Keeping and Wasps and Flies Away from your Barbecue

Home
>
Cooking Tips
>
Keeping and Wasps and Flies Away from your Barbecue

Keeping and Wasps and Flies Away from your Barbecue

It is one of life's oddities that we take a lot of trouble refrigerating meat, keeping food sealed and washing our hands before touching it, only to throw out the rule book when we have a barbecue. The meat is left out in the sun waiting it's turn to be cooked, exposed to the elements and there is no washbasin to be seen. Another oddity is that it is men that do most of the barbecue cooking: 7 out of 10 according to the American Dietetic Association (http://www.eatright.org) in a survey. They also found that only 44% of these men washed their hands when cooking at the barbecue. Shame on us men! Why is it that, more often then not, it is women who get to do the day-in, day-out drudgery cooking, while men suddenly muscle in for those special occasions? Is this right, or am I imagining it?

Anyway, back to food hygiene. I am not suggesting that we plumb washbasins into our back yards but I would suggest that at least the following two precautions are still maintained.

The first one is that, even though it can be difficult to arrange, it is an absolute necessity that cooked meats never come into contact with raw meats either directly or via utensils, plates, bowls, trays or cutting boards. This is a very easy mistake to make, especially if you are not the usual cook of the house.

The other precaution is to try to keep wasps and flies away. You may know that their main purpose in life is to spoil your barbecue by diving at you and your guests and depositing some nasty germs - from nearby rubbish tips or animal dung - onto your food; and there is always the risk of being stung by a wasp.

A little tip is to avoid wearing yellow, as they are attracted to it. Of course, if there is someone you don't like very much, you could make a point of inviting them, but telling them to wear only yellow clothes (just say it is part of a role-playing game you have laid on). The unwanted guest can act as a decoy, attracting all the wasps and flies, while the rest of you enjoy yourself.

As this is a particularly nasty thing to do to anyone, an alternative is to lay out some yellow objects in a circle around the barbecue area. For example, you could wrap 10 bricks in bright yellow paper and place them evenly in a circle at a radius of, say, 8 feet from the picnic/barbecue area. Drop some treacle on each. They will act as decoys and reduce the threat of wasps and flies.

An even better way is to save some time by buying a few fly & wasp traps from Arkay Hygiene at www.eeeee.co.uk As well as attracting wasps and flies, they will keep them trapped at least until you have finished your feast. Then you go and release them at your old boss's house.

Please note that Vernon has a wicked sense of humour and asks that you do not release any flying insects at anyone's house! Fly & Wasp Traps for the garden can be found at this page

In The News:

Staying In: Tips for TV, cooking and more
San Francisco Chronicle
Staying in? Here are some suggestions to help you make the most of your evening at home. Our staff has come up with all sorts of options, including the best of what's on television, a DVD to watch, a book you might want to read, even a recipe to try ...

and more »

Artichokes 101: Tips for selection and cooking
Sacramento Bee
Cooked artichokes keep for a week, also, and can be heated up on the grill or in the oven just before serving. Freezing: Cooked hearts and blanched smaller artichokes can be frozen. To blanch, remove the outer petals (or bracts) so only the pale inner ...

and more »

Barbecue tips from the pros
PennLive.com (blog)
By JULIA HATMAKER, The Patriot-News Andrew Sawran of Hershey, a master barbecue judge, and Terrie D'Amato of York, pig mistress, aka head of the award-winning barbecue team Lips and Hoovz, share their tips for cooking the four most popular barbecue ...

Eat your veggies: Cooking tips make it easy to consume more of the plant world
Bellingham Herald
Adding vegetables to your diet takes a little bit of knowledge and a few simple cooking techniques. Vegetables can be enjoyed raw, steamed, boiled or sautéed. If you're out of the habit of cooking vegetables, here are some tips on how to add loads of ...

and more »

LA Weekly (blog)
Cookbook Review: Grow, Cook, Eat, For Gardening Kitchen Tips + A Recipe For ...
LA Weekly (blog)
By Jenn Garbee Wed., May 23 2012 at 6:00 AM Grow, Cook, Eat by Willi Galloway is a handy little book, despite the entertainingly transparent subtitle: A Food Lover's Guide to Vegetable Gardening including 50 recipes, plus Harvesting and Storage Tips.

Grilling away the fat Tips for cooking healthy foods on the barbecue
Times Herald-Record
Cooking out is a great way to enjoy "grilling the fat away" by using tips and tricks to prepare many nutritious, tasty foods on your grill. This popular culinary technique produces healthful, flavorful foods such as zesty appetizers, hearty entrees and ...

2 burger recipes plus 2 vital tips
HeraldNet
This indentation will prevent the burgers from swelling up and rounding out while cooking." Next great Weber tip: "Oil the food, not the grates. If you oil your grates, you are essentially gluing your food to them. "The oil burns quickly on the hot ...

and more »

Award-winning chef to offer cooking tips to youngsters in Ellesmere Port
Ellesmere Port Pioneer
AWARD-WINNING Cheshire chef Brian Mellor will be helping schoolchildren in Ellesmere Port cook up a storm in coming weeks. Brian, who runs a cookery school in Harthill, has been signed up by the Junior Chefs' Academy to deliver healthy eating workshops ...

and more »

100 Tips for a Healthier Summer
Huffington Post (blog)
Cooking can reduce the amount of fiber in foods, so be sure to have plenty of raw fruits and veggies too. 15. Veggie superstars to add to your line up include 1 cup of spinach (40 calories) 1 tomato (25 calories) or 1 cup of radishes (20 calories). 16.

Staying In: Tips for TV, cooking and more
San Francisco Chronicle
Cook for about 5 minutes, turn the fish over and cook another 5 minutes for medium doneness. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the other 2 fillets, adding more oil to the pan if necessary. Spoon the sauce over the fish and garnish with lemon ...

Google News