The Gluten-Free Kitchen
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A gluten-free kitchen is key to a Celiac's good health. If you are new to gluten-free cooking, you will have to make some big changes in your kitchen. If some of your family eats gluten and some do not, you may have a hybrid kitchen. This is a very difficult way to avoid cross contamination and you run the risk of getting sick much more often than those who have a dedicated kitchen. But it can be done if you take the right precautions.
A Dedicated Kitchen:
If you are switching to a fully dedicated kitchen, you will have to begin by replacing some or all of your utensils and cookware.
First of all, you need to empty and clean out all of your drawers to make sure that you get rid of any crumbs that may be hiding in there. Then, completely clean out your refigerator and wipe down all of your counters-being sure to get into the corners. If you have a regular toaster, you may need to replace it as it is very difficult to completely remove all the gluten from within the toaster. Throw away your wooden spoons and wooden cutting board as they may have absorbed gluten that you cannot clean out of them. If any of your cookware has a layer of cooked-on oil, it may contain gluten and needs to be replaced. This is also true for older cast-iron skillets and teflon pans with scratches that can trap gluten. Everything else should be scrubbed intensively with new sponges and scrubbers as the old ones may contain gluten. When you are finished with this cleaning, throw away or thoroughly wash these cleaning tools.
A Hybrid Kitchen:
If you are going to have a kitchen in which you will still be cooking some gluten, you must make some changes in order to prevent cross-contamination.
You should begin with a very thorough cleaning of your kitchen including all drawers, cabinets, refrigerator and countertops. Then you will need to make sure that you repeat this process periodically to ensure that gluten crumbs or particles do not get into your food. You should then buy yourself a separate set of cooking utensils and cookware that is only for gluten-free cooking and never, never cook gluten with those tools. This includes a separate colander and sieve. If you have a toaster, you should buy a separate toaster or toaster oven for your gluten-free bread. A separate cutting board is also a very good idea and it will be easier to clean off any accidental gluten if it is a plastic board. It is a good idea to have a separate sponge or cloth for cleaning dishes and countertops and you should wash or replace these very often as this is a good way to unknowingly spread contaminants. You must also be vigilant of dishes washed in the dishwasher and make sure that residue has not been left on the dishes and that they are completely clean. Most importantly, be very aware of the dangers of baking with gluten flours in a hybrid kitchen. Flour particles are very small and can float through the air and contaminate surfaces or be inhaled by Celiacs-causing them to become sick. Small gluten particles are very hard to clean up completely and it is best to avoid this kind of baking altogether.
A Dedicated Kitchen:
If you are switching to a fully dedicated kitchen, you will have to begin by replacing some or all of your utensils and cookware.
First of all, you need to empty and clean out all of your drawers to make sure that you get rid of any crumbs that may be hiding in there. Then, completely clean out your refigerator and wipe down all of your counters-being sure to get into the corners. If you have a regular toaster, you may need to replace it as it is very difficult to completely remove all the gluten from within the toaster. Throw away your wooden spoons and wooden cutting board as they may have absorbed gluten that you cannot clean out of them. If any of your cookware has a layer of cooked-on oil, it may contain gluten and needs to be replaced. This is also true for older cast-iron skillets and teflon pans with scratches that can trap gluten. Everything else should be scrubbed intensively with new sponges and scrubbers as the old ones may contain gluten. When you are finished with this cleaning, throw away or thoroughly wash these cleaning tools.
A Hybrid Kitchen:
If you are going to have a kitchen in which you will still be cooking some gluten, you must make some changes in order to prevent cross-contamination.
You should begin with a very thorough cleaning of your kitchen including all drawers, cabinets, refrigerator and countertops. Then you will need to make sure that you repeat this process periodically to ensure that gluten crumbs or particles do not get into your food. You should then buy yourself a separate set of cooking utensils and cookware that is only for gluten-free cooking and never, never cook gluten with those tools. This includes a separate colander and sieve. If you have a toaster, you should buy a separate toaster or toaster oven for your gluten-free bread. A separate cutting board is also a very good idea and it will be easier to clean off any accidental gluten if it is a plastic board. It is a good idea to have a separate sponge or cloth for cleaning dishes and countertops and you should wash or replace these very often as this is a good way to unknowingly spread contaminants. You must also be vigilant of dishes washed in the dishwasher and make sure that residue has not been left on the dishes and that they are completely clean. Most importantly, be very aware of the dangers of baking with gluten flours in a hybrid kitchen. Flour particles are very small and can float through the air and contaminate surfaces or be inhaled by Celiacs-causing them to become sick. Small gluten particles are very hard to clean up completely and it is best to avoid this kind of baking altogether.