Protect Your Picnic Food with an Insulated Basket

Now that summer is almost here, many people are ready to get outside and enjoy the sun and warm weather. Many are looking forward to a family picnic or cookout. But having a plan for your perishable food you take outside is extremely important. Remember that in hot weather any perishable food items must not set out for longer than one hour. It is a good idea keep the perishable items in an insulated basket or an insulated cooler until ready to serve. Ice is good to keep in the insulated basket, but it will melt faster than a freezer pack in the heat of the day and using a freezer pack will help avoid water left over from the melted ice. It is also wise, to just take in your insulated basket just enough perishable items that can be consumed at one sitting. This would avoid leftovers that need to be kept cold. Your drinks should be stored in a separate insulated cooler, to avoid opening and closing the food cooler. Also while not in use, place the insulated cooler or basket of food in a shady spot and cover with a blank to retain the cold.

Be aware when grilling or cooking meat to bring the food to proper temperature on grill before serving. As many people, know this is especially true when cooking pork or chicken. Chicken must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 to 175 degrees to kill any salmonella.
Pork cooked to 150 degrees is efficient to kill the trichinosis.

Many insulated coolers or insulated baskets now a days come with a full set of utensils for your picnic. There are many variety's to choose from. So enjoy your summer and have many picnics, just remember your food should be returned to the insulated cooler or your insulated basket as soon as possible after you eat. Enjoy.