Why isn't it safe to cook kidney beans in a slow cooker? -Elanor Kidney beans contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin, also known as Kidney Bean Lectin, that, if the beans are not cooked properly, can cause extreme nausea, cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. The symptoms typically start within 1 to 3 hours of ingestion and can last for... Read more →

I bought some round steak to make Hungarian Goulash. I realized I wasn’t going to get to making it in a timely manner and froze the meat. I took it out, defrosted it in the fridge only to have some things come up that made using it right away impossible. Knowing that meat can be refrozen if it is defrosted in the fridge I did just that... Read more →

How do I clean a seasoned fry pan in which I've cooked chicken?-Diane I'm not really sure what this question is getting at, but I'll hazard a guess that since chicken is notorious for contamination from salmonella, enterococcus or E. coli (among others), what you are concerned about is cross-contamination of other foods by a pan in which... Read more →

Hi. My wife keeps telling me that I shouldn't mix the last leftovers, say from a container of hummus, with the new one. I say there is no reason not to. What do you think?- Jake There is good reason behind your wife's concern, and that is that you are mixing food that has already had a chance for bacterial growth into new food, thus... Read more →

My husband cooked chicken breasts on the barbecue grill yesterday. We put the remaining breasts into the refrigerator soon after pulling them off of the grill, around 3:00 pm. At 4:00 am, my daughter pulled the chicken out of the fridge to make a sandwich and forgot to put the other breasts back. My husband found them at 5:30 a.m. and... Read more →

Happy New Year. Some friends of ours just came back from a trip to Mexico and they brought us a bottle of vanilla concentrate. I’ve never used ‘concentrate’ before so decided to Google it. Some people are saying to not use it for it could cause liver damage if there’s a certain ingredient in it. Can you help clarify some of this... Read more →

Making "White Christmas Pie" for the first time, the recipe calls for beaten egg whites, with cream of tartar and sugar but never says to "cook" it. Is it necessary to cook the egg whites, or is it safe to use them, blended with other ingredients? --Dora You are right to be concerned about using raw egg whites. The USDA now warns... Read more →

How long can meatball stew be left in fridge after cooking? --Linda A lot of factors can influence how long leftovers can be kept, but generally assuming that the food was properly cooled through the danger zone between 140°F (60°C) and 40°F (4°C), see How Long Can Cooked Food Be Left Out. It should be stored in the fridge within... Read more →

We had some cubed steak in our freezer. The freezer went out and the steak was thawed. I cooked the cubed steak and have re-frozen it. Is that safe, or do I need to throw it away? --Robin Assuming that even though the steak thawed out, it remained at a temperature below 40°F (4°C) and for no more than a couplel of days, then you... Read more →

How long does it take to defrost a frozen turkey? --Andy The length of time it takes to defrost a frozen turkey depends on a few things, most importantly the weight of the bird and the method used. The length of time will also be affected by the temperature at which it is being defrosted. There are two generally accepted ways of... Read more →