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  • While it may seem somewhat intuitive to wash all your foods before eating them, not all

  • ingredients require that type of care.

  • "So, how many of you think you need to wash a chicken before you cook it?

  • That's not right!"

  • You might think washing raw chicken and other kinds of meat prior to cooking helps to clean

  • off bacteria and stave off foodborne illnesses, but the opposite is true.

  • With poultry, the water you would use to rinse it isn't scalding hot enough to actually kill

  • off bacteria, which means that doing so only redistributes any harmful bacteria onto your

  • kitchen surfaces.

  • When you then prepare other foods on those same surfaces, cross-contamination may cause

  • illness.

  • Similar to the rationale for not washing raw poultry, the USDA advises against washing

  • raw meat such as beef, lamb, and pork.

  • You're better off skipping the meat wash and instead, thoroughly washing and cleaning your

  • kitchen surfaces in between cooking sessions.

  • The same goes for washing raw fish.

  • To put it simply: you shouldn't.

  • Instead, buy fish that's been gutted and scaled from a reputable fishmonger.

  • Wash your hands well and clean surfaces in your kitchen work areas as thoroughly as possible.

  • These simple precautions are your best bet for preventing foodborne illnesses.

  • A whole turkey can be one of the biggest challenges anyone can face in the kitchen, and that's

  • quite literal.

  • Trying to wrestle with a raw, 20-pound bird might be the hardest part of preparing your

  • fancy meal, and that's just one more reason to skip washing your bird.

  • As with the above meat, washing it won't remove bacteria, it'll just spread it around.

  • There is a single exception, though, and according to the US government's Food Safety blog, turkeys

  • that have been brined need to be rinsed.

  • Washing a brined turkey involves running cold water through the inside cavity of the turkey,

  • although you still shouldn't rinse or wash the outside of the bird.

  • Moving away from meat, many bagged salads, as well as pre-cut and packaged produce like

  • carrots or celery, have been pre-washed so you do not need to wash them after buying.

  • These products will be labeled as ready-to-eat if they have been pre-washed.

  • In fact, washing them once you get home can actually increase the chances of contaminating

  • them with bacteria that may already be on your kitchen surfaces.

  • Since commercially packaged produce has often been "triple washed," they are perfect to

  • eat as is.

  • While it might not get you sick, you still shouldn't wash pasta before cooking.

  • The natural starches in all varieties of pasta are exactly what you want to keep.

  • Often, you'll want to reserve some of the cooking water because that starchy content

  • is invaluable when it comes to helping you create the silkiest sauce possible.

  • The starch from that water helps the sauce cling to the noodles, resulting in a thick,

  • tasty sauce that coats the pasta perfectly.

  • The USDA does not recommend washing eggs you purchase from the store.

  • As a special technique of washing eggs is required as part of the commercialization

  • process, doing so once your eggs are home can increase the risk of cross-contamination.

  • Eggs are washed and cleaned once they've been laid in order to remove any bacteria.

  • They are then coated with mineral oil to give the shells a layer of protection.

  • As such, there's no need for you to re-wash them.

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While it may seem somewhat intuitive to wash all your foods before eating them, not all

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