There is really nothing about getting food, either fresh, unprepared stuff, canned or packaged goods or take-out, that causes me concerns. It is only the people I may encounter doing so......

According to this article from CNN and the authorities they cite, the risk of contracting the virus via food products and/or their packaging is virtually nonexistent.

Last night one doctor was telling how to care for what groceries you bring in the door. She said to wash off hard surfaces (milk bottles, etc.) with soap and water; wash and dry all produce before storing. (I have some special wash for veggies... somewhere. Perhaps I'd better look for it. ) Then, you're suppose to wash down all surfaces that came in contact with what you brought in. AND, wash your hands when coming in, before touching the raw produce, and again after you are done putting everything away. Also, the instruction was to not touch what you don't buy at the grocery or pharmacy. Take only what you want so as to not contaminate the food or object for the next person. AND, I think it goes without saying, don't cough or sneeze on the produce!

I didn't mention canned and that which had been packaged for a while. I do trust that.

Gardengal, yes, it's not the food I don't trust, it's the handlers/preppers of the food - and those handling the packaging. I suppose I was just trying to keep the topic food related, rather than people-who-make-or-package-the-food, related : )

Sadly I’m not comfortable with curbside takeout, either. Otherwise I’d be going out of my way to support local independent restaurants.

Nonperishables go into quarantine for a few days. Cartons for the fridge get washed in soap and water before going in the fridge. Fruit to be peeled gets washed in a mildly soapy water. In room temp water, I saw not to vary the temp as it can encourage absorption. I’m slowly avoiding stuff I can’t wash too well, like lettuces and greens.

And my issue is not with those handling or prepping the food....it is with those members of the general public I encounter while attempting to get my hands on that food. Anyone that prepares or serves food from behind a counter - any kind of take-out for example - already takes much better sanitary precautions than does the general public. And at least in my grocery stores, those that handle produce, meats, bakery goods, any fresh unwrapped food, all wear gloves.

As that article pointed out the risk of contracting the virus via food or food packaging is very low, on the order of thousands of times less likely than via the normal route of personal contact or airborne spray.

2Many, you should be as vigilant as you are given what you've told us here about about your physical conditions.

There is no way to know for sure about anything. It's unlikely that the virus will be communicated by food or packaging, no reported evidence that it has been, but caution is necessary.

I'm not too worried about what I've encountered in the previous couple of weeks, though I could have the virus now and not know it. I had a paranoid reaction when I woke up with a sore throat and cough, but it poured buckets and hogsheads last night, and the heat came on, hence sore throat in bed, and the molds are blooming, hence the cough. Both symptoms gone by breakfast. I've encountered very few people, and other than the grocery store (last there a week ago), it's all the same people. But they go out in the world and it's like those scare you out of sex things they showed us in Health class in high school about the spread of STDs. Everyone you know who knows someone else means you know that someone else.

I'm beginning to feel like I need a few groceries, but I can do without them. We're still well provisioned. You have to figure that for every reported test positive, there are thousands of other infected people. For myself, I'm not so worried about the cooks and delivery people, and packaging, as I am what Sleevendog called the "petri dish" of the grocery store. Here, they're closing early to disinfect and restock, but still. If I had to choose, I'd rather risk the packaging and food than the store.

I have a lot of frozen vegetables in my freezer, and so I can use those, but I have not avoided lettuce. I do wash it and let it sit in the refrigerator for two days before I eat it, however. As this progresses, I will be more and more careful.

We're going back to L.A. today to get our meds and then we plan to come back on Wednesday for the long haul. We have a few things to take care of in L.A. before we can come back, but we don't want to stay there, and I don't think it is necessary for us to do so. We will not do any shopping there and will be extremely careful when getting gas. I'm going to have all mail forwarded to Cathedral City.

NY is in a bit of a disaster. Not much left on shelves. It's been snowing all day but just two inches so far. We did get two deliveries but one had a ten day wait and no delivery dates now at all for weeks. . We were allowed to add up until the night before but it dropped from 600 to 150ish. (a case of wine deleted) : ).. .: O

Then the eventual delivery was 130$. Out of everything. So we ordered from a wholesaler. Lots of root crops like our fall harvest from the garden. Things I can wash with soap after a bleach spray outside on a folding table set-up. I only ordered cryovac packaging with long fridge dates. Easily washed.

Never apologize for being safe. I'm extreme way more than most.

Just be thankful we know how to cook!

If you do like a certain take-out place, make sure they package in plastic. (package can be bleached outside) Re-heat hot food further once delivered or picked up. (we have never eaten fast food ore take-out for years)...but this disaster will drain us.

I did have a minor panic a few days ago. One carrot, one potato, one onion. No ginger, running out of miso. We will survive. Dish soap, toilet paper, ...now home stock is dwindling, oy.

The wholesalers came through. We are stocked now. Root crops in the cold garage that can be washed. 10 pounds of ginger, lol. Big block of white miso. Gorgeous bag of mixed radish for salad.

Check your local farms if this goes on as predicted. I have chicken/eggs, beef, and new crops from our local area. These farmers need our business. Find them. Order on-line and they will put them out for pick-up.

This is a few from a bag of local organic mixed radish. (grown under row covers)

Thank you, plllog, as ever, you are so empathetic to others. I had a sore throat and swollen gland last night, but I was working in the yard yesterday (cool day, but lovely and sunny!) but today my symptoms are gone, but as I should with any cold/flu symptoms, I won't risk other's health in case I'm wrong. I think it's smart to not go inside grocery stores if one can at all avoid it.

Lars, I'd wondered about letting lettuce sit for 2-3 days. For now, we'll see how it goes without salads, but cooked produce will suffice us.

sleevendog, how dast you post those photos! ; - ) My tummy grumbles at the sight! Ha! You remind me, I've still got miso in the fridge. Great soups : ) I wonder about the wine... I might not make it if our supply runs out, LOL! On a more somber note, I always think of you and dcarch when the news comes on. If anyone else here is from one of the more (currently) affected states, I feel for you. Heck, I feel for everyone.

Kate, sounds like very good advice from your physician.

gardengal, I don't trust our local take-out people as much as you do : ) Not wearing masks, I can't help but worry about a stray cough on food. But I'm paranoid : ) And then there is the teen trend to cough on food in grocery stores. In our state, more young people have tested positive than any other age group.

FOAS, I think we are very similar in our food 'practices' : )

To each their own I always say... except the idiots coughing purposely on food in the grocery stores. They should be ashamed of themselves. Probably the same ones who did the 'Tide Pod Challenge' a while back. My 2nd to last trip inside the grocery was unpleasant, as I noted someone coughing on people on purpose. He got me as I was walking in... and I saw his friend just behind him, laughing. Shameful. But there are also so many other people, going above and beyond to help others. Wonderful.

I'm not one to eat take-out or order in, or do fast-food anyway. Well, fish and chips at our local take-out place once in a while.

Facebook is flooded with people promoting the local restaurants who are doing delivery and take-out as the dining rooms are closed. It's a catch-22. But overall, I don't do that type of eating anyway.

People have been looking for yeast......all of a sudden there are home-bakers galore now that they have time on their hands. Fleishmann's is sold at our Bulk Barn, but of course people are hesitant on buying anything there, even though the staff is diligent at cleaning, offering wipes and gloves etc. I haven't checked for yeast, but I buy mine at Costco Red Star and it's the best I've ever used.

I bought broccoli and green beans yesterday as they were on sale for a crazy good price. I gave them a javex and water bath.

I'm just buying milk, really and those few vegetables, I do have a lot of food in my pantry and freezer.

We live in a remote place (outer Cape Cod) with a small year round population that spills over with summer tourists. Many restaurants close at the end of the shoulder season in the fall. So we're used to limited options and even in season there is no delivery here. At this point, unless it's for a pizza to pick up (sometime soon!) we're cooking for ourselves but don't feel paranoid about washing produce in soap and water.

There are two kinds of food I will not be consuming during this difficult time, i.e. fresh salad greens from stores and sushi in restaurants..

I don't need to explain why, I think you know why.

Otherwise I have a great deal of flexibility with my UV germicidal light set up to sanitize everything coming into the house.

I also have the flexibility of having my own indoor LED light growing system for salad greens and cooking greens. I always seen to have oversupply.

I encourage everyone to consider growing your own indoors and outdoors if possible. I think this COVID-19 may stay a very long time, and may come back again and again.

Good luck to all.

dcarch

From what I've read, the practice of spitting on cardoor handles during senior shop hour, sneezing and spitting on produce and other detestable practices, is the rage among certain teenagers right now.

I still have lettuce, leeks, beets, snow peas growing and am ready to plant the summer stuff. In the freezer I have kale, chard, bell peppers and zucchini.

Our farmers markets are open and the booths are far away from each other. The stores are fairly well stocked (scored hand sanitizer AND TP this week!)

Though we rarely eat fast food, we are trying to buy some gift certificates from locally owned eateries to help them stay in business! We'll use them at a later date.

New information, just read:

CDC says COVID-19 survived in Cruise ship for up to 17 days after passengers left.

As I have said, conditions for virus' survival can be unpredictable. Please be careful. even 17 days may not be final.

dcarch

Our Governor just issued a "Stay at Home" order this morning, effective 18 minutes ago. The local grocery store was slammed busy when I stopped to pick up Mother's groceries this morning. We had our first reported case of COVID 19 in my county today.

Still no flour, no sugar, now there were no eggs, no butter or margarine, no dry cat food of any brand. No Mountain Dew, I don't know what that's about. No toilet paper, no paper towels or napkins, no paper plates, no cold medications, no Tylenol, none of Mother's allergy medication (XYZal), no raman noodles or pasta of any kind, no beans, no canned soup.

I cook meals for Mother, and I didn't even stop at her favorite coffee shop this morning, and I haven't eaten out in at least two years, so that's not an issue for me, but Mother is complaining about not getting her KFC, LOL. It's not the food I don't trust, or the packages, but those "essential" workers are the ones that can't afford to stay home when they are sick.

I always wash produce before using it, using running water, because everything here comes from across the country, so it's been handled, handled and handled some more. The stores have shut down the deli counters. There is lots of meat, fresh produce and beer/wine, though, and I notice the hoarding of Diet Coke has diminished. For the first time in my life I used a wipe on the grocery cart last week, now the workers are sanitizing the carts before giving them to people to use.

So far I haven't sanitized anything I've brought into the house, including groceries or bags or containers, but I make sure everyone washes their hands well, if that counts. I don't have small children or the very elderly or sick that live with me, so I've been a bit more relaxed, but as cases spread, I'll have to be more proactive, I'm sure.

I do have the luxury of knowing that no one has touched the jars on my shelf other than immediate family and that meat in the freezer has been there for months, so it's safe too. I do have a beef ready to slaughter but the processor has been closed, it's not "essential".

Annie

I soaked my lettuce in water to which I added a bit of clorox.....then rinsed well. Don't think you could taste it, but my hands always smell like clorox these days so it's hard to tell

Jasdip, glad you’re well stocked : ) We don’t really eat take-out, or dine-in either (except for the past year during a remodel, and that’s enough for a lifetime!). Everything here has been ordered closed except take-out, and carry out to cars at the restaurants. For the first, and possibly last time, you can order wine and liquor-based drinks with your pick up order!

Bumblebeez, yes, that’s what I’ve heard. Unbelievable!

nancyjane, I think it’s a great idea to purchase gift certificates to use at a later date.

Annie, I just placed a curbside pickup order, and we don’t have anything you listed as out of stock as well, plus many other items. More keep dropping off my cart, too. I’m so glad you have all your canned goods – and I remember your kid’s use your pantry items as a grocery store : )

lindac92, my hands smell like alcohol! I have bleach, but it’s limited. Sure makes those cuts sting!

dcarch, no, you need not explain, I certainly understand. I also heard about the 17 days on the news last night. Did not want to hear that!

Somewhat off-topic, and I encourage off-topic conversations here… I agree with dcarch’s comment about growing your own – indoors, outdoors, even something small. I know others here on the Cooking forum do, and I understand not everyone can grow things outside. I think Sleevendog’s microgreens have taken off, and particularly right now, are a fantastic idea. I also understand growing anything just isn’t some people’s cup of tea. There are bonuses to growing something edible, be it a small patch in the yard, or trial of seeds in a sunny window… it’s good for the soul. I’ve been encouraged by those here and on the garden side of GW. Spent last weekend pulling up the last of our winter carrots – something I’d never grown before, as well as fresh broccoli throughout the latter winter. Working outside was refreshing. Watching something you plant from seed sprout into a living thing is so rewarding, watching as it grows into a mature plant, producing food you can eat is something of a miracle to me. I thank those who inspired me so! We have a spring/summer garden planned.

3rd Photos for Uploading · More Info

3rd Photos for Uploading · More Info

I trust our own vegetables, and I trust the person handling them ; )

3rd Photos for Uploading · More Info

Way off topic, it was dcarch who first told me to just compost directly into my soil. Wowzers! Dark, lovely soil, tons of worms… you were right! Thanks!

edie, you comment just popped up for me. And I understand your anger. Me too.

2MD, Nice, nice harvest!

I am enjoying no smelly garbage in the kitchen Everything in soil. I am also enjoying my rainwater system

Tried to grow shiitaki mushrooms on logs. Many years with nothing. Just as I was about to turn the logs into firewood, I dumped some rainwater on the logs. WOW!! mushrroming!!! No chlorine made a difference?

dcarch

Gorgeous harvest! Clean food! Long shelf life.

We are in good shape having early shopped. No deliveries at all or even curb-side time slots available. Neighbor went to WholeFoods last night and texted if we needed anything. 3 young kids and no separate freezer. Very frustrating.

Not sure I mentioned that cabbage, root crops, hearty greens can be blanched. Cabbages can be sprayed outside, then remove the few outer leaves. Cauliflower and broccoli can be steamed or blanched. Eggplant I usually roast whole or roast on the gas burner. All peppers can be roasted or blanched.

No way would I buy leafy greens and don't need them. Our salads will be micros and slaw type gratings.

For those still store shopping, consider all the winter squashes that have a long shelf life. ...acorn, spaghetti, etc.

Well, dcarch, if there was ever a time for those shiitakes to grow, now would be it!

Sleeve, thank you, almost as colorful as some of your meals! Oh, thank you for mentioning slaws!!!! I hadn't thought of that! I do plan on kale and turnip, which I love, and other greens, that are, as you say, hearty.

LIndaC-- when DH was a hospital administrator on an Air Force base in Turkey they were told to add a little bleach to the water when washing produce. It worked well for them back in the 60's so I imagine it's good enough for Covid 19!

2Many-- YUM! Bugs Bunny would be in heaven! Great harvest!

Annie-- Los Angeles stores have more than Michigan, it takes a while to normalize. Today Trader Joe's finally had flour, so that's an improvement. Barely any TP or paper towels to be had, but Kleenex is available. Meats and Chicken and Seafood were readily available. Eggs too, but only 1 doz to a customer.

No. I don't eat out much anyway, but there isn't anything that I would be afraid to order, or prepare at home. I am having a salad right now.

We were always told by the Health Department to add bleach to the water we used to wash the bar glasses too, I think 1/3 cup to a gallon of water, that seems to stick in my mind although it was a lot of years ago. I always had to be careful not to get it on my clothes...

2many, that's one nice batch of carrots, and such nice colors. I plant different "colors" too, the kids love the purple ones that color their lips and mouths, they call them "zombie carrots", LOL. I feed the chickens most of my food scraps, but anything else gets tossed onto the big pile of manure we have in the barnyard, and it all goes on the garden in the spring and fall, the rest goes on the hayfield and pasture.

Here the chickens are still laying and we have lots of eggs because the B&B across the street is closed until April 13, under the Governor's "shut down" order. I have half a dozen butternut squash and a few leeks in the back room storage, I need to roast that squash before it goes bad. A neighbor has a dairy farm, I can trade eggs or beef for milk if I decide I need some. Fortunately I have enough to share with Mother, although she'll have to eat butter instead of soft spread margarine, and she'll have to have uncoated paper plates, LOL. Madi and Maci are coming on Thursday and we're going to grind wheat and bake muffins or bread, it'll be part of their "home school" program since the schools are closed, they will learn about wheat, how it becomes flour and then we'll bake something.

Ellen, I noticed that Meijer had a limit of two on eggs, although there were none, and 2 on loaves of bread (the cheap stuff, the $7 a loaf bakery stuff was still on the shelves in piles), limit one on paper towels and toilet paper, although they were out of that too. Canned goods were a limit of 4, but there were few there anyway. Hopefully it will get better. I noticed that there is lots of meat and produce so people won't need to go hungry, but all the convenience items, boxed meals and canned stuff like spaghettios and soup were gone. People are going to have to do some cooking, I guess. But the flour and Crisco? I didn't know that many people baked!

I bought washable nylon bags for groceries, I take them with me and toss them in the washer when I come home, so I'm more comfortable with that than I am the plastic bags from the grocery, and it's fewer plastic bags to be blowing around my pasture and tangling in my barbed wire fencing.

Annie

" New information, just read:

CDC says COVID-19 survived in Cruise ship for up to 17 days after passengers left.

As I have said, conditions for virus' survival can be unpredictable. Please be careful. even 17 days may not be final.

It also stated:

"the finding doesn’t necessarily mean the virus spread by surface. "

and

" This story was updated to reflect that SARS-CoV-2 RNA, not live virus, was identified on surfaces in cruise ship cabins up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess. "

Annie, I love the name Zombie carrots! I sliced one of the larger super-dark purples last night and it looked like a tie-dyed shirt!

Chessie, I saw that on another post, and thank you for posting it here. The initial reports on the news didn't go into detail, but the article I read said staff had been on the boat 2 days before they'd found the virus on the surface, and as you posted above, their findings did not suggest it was viable/transmittable.

2Many your carrots are gorgeous! What a haul!!! I did vermicomposting for years (inside the apartment) and I smiled like crazy with the worms that you're getting!!!

I read yesterday at the Table that bleach doesn't last. I always keep a spray bottle of water and bleach to spritz my cutting board after cutting chicken, the sink, anything that raw meat comes in contact with.

Then they said that it only lasts a few hours. Even though everything smells of bleach, it's actually broken down to a saline solution. What????

I'm so disappointed, I can't see buying a new bottle of bleach every time I want to use it, I don't use it all that often and a bottle lasts a long time.

So we might be having a false sense of security thinking our Clorox, etc is doing anything.

Oh no, that just sucks about bleach breaking down. I did not know that. Guess I will just keep pure bleach in the spray bottle and spray a tiny bit on a paper towel and wet the towel down with water to wipe down cutting boards, sinks and faucet handles. Thank you for the info!

Edie I have a bleach spray from Target and I'm doing exactly that! I also have a few containers of wipes and alcohol and alcohol pads (like for injections). I'm using them all, but trying to ration the paper towels just a bit. We don't have a laundry room right now so I'm drying my hands on a small piece of paper towel each time. I'm doing the laundry at a neighbor's house, I don't want to be there everyday with kitchen towels. Saving them for pots and pans.

I just use a small shot glass I keep above my sink. Mix one ounce or less with 9-10 times the same water. (shot glass has measure lines on it.) I use the small glass pyrex and mix in my sink. Then into a small spritzer or dip a cotton cloth. Rarely use bleach at all until now. Just buy the tiny bottle and hide it from family.

I wash my cutting boards in the sink with hot soapy water then take them outside if I need to bleach them once a month or so. Veg only on wood. Meat board goes in the dishwasher. Rarely cut raw meat. Not good at all to breath bleach.

I mostly use isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. And soap.

Hospital staff, I'm guessing, mix what they need for the day and empty it at the end of the day so no confusion....and rotate the bottle stock.

Very confusing via internet advice. I did not think peroxide would be good but the CDC says it is. (but they say cough into a tissue that viruses go right through into you hand so, oy)

This list seems ok. And delayed a couple days. Warehouse packing is a bit safer but who knows. We ramped up the sanitizing box and mail deliveries. Clorox outside, let dry, then an alcohol spray. Into garage for quarantine. (cold here) . Goes into downstairs crisper drawer. Comes upstairs as needed and into soapy water bowl. Then rinsed, then blanched. Clean washed hands.

Roasted a big double tray of veg last night. And made a big mirepoix Sunday. All in quart zip-locks for the freezer. They will get double heat when used later. Soups, etc.

I really like fennel fresh in slaws but it can be blanched, then used that day chilled. No loss in crunch factor. Inner veg layers should be fine. Who knows.

New world we live in.

I'm at 14 days inside, sunny deck. DH is 10 days today. Hope to keep it that way for now.

NYC is a disaster.

don't shop in groceries or wait for your usual deliveries. No deliveries here.

This is not hoarding. They said prep for a couple weeks. Now prep for 3 months.

Fortunately my early tomatoes will be producing tomatoes soon.

Here's some info on how chlorine bleach solutions can break down over time right from the source:
https://www.clorox.com/how-to/laundry-basics/product-usage-guides/shelf-life-of-bleachwater-solutions/

...Generally, longer-term storage is not recommended because diluted liquid bleach solutions are susceptible to degradation from a variety of sources. Increased temperatures, contamination and even light (that’s why it’s sold in opaque bottles) can cause the liquid bleach active to break down into salt and water. Not knowing your home’s environment, I would suggest the following:

Bleachability Test Solution (1½ teaspoons Clorox® Regular Bleach2 added to ¼ cup water) Stored at room temperature (70°F) away from light, this solution should be good for at least 2–3 weeks since it isn’t used for disinfecting. Because this solution is used only for testing laundry items to see if they can be safely bleached and you may not do that on a regular basis, I would definitely write the date and the contents on the container. That way, you won’t accidentally test with too weak of a solution because it is older than you thought.

Disinfecting Bleach Solution (½ cup Clorox® Regular Bleach2 added to 1 gallon water) The disinfecting solution has very specific instructions for mixing and use because Clorox® Regular Bleach2 is registered with the EPA as a disinfectant, with efficacy assured by following label instructions. Your mom’s hospital was correct to ensure its effectiveness (critical in a hospital environment) by mixing a fresh solution daily, but I can also understand that you don’t want to make it up every day if you don’t have to. To simplify things for you, you could make a smaller amount (2 tablespoons diluted in 4 cups water) that you use up over several days for general countertop cleaning. However, when you are cleaning up after things that are highly likely to spread bacteria (like raw meat), you would want to use a freshly mixed solution. You could also try Clorox® Clean-Up®. It’s really convenient for home use, with a specially designed sprayer mechanism that’s compatible with bleach and won’t corrode.

Remember to always follow the label directions, and I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Have never liked the stuff [usually dairy] that comes in cardboard-esque containers, or even plastic [yogurts/cottage cheese/etc]. Seems I always can find a container that must have been below a another container that had an accident, or exploded, or something.

That doesn't mean I won't buy it, but find it annoying to have to wipe off before use, but then again it demonstrates perfectly why you should do that with everything any way.

Produce is problematic too. But I like to pre-prep and pop in my own bags/containers as stuff gets put away for later use.

Regarding bleach, I just read this article from The Scripps Research Institute. The 2nd and 3rd points discuss the degradation rate of bleach in its original bottle and bleach mixed with water.

https://www.scripps.edu/newsandviews/e_20060213/bleach.html

I’m only ordering takeout that is entirely heated - no burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. I am willing to buy bagged lettuce since it was last touched some time ago and the virus doesn’t last that long outside the host. But generally i’m favoring stuff that I cook.

John, I Agree!

Shambo thanks for posting this article. I certainly had no idea that bleach degrades! In shopping for my new washing machine the salesman warned me not to slop bleach outside the hole onto the metal surface. He promised me it would corrode the metal. This article certainly confirmed that statement.

Thanks for those articles from me, too. The CDC still says to use bleach to disinfect, which is different than sanitize. They say that to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces you need 1/3 cup of regular chlorine bleach per gallons of water, although Clorox recommends using 1/2 cup bleach per 1/2 gallon. For small batches, use 4 teaspoons of regular chlorine bleach and 1 quart of water. Dip a cloth into the mixture, wipe the surface, ALLOWING THE SOLUTION TO CONTACT THE SURFACE FOR 5 MINUTES AND AIR DRY. For food contact surfaces, like countertops and high chair trays, rinse with warm water and air dry after disinfecting. Use it sparingly on stainless steel sinks and surfaces.

I use bleach regularly, I have all those white bar mops that I wash and bleach, I use them for everything. I also bleach the white socks and cotton gloves I use/wear on the farm, as well as wash cloths and some white towels. A person should NEVER have white towels on a farm, BTW. Anyway, I use enough that it's never outdated, and I leave it in the original opaque container. The biggest mistake people make, though, is to wipe their counters with the solution but not leave it the required 5 minutes before wiping the residue to dry their surfaces. If you don't do it correctly, it doesn't work correctly.

Annie

I have been self quarantined for over two weeks and I am not having any food brought to me. I have been stocked up and can live quite well for weeks and weeks. I have always been prepared.

Sue

I am not wiping down any surfaces at all in my home. It's only me here thank goodness.

"John Liu

I’m only ordering takeout that is entirely heated - no burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. I am willing to buy bagged lettuce since it was last touched some time ago and the virus doesn’t last that long outside the host. But generally i’m favoring stuff that I cook."

The bag for the take-out food can be contaminated.

How long covid-19 remain viable inside wet, and dark surfaces of salad greens has never been tested.

dcarch

Everyone should do as they think is reasonable, but sharing will make some feel ok about taking extra precautions. Not enough is known about this one. To hear from the 'experts' on infectious diseases that it is reasonably less likely to remain on most surfaces for very long, that, to me, is saying it is possible. I have the time so why not?

I'm glad you put that in boldface Annie. It is permanently imbedded in my pea brain.

I do that anyway when I deep clean....everything off the counter and out of the way. Soap and rinse first, (of crazy loose little hidden debris), Barkeep on stains, cutting board outside for deep cleaning, bench scraper, etc. stovetop grates in the dishwasher. Did not know that bleach is bad on stainless but have never used on that except the sink rarely. But do rinse quickly. (I leave the kitchen or take the pups outside as I dislike the fumes). ...then wipe down the olive oil and avocado oil and everything else as all goes back into position. Not much on my counters but what a mess I make when multi-tasking and now both home, disaster daily, lol.

This was interesting last night with the misfits order. Sprayed as I've been doing on the box, all packages, kick over, spray the bottom. Let it dry, then Into the garage. Opened this morning on the kitchen deck table in the sun. Gorgeous and fresh. (garage is cold at night).

I just don't see much effort to soap skinned veg, root crops, quick soap water rinse of greens, water wash, and bag in fresh clean bags for the fridge. Clean hands. Produce dried in the sun, (not for uv but to dry) Later when using I can blanch most of it or goes in steam oven for heat/cooking. I did prep the beets from the greens, leeks from their tops for stock and collards from their rib, fennel top fronds from the bulb....lobster pot and giant stainless bowl will just live on the deck now and warm temp we have a garden hose now.

Sleevendog, that's some lovely fresh produce, especially the beets. I love fennel too, so that's a nice selection.

Annie

Yes, that's beautiful produce, Sleeve. "Not enough is known about this one. To hear from the 'experts' on infectious diseases that it is reasonably less likely to remain on most surfaces for very long, that, to me, is saying it is possible. I have the time so why not?" That's been my take on it as well.

Annie, huge thanks for the bold face and caps from me too. Very important to note.