Cooking: Kitchen Safety Basics

Even with limited vision, you can prepare meals safely in your kitchen. For this demonstration, we're going to prepare a fruit salad. But the safety tips and techniques provided in this workshop work for every meal. Good lighting helps with all kitchen tasks. Lighting under the top cabinets brightens the counter top surface. You can also work by a window to use natural lighting.

First, cleaning. If dirt on fruit is hard to see, you can use a strainer to rinse it in the sink. When you're done rinsing, you can check if the faucet is turned all the way off by passing your hand under the faucet. Next, cutting. If possible, have dark and white cutting boards or use a two-sided cutting board that has white on one side and black on the other. If you cut the strawberries using a white cutting board, the contrast makes it easier to see.

After you're done with the knife, wash it right away. Put it behind the faucet with the blade facing away from you to dry. Or, if you're not done with the knife yet, placing it behind the faucet keeps you from accidentally grabbing or touching the blade later. If you're using a dishwasher, keep knives pointed down. And as with any doors or drawers in your kitchen, keep the dishwasher closed. Open doors and drawers are easy to trip on or bump against. After your knives are clean and dry, you can store them in a knife holder, or if you store them in a drawer, you can put protective covers over the blades. This way, you avoid grabbing the sharp edge.

While preparing food, it's easier to collect your stems, wrappers, and other trash in a bowl or container. This lets you easily collect the trash as you prepare food, keeps your work area clutter-free, and minimizes how often you may have to cross your kitchen. Lastly, if there is a spill, it's a good idea to clean it up right away to avoid any slips or falls.

Making meals for you and your family can still be enjoyable and safe by using these techniques. A few changes to your cooking routines can make all the difference.