Summer is just around the corner and with that comes barbecues and grilling! Barbecues are often associated with hot-dogs and burgers, but did you know that there are other foods that can be used to grill? Do not limit yourself to meat, instead explore by grilling some fresh fruits and vegetables.

It is important to follow food safety guidelines when barbecuing to prevent food-borne illness and cross contamination. Keep the following food safety tips in mind at your next event:

– Marinate meat in the fridge, never at room temperature. Do not marinate meat for longer than 24 hours.

– Make sure all cutting boards, utensils, and surfaces are sanitized and washed before preparing food.

– To avoid food-borne illness, never use the same utensils or plate that held raw meat, fish, poultry, or seafood to serve the cooked product.

– Cook all foods to their safe internal temperature. For meat, poultry, and fish use a food thermometer to be sure the safe internal temperature is reached.

o Poultry – 165° F

o Beef, veal, lamb, pork – 160° F

Here are some additional tips on barbecuing fruits and vegetables:

– Slice the foods the same width so that they will finish cooking at the same time. (about ½ – 1 inch in thickness)

– Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as pineapple and peppers work best on the grill.

– If one side of the food is flat and the other is rounded, such as a potato, place the flat side down against the grill.

– Leave about ½ inch in between each piece of food so that the entire piece will cook.

– Click the following links to learn how to prepare and grill fruit:

https://www.kingsford.com/how-to/grilled-fruit/

https://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/blogs/10-fruits-you-can-grill