By: Benedict Smythe
Submitted: 2008-10-07 16:24:52 | Word Count: 542
A typical day out for a picnic is a warm sunny day. You could get a suntan to look stylish, get some vitamin D which is good for your skin. In short, you have the freedom to do whatever outdoor activities that you want without the menace of a bad cold weather. However, some extra care should be given on food preparation, to prevent it from spoilage.
Appliances of the modern world are the answer to this problem. It allows you to store your food in a simple manner, and at the same time prevent it from spoilage.
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When it comes to picnic food preparation, there are some tips that need to be followed. That is if you want to enjoy the whole occasion without any hassles brought about by food spoilage, and the like.
When bringing some meat for outdoor cooking, as well as the salad, it must be chilled enough and carefully packed in containers in which the cold temperature can be isolated.
Never leave the food exposed to the sun for a long period of time. Avoid bringing egg salads, chopped foods, custard filled pastries as they easily spoil and may cause food poisoning. Avoid sliced tomatoes, and lettuce, and salads in mayonnaise, as they do not freeze well. It would be impossible to keep them from spoilage. Instead of using mayonnaise, substitute natural yoghurt or mascarpone.
Fruit pies or meat should be baked just before leaving the house. To keep them warm, wrap them up in an aluminum foil, top with some thick layer of newspaper.
Wrap sandwiches in a freezer paper that is moisture resistant. Hamburger patties should be prepared in advance and wrapped in a square of waxed paper separating each patty to avoid difficulties when separating them when it is time for them to be cooked. It may be prepared a few days before and stored in the freezer.
During the trip, put the cooler inside the air conditioned car, and not in the trunk. When food is left outside the cooler for more than an hour, you must dispose it. It is no longer safe and edible.
The Picnic Food
Popular picnic foods are as follows:
tarts
marshmallows
quiches
meringues
fruits
pickles
olive
frozen cakes
canned hams
breads
fish
tuna
salmon
sardines
wine
juice and other drinks
There are particular choices for food when it comes to picnic. In general, people seek to bring along food that are travel friendly, such as finger food.
However, you can actually use your creativity and take some not so travel friendly food along with you. For instance, soups are not usually brought along in picnics, but you can actually put some chilled soups in empty bottle containers, and serve them in glasses during the picnic.
Other Essentials
There are things other than food that must be packed along in to keep the event smooth flowing. Things like these:
Colorful and Comfortable Blanket, to make picnic festive
Towels
Napkins
Insect repellent
Plates
Serving Utensils
Silverware
Cups and wine glasses
Paring Knife
General utility Knife
Condiments
Can and bottle opener
Corkscrew or bottle opener
Damp wipes or cloths for washing up
Cutting boards
Garbage bag
Now that everything is laid out, you are now ready for your outdoor picnic.
