Safety of spice mix re-use

[Strahan]

Howdy! I just recently got away from eating out and learning to cook stuff. I enjoy it, it's fun and delicious So, I'm a newb and have a question. I was told to be very careful with chicken because when it's raw it has germs that can make you real sick. I just learned how to make chicken wings. I rub them with a spice mixture before cooking and I was wondering if I make a bunch of the mixture if it's safe to reuse it?

I figured I'd buy a spice jar and mark it "chicken wing mix" so it never gets used with anything but chicken wings.. I know the wings have the raw chicken germs, but figured that logically it shouldn't matter if I leave chicken germs in the mix since it's just being used for chicken only and will be cooked off ... is that right or should I only mix as I need and chuck the leftover?

Thanks!

 

[Andy M.]

I would not do as you suggest. There's a way around it. Make up a big batch of the rub. When you are ready to rub some wings, pour off some of the rub into another dish, bowl, etc. Use that rub to coat your food then toss any excess. That way, you have unadulterated rub you can store safely.

 

[jabbur]

What Andy said! You might try measuring what you take out and then again what's left when you're done so you can minimize the waste. You'll get a good idea of how much you use for a certain number of wings and can just pull that amount out of the big stash.

 

[pacanis]

I would not do as you suggest. There's a way around it. Make up a big batch of the rub. When you are ready to rub some wings, pour off some of the rub into another dish, bowl, etc. Use that rub to coat your food then toss any excess. That way, you have unadulterated rub you can store safely.

That's exctly what I do.
I'm even paranoid about any rub that falls off the meat and if I touched it while wiping it up and disinfecting.

 

[acerbicacid]

Hi Strahan, as both Andy and jabbuh said, you shouldn't re-use/save the mix that has been in contact with raw chicken. You should also not use the same dishes, chopping boards or anything that has been in contact with it either. You have discovered that cooking is great fun and normally tastes wonderful (hopefully ) though there are things to beware of and good reasons why chefs are meticulous in using different cutting boards for different things and washing their hands after touching raw meat/fish.

A few safety rules that might help are listed here Food Safety, Cooking Safety, Rules of Food Safety, Food Safety Rules

 

[Dawgluver]

I agree with the others here, don't reuse the used rub, and make sure to disinfect any surface the chicken may have touched.

 

[chopper]

Late to this party. Great advice here already, but I did want to welcome you.

 

[Strahan]

Thanks everyone

I'll just mix up a bucket o' spices then do as Andy said and pour some into a bowl as I go. Is washing chicken "infected" stuff in a dishwasher sufficient to the task of making it safe?

Thanks again for the replies everyone, appreciate the help

 

[Dawgluver]

Dishwasher is fine!

 

[Strahan]

Cool, thanks!

PS.. do you think it'd have the same result if I substituted my grill for the oven? The sheet I baked on makes a big greasy mess. It'd be easier to just use my grill. It has a thermometer on the hood, I assumed if I get it stable around the same temperature it ought to be the same cooking effect...?

 

[Dawgluver]

Oh yeah. Check out the grilling threads! Many great wing grillers with great advice here!