One of the biggest risks in gluten-free cooking is cross-contamination from products containing wheat. In households where some people have gluten allergies and others don’t share the same dietary needs or concerns, it just takes a bit of work and organization to keep things safe for everyone.
An easy step to keeping things separate is purchasing separate cookware sets, utensils, and storage containers for cooking gluten-free. You can use color-coding so that there will be no confusion as to which cookware is for which diet. For baking trays you can use disposable liners, so you can bake separate cakes and breads using the same pans. It’s important to keep any cooking implements very, very clean, whether you’re using separate sets or not.
Cookware and utensils aren’t the only concern for gluten-free cooking; cooking surfaces should be very thoroughly cleaned, and separate cutting boards should be used if possible. It’s a good idea to have separate toasters for regular bread and gluten-free bread, and separate flour sifters for the different types of flour that you use.
Food storage should be handled carefully. Make sure to purchase good quality air-tight containers to keep flours separate. Cross-contamination can happen if crumbs get into shared butter or jams, so be careful about sharing condiments and using a very clean knife for each serving.
Keeping things well-organized, separate and clean in your kitchen is the key to maintaining a safe eating environment for gluten-free cooking.
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I’ve written a book summarising what we’ve learnt over 20 years of dealing with the gluten free diet, and it might be just what you’re looking for. It packs the lessons we’ve learned into what I hope is a helpful and straightforward guidebook. It’s available on Amazon, as a paperback or for your Kindle… |
Thanks for this important post. Sensitivity depends on the person’s genetic structure and history of immune response. For some, extra precautions are definitely needed. Separate toasters is a key recommendation! The Restorative Remedies blog – http://www.restorativeremedies.com/blog/ – has been posting a series on important aspects of gluten intolerance and being gluten-free.
Hi David – interesting site you have there. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
I really like what I have seen so far on your blog. Keep up the good work.
I would like to post a link on my blog to yours.
My blog is more general information and recipes and I think my readers would like to have access to your kind of info as well :)
glutenfreewithauntjayne.wordpress.com
It’s easy enouugh to say ‘buy two sets of everything’, but A)Where do you get the money when you’re on a fixed income? B) Where do you get the extra space to store everything? And finally C)an example of food costs 12 crumpets at ASDA 37p, 4 gluten free crumpets £1.99, where do you get the extra money to actually eat?
Hi Sharon – thanks for commenting. I absolutely understand your points about space and cost!
The price of gluten free food is high, there’s no denying that, and its not going to get cheaper any time soon – gluten free manufacturers have high costs and a smaller-than-average market.
Are you able to claim free prescriptions? Have a look here for more information on free/reduced prescriptions? Information on what is available gluten free on prescription is also available (this is last years list, but lots will be the same – I’ll update with this years list soon).
How are you at baking? Crumpets are tricky – does anyone out there have a good recipe for gluten free crumpets?
thanks for the tips. My wife just found out she has issues with Gluten, so were going to have to figure this like this out.
I like to toast bread on an open flame. The taste is great and you don’t need a toaster.It will lessen gluten in regular bread.
Hi Bill – thanks for the suggestion. Do you use a toasting fork and a hearth fire, the traditional way, or do you find that using a flame on a gas cooker works just as well?