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Bonfire Cooking

Bonfire Cooking Bonfire Cooking, or cooking over an open fire, is the oldest and most original method of cooking. There’s such a thrill and joy in cooking over a bonfire. Foods roast and develop a rich, smokey , and at this time of year especially, bonfires provide a great atmosphere for outdoor events such as party celebrations, Halloween or Guy Fawkes Night. A good fire for cooking is primarily hot coals and a few logs of burning wood. Depending on the fire and weather conditions, a new campfire can take 30 to 45 minutes to burn to the right conditions. Let the fire burn down until you have a bed of glowing coals, which is the ideal state for cooking. Just because you see flames does not mean that your bonfire is ready for roasting! A common mistake is to start … Read more

Is Your Fridge Cold Enough?

Certain foods require chilled storage conditions to maintain quality and prevent the growth of micro-organisms. Correct storage of food at the right temperature reduces the risk of food poisoning. Is your fridge cold enough at the correct temperature? Temperature control is important because harmful bacteria are a hazard present in many foods. Given the right conditions, food poisoning bugs such as listeria can multiply quickly. Did you know that at ideal temperatures some food poisoning bugs can multiply every 10 minutes? The Food Standards Agency states that growth models have shown listeria grows nearly twice as fast at 8°C as it does at 5°C, hence the recommended 5ºC, which helps keep us safe from listeria. As bacteria are invisible to the naked eye and cannot be physically removed from food, all we can do is control their numbers. Temperature can … Read more

What is the mystery behind the perfect glass of wine?

English Wine Week Achieving perfection from your glass of wine can be a complex task. At Comark we in temperature and humidity and we thought we would lend a helping hand and guide you to the perfect glass of wine after all it is English Wine Week! Storing of wine Historically, the storage of wine was handled by wine merchants. However, since the 1950’s it has become more common for consumers to increasingly store their own wine. There are 3 factors that have the most direct impact on a wine’s condition, they are light, humidity and temperature. Storing wine is easy but many make the mistake of storing white wine, red wine and Champagne in the same place and therefore at the same temperature. Wines are most often damaged by extreme fluctuations in temperature or movement. The correct temperature ensures the wine’s … Read more

BBQ Week – Keep safe!

Keep safe this BBQ Week! It’s BBQ Week! With summer just around the corner, you may well be thinking about spending sunny evenings with friends and family, enjoying a lovely BBQ. Everyone wants to give their friends and family some fun and a tasty evening NOT a few days of diarrhea or sickness resulting from food poisoning. So to help create a memorable occasion for all the right reasons we have some easy steps you can follow: Pre-Cook your meat in the oven and then finish off on your barbecue for flavour If you are choosing to ONLY cook on the barbecue, the two main risk factors are: Undercooked meal Spreading germs from raw meat on to food that is ready to eat When cooking most meats (chicken, turkey, pork, burger or sausages) The coals are glowing red with a powdery grey … Read more

National Vegetarian Week

It’s National Vegetarian Week and so we thought we would ask this question: “Can reheating rice cause food poisoning?” The simple answer is YES! However it is not the reheating that causes the problem but the way the rice has been stored before it was reheated. Many outbreaks of food poisoning which emerge from the catering industry are found to be caused by the inadequate cooking of food. In some foods the bacterium that is associated with food poisoning is not eliminated by the cooking process and therefore, if food is held at temperatures ranging from room to very warm temperatures (20⁰C to 63⁰C) for a few hours, the spores of the bacteria germinate and multiply to dangerous levels. The longer cooked rice is left at room temperature the more likely it is that bacteria or toxins could make the rice … Read more

Real Bread Week – Get Kneading!!

Whether you bake bread at home or in a commercial environment REAL BREAD WEEK is for you. It’s the annual celebration aimed at supporting local, independent Real Bread Bakery as well as baking your own at home. So for those of you who may be joining in for the first time or looking to perfect your loaf, here are a few tips to help you on your way: Keep an eye on the temperature of the dough Aim for around 24⁰C/75⁰F Use warm water in the winter and cold water in the summer to get your dough to the right temperature Temperature of the water depends on the temperature of your room and the temperature of the other ingredients Use a thermometer to check your dough temperature Try to keep the dough at a stable temperature throughout the fermenting (proving/proofing) … Read more

Explore Comark’s Newest Products at NRA Show 2016 in Chicago

From May 21 – 24, Comark will be at the National Restaurant Association’s NRA Show 2016 at McCormick Place in Chicago for the largest single gathering of restaurant, food service and lodging professionals. Join us at Stand 3348 to learn more about our most recent innovations in high quality, precision thermometers, data loggers and wireless monitoring solutions. The Comark Team – including our recently appointed GM, Lika Dutta – will be on hand to discuss products like the newly introduced HACCP Touch, the easy and cost-effective system that enables food service professionals to collect, record and store daily temperatures of critical items as they are prepped, cooked and held. Additionally, food service professionals can learn about the Allergen Thermometer, which is color-coded for food allergy procedures in kitchens that regularly handle milk, nuts, fish and other allergens. Comark representatives will … Read more

Comark Instruments helps keep your kitchen Salmonella-free

Salmonella leads to approximately one million illnesses in the United States annually, according to the CDC. While the average person recovers within four to seven days, approximately 2,500 are hospitalized each year in the UK, according to Food.gov.uk. In the U.S., 19,000 are hospitalized in and nearly 400 people die annually from the infection. Elderly, children under five and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to have a more severe infection. Salmonella is a bacterium that causes salmonellosis, which is characterized by a number of symptoms, including diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps and vomiting. Most infections can be resolved with fluids and rest, but antibiotics may be necessary if the infection spread to the blood stream, according to FoodSafety.gov Infections are typically the result of contaminated food, including eggs, poultry, meat, unpasteurized milk or juice, cheese, raw fruits and vegetables, … Read more

Legionella

Legionella is a bacteria found in water that can cause Legionnaires’ disease – a severe pneumonia infection – or Pontiac fever, also known as legionellosis, according to the CDC. An estimated 10,000 to 18,000 people are infected annually in the United States, according to the Legionella.org, but it is rarer in the UK, with most infections transmitted in travel, according the National Health Service. The legionella bacterium spreads through inhalation of contaminated water droplets. It cannot be spread person to person and does not lead to infection in all cases of exposure. While it is found naturally in fresh water, exposure can cause illness. It grows best in warm water, particularly cooling towers used in air-conditioning units for large buildings. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are typically flu-like, including a persistent cough, fatigue, high fever (39.5°C or 103°F), headaches or muscle … Read more

Comark Instruments Keeps Your Holiday Salmonella-Free

Year after year, salmonella leads to approximately one million illnesses in the United States, according to the CDC. While the average person recovers within four to seven days, approximately 2,500 are hospitalized each year in the UK, according to Food.gov.uk. In the U.S., 19,000 are hospitalized in and nearly 400 people die annually from the infection. Elderly, children under five and people with compromised immune systems are more likely to have a more severe infection. While salmonella infections have decreased by 10 percent, according to the CDC, taking the proper precautions is still imperative to keeping you and your family safe throughout the holiday season. In a time where the kitchen is busier than ever, and we are busting at the seams (literally) with turkey, roast beef and countless delicious sides, maintaining proper food safety standards should remain top of … Read more

Optimizing Operational Efficiencies through Wireless Environment Monitoring

For potential customers investigating the complexities of temperature monitoring solutions – what you don’t know can hurt you. As Comark’s National Sales Manager, I spend much of my time analyzing clients’ needs and expectations, helping to create compliance-focused solutions that allow for increased operational efficiencies and expanded revenue opportunities. One of the most common issues I see in evaluating kitchen coolers and freezers is in the area of defrost cycles. Defrost cycles typically rely on a mechanical timer, which is monitored and adjusted manually by an HVAC specialist. These adjustments are made to optimize efficiencies, but necessary changes may fluctuate as compressors and equipment age, or even as refrigerants leak or are replaced. Incorrect cycles characteristically raise the temperature of the cooler or freezer interior too high, only to require more work from the compressor to chill it back down. … Read more

Six Steps to a Safe and Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey

For Americans, Thanksgiving is just a few Thursdays away – a holiday where roughly 88 percent of Americans consume turkey, according to CNN. With 1.7 percent of turkey testing positive for salmonella in 2014, according to the USDA, it’s important to make sure your holiday meal is prepared safely. Below are six steps to a delicious and safe Thanksgiving turkey. 1. Check to be sure your meat has been kept at the correct temperature throughout the storage process. A data logger from Comark is an easy and cost effective tool to log transport data across any distance. 2. If your turkey has been frozen, use the Pocketherm from Comark to keep track of its status as you defrost. Safely defrost in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, but never leave meat out on the counter to thaw, … Read more