Serve food outdoors in small, pre-portioned amounts to limit waste and prevent overfilling plates. Pre-portioned servings make it easier to prepare just enough for known guest counts and reduce the risk of cross-contamination between dishes, which is important for guests with allergies. Perishable foods should not be left unrefrigerated for more than two hours if they will be saved as leftovers. After guests take initial portions and have time for seconds, promptly transfer remaining perishable items to a refrigerator rather than leaving them on the table until the end of the gathering.
However, eating outside poses risks that eating inside does not. For instance, that nice summer sun keeping you warm can also make your food go bad quicker than it would in an air-conditioned home. Whether you're hosting or just bringing your own cookout contribution, to avoid spoiling and wasting a bunch of your food, consider serving it in small, pre-portioned serving sizes.
When your food is portioned out into small amounts that each person can grab for themselves, food waste is limited. People will most likely just grab one serving at once, rather than overfilling their plate and ending up with a bunch of leftover food. This is a good idea whether you're keeping your food at the beach, a campsite, or just in your backyard.
When people are grabbing a small portion size, there's less chance of cross-contamination from people spilling one item into another. This is important if any of your guests have allergies, as cross-contamination could pose a serious risk. Any perishable food should not be left out for more than two hours if you plan to reuse it as leftovers. Once everyone has grabbed their portions and had time to go back for seconds, go ahead and put your leftovers inside the refrigerator
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