Kitchen

[CherryHugs]

1)

How do you  take the temperature of things like frozen veggies that you are cooking in a pan on the stove??? It says to be sure the temp is 140.

2)

And also how do you get the temp of thin meats you are cooking??

[151949]

I am 66 years old and have been cooking my entire adult life. I have never taken the temperature of vegetables - I pierce them with a fork to see if they are done. As for thin meats - pierce them with a fork and look at the juice that comes out - if it is red keep cooking , if it is clear the meat is done.

[chickenbutt]

I, too, have been cooking since forever (54 of my 60 years) and have never taken the temp of veg when cooking.   They'll be done when they're done. 

[faeriemoon]

Just out of curiosity, why do you need to know the exact temperature of veggies?  Are you stuffing them inside a piece of meat?  

[CalminHeart]

I'm 61 and have never taken the temp of a vegetable.  Stick a fork or sharp knife in it and cook until it's the consistency you like.  I like my vegies a little crisp so don't cook them as long as some people.   

Thin meat....look at it.   Or stick a knife in and look inside the piercing to see if it's the color you want.  Or press on the top and see what color juice comes out.  If it's bright red, it's rare or uncooked.   If it's clear, it can be medium to well done.   

[Zhills]

CherryHugs, I would be interested in know which vegetable you are cooking that recommends cooking to 140 degrees.  Just curious because I can't think of a veggie I eat that can't be eaten from raw to charred.  I am not questioning you, just curious.

I have wondered the same thing about thin (1/4-1/2") meats.  I love pork and it should be done for me.  Don't want a pork chop red around the bone. 

[forrestwolf]

Gee.......When I read your question, I knew that I was going to say inside, with the AC going....... 

Now, I will say, I cook to the texture that I like with veggies, and not by temp......

[IamMrsG]

A chef once showed me a handy tip.  It could be helpful towards estimating the warmth of thin meats.   Insert a stainless steel table knife horizontally into the meat and let it sit there a minute or two.  Withdraw the knife and touch it to your lips.  It will give you a pretty good idea how warm the interior of the meat (or something you are just reheating) is. 

[RedTop]

I personally don't worry about the temperature of the foods you mentioned. The only foods I use a meat thermometer for, are roasted turkey and prime rib.

[sfnative]

A thin piece of meat is next to impossible.  On those occasions when I've needed to check the done factor of a thin piece of meat, I've simply cut into it.  Basic, yes, but a no-brainer.

If you want to find out the surface temp of something, go to Lowe's or Home Depot and purchase one of those laser temperature detectors.  I have one in the kitchen and find it very useful when heating up pans and small amounts of oil.  It's not meant to be a kitchen gadget, it's meant to be used to check the out-flow of heat or A/C, for example, to see if your unit is functioning properly.