Baking should be fun, but must also be safe. Here are some useful tips to ensure your baking is safe as well as enjoyable!
Safer Baking
Home baking is great fun, but it is also important to be safe in the kitchen. There are many potential hazards to be aware of so here are some useful tips for keeping safe:
Food Quality: While baking, ensure you measure and weigh ingredients carefully. Use measuring cups for liquid ingredients and plastic or metal measuring cups for dry ingredients. Be sure not to under or over bake. Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and always allow hot food to cool before it goes into the refrigerator so it doesn't warm up the food inside. Avoid cross-contaminating raw foods with cooked foods, and wash your hands after handling any raw ingredients.
Heat: baking usually requires you to use an oven and sometimes a stovetop. Be aware of the stovetop and the oven door if they are in use. Use oven gloves or cloths to remove hot pots from the stovetop or baking pans from the oven. Be careful of steam or hot air when you open the oven door. Place hot food on a stable, heat resistant surface.
Spills: if you spill ingredients on the floor, clean up immediately to avoid slipping. Always put away any cleaning equipment so no one trips over it. Unplug appliances that are not in use to avoid overloading electrical outlets and possibly sparking a fire. Keep cleaning chemicals safely out of reach.
Clothing: It’s a good idea to wear an apron and closed shoes when you are baking. This will keep your clothes clean and your feet safe from falling objects or spills. It’s also a good idea to keep your hair tied back away from your face to prevent it from falling into the food you are baking. Keep towels away from the stove and oven. Use oven mitts to handle hot pots and pans. Have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen just in case.
Sharp implements and equipment: Baking often requires the use of knives, beaters, mixers and other implements and equipment which could be dangerous. Be aware when using sharp knives. Never put your hand into a mixer or any other equipment that is turned on or moving. Make sure your hands are dry before touching electrical switches. If you do cut yourself, clean the wound and apply a plaster before continuing to bake.
Storage: Store your baking ingredients and equipment in such a way that they are easy to reach and will not fall on you or anyone else. Keep ingredients covered, preferably in a sealed container, to keep them fresh and free from contamination.
Your baking first aid kit should include:
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Absorbent gauze
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Dressings - adhesive/ non-adhesive
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Blue plasters
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Emergency treatment Info sheet
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Gloves, hair grips and bands (unused)
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Micropore tape
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Sterile antiseptic wipes
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Tissues (mini pack)
As parents or teaching practitioners, we want our baking to be organised, clean and hygenic, safe for little fingers and free from burns, scalds and cuts of any kind.
Top of the list is teaching children (& some adults) the basics of using safe, clean baking tools, handling methods and hygenic surfaces. This is most effectively done by example first, do would strongly urge you to demonstrate all these facets of safety from the outset.
Reminding young cooks of safety by constant supervision also means you can repeatedly instill in them that no baking fun is worth an accident of any sort. Planning the steps of their cooking in advance will also allow you to identify any potential hazards so you can minimise and explain them simply to the cooks from the outset.
1. Get permission from an adult before you use the kitchen.
2. Wash your hands with soap and water before starting.
3. Wear close-fitting sleeves that won’t accidentally catch fire.
4. Read the recipe all the way through and follow it before starting.
5. When taking food in and out of the oven, use insulated oven mitts.
6. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
7. Don’t use sharp knives unless you’ve been given permission.
8. Use solid steps for high shelves.
9. Turn off burners, electric rings or oven when you’re finished.
10. Clean up as you go hygenic wipes.
11. Don't try tasting any ingredients!
12. Always have a suitable first aid kit to hand with at least the following items easily available:
Some useful tips
