Size matters!
If you’re planning a buffet at home and are not sure how quickly the food will be eaten, keep buffet portions small. Prepare a number of small platters and dishes ahead of time. Store cold, back-up dishes in the refrigerator or keep hot dishes in the oven (set at 200 – 250 degrees F) prior to serving. This way, your late-arriving guests can enjoy the same appetizing arrangements as the early arrivals.
Take Temperatures!
Cooked, hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees F or warmer. Use a food thermometer to check. Serve or keep foot hot in chafing dishes, crockpots, and warming trays. Note: Some warmers only hold food at 110 to 120 degrees F, so make sure your warmer has the capability to hold foods at 140 degrees F or warmer.
Chill Out!
Cold foods should be kept at 40 degrees F or colder. Keep cold foods refrigerated until serving time. If food is going to stay out on the buffet table longer than 2 hours, place plates of cold food on ice to retain the chill.
Keep it Fresh!
It can be unsafe to add new food to a serving dish that already contained food. Many people’s hands may have touched the food, which has also been sitting at room temperature for awhile. Instead, replace empty platters with freshly filled ones.
Watch the Clock!
Remember the two-hour rule: Don’t leave perishable food out at room temperature on a buffet table for more than twoours unless you’re keeping it hot or cold. If the buffet is held in a place where the temperature is above 90 degrees F, the safe-holding time is reduced to 1 hour.
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