| Cold foods are a popular part of just about any | | | | longer to assemble the sandwich right before you |
| picnic. After all, they taste great and require no | | | | eat, but there's no concern about soggy bread |
| special preparation before you eat them. | | | | and wilted lettuce. Make a game out of it and |
| However, they aren't always easy to keep safe | | | | allow everyone to create a custom sandwich. |
| to eat and great tasting. How many of us have | | | | Bring tortillas, flatbreads, and other types of |
| had a soggy picnic sandwich or worried about | | | | sandwich breads to create individual, interesting |
| whether the egg salad was safe? Here's a look at | | | | sandwiches that will be a lot of fun to eat. Keep |
| choosing and preparing your cold picnic food | | | | condiments in their own containers until you're |
| recipes so that the entire occasion will be a | | | | ready to apply them, and everyone will be able to |
| success. It really isn't all that hard, as long as | | | | enjoy cold picnic food recipes that are delicious |
| you're careful and pay attention to a few things. | | | | and fresh. |
| We all know that meat, dairy, and egg products | | | | Cold salads for picnics have a tendency to be |
| can go bad if they're allowed to remain at room | | | | mayonnaise based. This is not only a food |
| temperature for too long. Existing bacterial | | | | poisoning hazard, but also a quality concern. When |
| contaminants get their chance to grow. This | | | | potato or macaroni salad come to room |
| means making sure that you bring a cooler to | | | | temperature, they become a breeding ground for |
| keep this type of food cool enough to be safe. | | | | bacteria. They also begin to separate and develop |
| However, you don't want your food to get soggy | | | | an unpleasant soupy texture that almost no one |
| from melted ice. The answer is to use water tight | | | | likes. Keep your salads cool in individual containers |
| containers to keep your ice away from your | | | | right up until you're ready to serve for the rest |
| food. Putting the water into plastic bottles and | | | | result. Alternatively, skip mayonnaise based salads, |
| bags, then freezing it inside, will keep your | | | | and try alternative cold picnic food recipes, such |
| sandwiches and other foods from being | | | | as pasta salad in a light vinaigrette, or spicy Indian |
| unpleasant when you eat them. | | | | potato salad, which don't have the same hazards. |
| Don't premake those sandwiches, either. Keep all | | | | Bring along nuts, whole fruit, and other finger |
| the ingredients separate and whole (if you can) | | | | foods that don't need to be cooled, too. They'll be |
| until it's time to eat them. Sure, it takes a little | | | | the perfect addition to a delicious picnic lunch. |