The hot days of summer have arrived. For a while all the rain we received made many of us wonder if summer weather was ever going to occur. In this warmer weather active families enjoy spending time outdoors on a boat or at the beach. Oftentimes, these activities last most of the day and involve preparing at least one meal.

Now that the really hot weather is here, we must take extra precautions when handling food outdoors. If the food is not handled correctly, food borne illness can be an unwelcome downer on our fun. With temperatures rising above 90 °F, now is a key time to monitor handling food during outdoor activities. Most bacteria grow fast at temperatures between 40 - 140 °F and can reach toxic levels within an hour over 90 °F. In direct sunlight, temperatures can climb even higher than the weather forecaster predicts.

The United States Department of Agriculture promotes some simple food safety principles that can help stop dangerous bacteria growth and ruin a BBQ. The most basic guideline is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. If you are out with cold foods, then bring a cooler with ice. When transporting chilled foods, two great tricks are to refrigerate or freeze the food beforehand and then put a blanket over the stocked cooler. Ice, frozen gel-packs, or freezing box drinks works wonders. The drinks will thaw as you relax and keep your meal cold at the same time.

It is difficult to keep foods hot without a heat source, so it is best to cook foods before leaving home, cool them, and transport them cold. If you need a heat source newer insulated casserole platters will keep things hot for about an hour, which is all you should use it for anyhow. Using a hot portable stove also works well if you are cooking on a boat.

The other principle is that bacteria in raw meat and poultry can easily spread to other foods by cross-contamination. This is when the juices drip from sources like packaging, utensils, or even your own hands. When handling or storing raw meat or poultry, double wrap, or even better, place the packages in sealable plastic bags to prevent juices from dripping. Washing hands before and after handling food and using clean platters and utensils is fundamental. If you do not have running water, then use disposable wipes or biodegradable anti-bacterial soap.

Serving filet mignon, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and cheesecake might be classy, but not practical for a day under the hot sun. Putting some thought into the types of food to bring out can save your guests some stomach pains. For a day out on the boat, foods like cold sandwiches, cold fried chicken, crackers and cheese, and salads are great, but they must be kept cold.

For overnight trips it is better to keep non-perishable foods on hand. Peanut butter and honey from plastic jars go great together on bread as does canned tuna, ham, chicken, and beef. Dehydrated or dried foods like meat, fruit, and nuts, and frozen concentrated juice boxes are all easy to carry and ready to serve. Powdered mixes for milk, fruit drinks, Gatorade, biscuits, and pancakes are easy to handle and prepare too. You should also consider things like rice and dried pasta. There are plenty of powdered sauce mixes that can be used over pasta.

For more information about local boating, environmental issues, and other water-related activities throughout the Oyster Bay area you can email the author at Jaime.VanDyke@gmail.com or reach her at 946-9464.