the mouth. I responded like this:

"I understand and agree with your concerns. I take careful precautions with these bones to thouroughly sanitize them to eliminate any chance of passing on pathogens. I place the bones in a deep pan, carefully cover them by two inches with fresh cold water. I then carefully bring the water up to a boil and hold the water at that temperature for 4 to 6 hours before use."

Sadly, the P.P. were not impressed. When they come to dinner, I may have to boil those bones in Clorox.

Tim

Just simmer please. Where do they think all those bones come from I only keep bones from family.
Kathy

Think I'll leave this one alone. I've already shown that I can be both passionate and inconsistent on this topic and I promised to behave myself here.

Still, if boiled isn't clean enough, what is?

Doesn't stuff like this make anyone else think: I wonder what our ancestors who didn't have refrigeration or reliable canning procedure would think of this discussion? Yet, somehow, we survive.

Queue the Paula Deen stories in 3, 2 ....

At a 'gut' level, I understand their concern. But then, I wisen up and consider putting raw chicken in the stock. Wow, now there are some potential pathogens. I could just put in veggies, but lets face it; they are likely to be covered in some kind of icky bacteria too, even if we wash them (or perhaps especially if we wash them).

Heh. Its not like you are putting human brain matter in it; now the prions in brain matter can trivially survive boiling, roasting and probably a host of other issues. Unless, of course, you blew your guests brains out, in which case a guest may have more pressing concerns then the issue of stock contents.

Like my mother and my grandmother, I stir the pot, then taste from the spoon. And yes, the spoon goes back into the pot.

Like most of us here, I cook for my family (define that any way you wish). I kiss my family members - yes, on the lips! I sleep with one member of my family, and we won't discuss the germ sharing there. If I don't they don't get enough of my pathogens through daily contact, then I try my best to rectify that deficiency when I cook. Families should share everything!

How many moms have to 'blow on' baby's food before they can eat it? How many have to taste the food on the fork before the child will eat it? How many siblings share licks of an ice cream cone? Bites of a hot dog? Tastes of each others food in a restaurant?

I've never seen nor heard such an outcry about germs in my nearly 60 years as I have in the last 5. As much as I love him, Alton Brown, with his constant harping about contamination has drilled this phobia into an entire generation of home cooks. We've reached a point where folks no longer use common sense. Most of the cooking shows now have to constantly stop to show the 'star' in the act of washing their hands, or else suffer the outcry from the brainwashed masses and the emails saying "so-and-so didn't wash her hands"! What an ineffective use of broadcast minutes.

I just finished processing 18 jars of rasberry jam from my rasberry bushes. I don't spray them, but they do get rained on all summer long, and of course they get boiled to death and then processed. Even with all of that care, there is room for bacteria to grow....you just never know with home canning. Even so, that possibility will not keep from making jams and jellies and canning tomato sauce. If I paid attention to the PP, I wouldn't enjoy anything I ate.
ilene

I had posted a longish piece on this topic and now it's gone. Any ideas?

I assume you are speaking of the OB?