SC - A question of concern...

[maddie teller-kook]

I have seen this in other groups I played with... they buy huge boxes of spices
and herbs, gigantic bags of flour and pass it on to the next feast.  This can work
if the next feast is less than 6 months away (IMHO) and the food is stored
properly.  When I am the head cook, I try to buy just what I will need for the
feast.  Now that a number of stores in the area sell bulk herbs and spices (the
customer packs what they need), it is much cheaper and fresher than using the huge
boxes of spices and herbs that sit in an a storage shed without air conditioning
or heat.  The only items I will buy to use over again are cleaning supplies.

Meadhbh

Micaylah wrote:

> Greetings the List,
>
> After giving this alot of thought, and given the thread we have been
> discussing on the safety of food handling, I have some thoughts that have
> been bugging me for a long, long time.
>
> The first thing I would like to know is whether or not this is a common
> practise in other groups. We have in this Canton a box of spices and herbs,
> flours, other dried goods and various snippets and hoeys kept in a rough
> tote for kitchen stewards to use at their disposal for events and other
> requirements. It gets brought to light, oh probably, three times a year max.
> It lives in an old basement for the remainder of the time. I have a real,
> real problem with this. Am I the only one who does?
>
> Because I do Dragons Revenge every year I pick up our inventory of cooking
> utensils, pots and this rough tote of stuff to use. (We have a fairly large
> inventory) I will say right now that I REFUSE to use the dried goods and
> such for alot of reasons, one being that I like to use fresh for everything.
> I have never used it and never will. Calculating the ingredients is not such
> a big deal and purchasing a little of this and a little of that is not a
> budget blower and I am satisfied that the sugar I am using is not three
> years old, the oats I am cooking with are not infested, the herbs I am using
> haven't sat in a damp basement and lost their freshness or gone moldy, etc.
> etc. etc. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this?
>
> As well, there is the safety factor. Now, while I may not know what the
> shelf life of sugar, flour and other dried goods may be, I do know that I am
> uncomfortable using them. The end product CANNOT be as palatable nor as safe
> as if using freshly bought....right? Point in case, lets say your making
> that horribly mint drink thingy that most people like (personal yuck
> inserted here). All the mint used was the crap in the rough tote. It has
> been there so long and not stored in an airtight container. Mold has set in
> and you just served it to someone with a mold allergy. Mold wasn't on the
> Ingredients List so the gentle feels comfortable drinking this. GAK, instant
> allergic reation. This is just an example, but an effective one nonetheless.
>
> Since I am not the only one who uses this box I cannot just arbitrarily
> throw it out (although I did go through it the other day and throw out
> several unidentified bags of crap and other old sorry looking things).  What
> I would like to do is get a general opinion of the List, some guidance and
> perhaps some emphatic replys and present it at a meeting and TRY to dispose
> of this box and stop this practise.
>
> I know that when I sit down at a feast that I haven't done, I always wonder
> if "the scary box" was used in preparation of this meal, no matter how good
> it tastes I have this thought in the back of my mind. When I am cooking, my
> rule of thumb is to purchase exactly what I need, (yes I take measuring cups
> to the bulk food store) and if there is anything left I keep it. I don't
> feel like I am cheating the sca, nor do I feel like I am stealing. Usually
> there may be, say, a bottle of corn syrup, a cup of flour etc. when I am
> done. I have never had the problem of needing to do an emergency
> subsitution, and even if I did, I highly doubt it would be found in the "box".
>
> As well, another opinion on using these commodities, is that you may end up
> with a cakload of substandard foodstuffs because the baking powder you used
> got damp, or the raisins were just too old and tired, the cinnamon
> tasteless, etc. etc. etc.
>
> I would appreciate any feedback anyone may have on this subject. Please be
> as eloquent and longwinded as you want, and unless you want it kept out of
> the meeting (say so) your esteemed opinions will be presented when I broach
> this subject soon. (If I can find the time to get to a damn meeting). I
> expect to get some grief from the older cooking crowd as they have relied on
> this practise for so long that they may not be able to get beyond it. I sure
> hope not.
>
> Thanks
> Micaylah
>
> **********************************************************************
>
> "When you look at Prince Charles don't you think someonme in the Royal
> Family knew someone in the Royal Family?"  :)
>
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