Keeping Summer Salads Safe

Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on June 12, 2026

We all love attending or even hosting summer get togethers. The highlight of these events other than spending time with those we care most about is always the food. Keeping summer salads safe is so important especially with the heat waves we have already had across most of the country.

Here are some tips to follow to keep your food the safest:

Put Dishes on Ice

Food should be kept at or below 40°F for safety, and you can achieve this by setting serving plates and bowls on a bed of ice. For bowls, add ice cubes to a larger bowl and place your smaller serving bowl inside. For plates and platters, add ice to a clean plastic or metal tub, and place your dish on top. This will keep everything chilled and won’t take up too much additional space on your table.

Chill Plates and Bowls in Advance

Once you start cooking and have extra room in your freezer or refrigerator, place your serving plates and bowls inside to chill while you prep. As you finish up your fruit salad and vegetable dips,  pop them into the pre-chilled serving dishes.

Preserve the Leftovers

Be sure to put all of the leftovers away in a timely manner or if that isn’t possible just toss them. The risk is not worth a chance.

Keep Food in the Shade

It might seem obvious, but it’s best to shield your food from the sun. This might mean setting up a table under an umbrella or a tree’s leafy branches; it will make a huge difference once your food is out. We set up canopy tents whenever we have large events and put the tables where food will be under those. We use an air cooler as well.

Don’t Put Everything Out at Once

Instead of putting all your food on the table at once, bring dishes out in the order they’ll be eaten. Start with chips and dip or a charcuterie board, and bring out your main dishes and desserts later. When your guests are ready to eat, they won’t find wilted, soggy or sad-looking food.

Serve in Smaller Bowls

Here’s a tip from the USDA: Instead of making one big bowl of potato salad, dish up two or three smaller bowls. Put one on your buffet table and store the backups in the fridge to bring out during the picnic as needed. This is a great strategy if you’re feeding a crowd or hosting an open-house style event, where people are showing up throughout the day.

Keep Food Covered

Covering food with a clean dish towel or aluminum foil will prevent bugs from getting in, keep the cold from escaping, and it prevent the sunlight from hitting food directly. We like to buy dishes that already come with lids or have some foil or plastic wrap readily available.

We have so much “technology” now when it comes to being outside including electric coolers, ice tables, insulated serving dishes and many more. It is easier than ever to keep your cold foods cold with very little preparation. We find that the more events we host or attend the more ideas we get on how to improve. One day we just might be pros at this hosting stuff!

For more food safety tips to get through the cookout season please keep an eye on Make Food Safe.