Cooking Utensils
When cooking ground beef or other meats, I use a spoon to turn the meat over and help break it up. Can this same spoon be used to stir in other ingredients after the meat is cooked or to transfer the food to a serving bowl? —H.L., Racine, Wisconsin
As a general rule, do not use the utensil that was used to prepare uncooked meats to later stir or serve cooked foods. To avoid cross-contamination, wash utensils in hot soapy water before reusing or simply use a different spoon.