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The Hot and Dry Season is a great time to enjoy outdoor activities and good food. But the problem is, in this type of weather, food can easily spoil.

When temperatures rise, oxidation happens faster, making bacteria multiply. Microbes that cause the spoilage also thrive in warm temperature.

Here are some tips to prevent this from happening:

1. Seal it shut. Airtight containers are a must in storing rice, grains, and dried seeds. These help prevent contamination from microbes found in your surroundings.


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2. Follow your nose. Do not eat anything that smells foul or tastes off. This is especially true for food kept out of the fridge for more than five hours.


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3. Follow the three-day rule. Consume leftovers in the fridge within three days. If you can’t, freeze them.


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4. Freeze, thaw then cook. Thaw frozen foods then cook immediately; otherwise these will spoil due to bacteria. During the thawing process, the defense brought by freezing decreases, allowing microbes to invade. Immediately cooking or reheating the food will prevent this scenario.


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5. Cool down hot food before putting in the fridge. Before refrigeration, let hot food cool down for no more than two hours to avoid bacteria overgrowth causing food poisoning. Separate food into smaller containers to help it cool down faster.


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6. Know how to store food on the go. When traveling, cool your food and store them in ice boxes to make them last longer.


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7. Turn up the cold. Max your refrigerator’s thermostat this season. Keep raw meat in the freezer to slow down the movement of molecules. This will allow microbes to enter a dormant stage, thereby preventing spoilage. Raw veggies are best stored in coolers/crispers to retain their nutrients.


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8. Separate raw from cooked food. The bacteria in raw food can spoil cooked dishes.


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9. Rice and shine. While cooking rice, put in a few drops of vinegar to the water to preserve cooked rice in hot weather. A few drops will not affect the rice’s taste.

10. Keep your hands clean. To prevent contamination, wash your hands before touching any food, raw or cooked.

Washing Hands

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Keeping your food fresh does not only help you save money, it also saves you from potential illnesses, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea which are symptoms of food poisoning. Although proper food handling should be done with extra care during the hot season, this practice should be observed all year round.

By: Michael Bon D. Galang – Panahon.TV Intern