Tips For A Mixed Kitchen

[Breila]

I'm reasonably new to this (son has celiac) and want to make absolutely sure I don't miss anything, so help me out. Going to a total gluten-free kitchen isn't really possible without a rebellion from other family members, LOL.

What we've done so far:

separate toaster ovens (just did that today actually, after finally convincing DH that I can NOT keep one toaster gluten-free, LOL)

switched to squeeze type dispensers for most condiments

separate butter containers

I'm currently cooking gluten-free foods occasionally in the oven at the same time as non-gluten-free versions, but on separate pans, is that a big no-no?

What else am I missing?

I should add that DS is only mildly symptomatic immediately after ingesting gluten (his issues are more of the long term variety), so looking for a reaction is not the best indicator of cross contamination, yk?

Thanks and blessings

Amy

[mamaw]

Some other suggestions are a seperate cupboard for gluten-free foods & pots & pan marked gluten-free only on the outside. Clean the cupboard very good first!

Getting separate utensils to be used only for gluten-free. Different colors from the wheat ones used & again separate storage area.

Buying new spatulas & plastics for only gluten-free. If you use teflon pots & pans I would get a couple non-porous (stainless) for gluten-free cooking. A new pasta strainer if the one you have is plastic. In fact anything plastic I would not uese for gluten-free. Hand mixers will also hold wheat flour in the nooks & grannies, bread maker the same as well as a deep-fryer that cooks wheat items in it.

The butter dish is another source of gluten with bread crumbs!

this is just a few more things , actually there is much more.

hth

mamaw

[bbuster]

I also have a son with Celiac - daughter, husband and I don't have it.

People have varying opinions about cookware. Some get rid of everything and get all new. I got rid of older Teflon skillets which were scratched. I kept most of my old cookware, but bought just a few new things I make sure only are used for gluten-free cooking, such as some baking pans, a strainer basket, and a new Fry Daddy. I also bought a waffle maker (never had one before, but use it all the time now).

I also bought some of those new silicone baking mats. So a lot of times I use either the silicone mat, aluminum foil, or parchment paper (great for baking) on top of the pan/sheet as a liner, so I know there is no contamination. This is great when we go out of town to grandma's etc. so I can cook there.

If you have wooden spoons that were used before, don't use them for gluten-free cooking - gluten can get into the pores.

I'd clean out all your utensil drawers - crumbs like to get in there somehow.

I bought a new Kitchenaid stand mixer that is used for all the gluten-free cooking (cookies, bread, etc) I do. I used to use regular flour once in a great while for gravy or a potluck cake, and I would go outside to mix it up. I've since totally eliminated using wheat flour. When I bake or make anything from flour, it's gluten-free and the whole family eats and enjoys it. This of course required a learning curve!

[Breila]

Wow, all that seems so overwhelming, I was focusing on the things that would be difficult to clean or easy to cross contaminate, but different cookware? Really? I keep a pretty clean kitchen, IMO, I had no idea. So, I'm assuming if I should have separate cookware I should also have separate plates and utensils too? What about using the dishwasher or the same sink of dishwater to wash dishes?

I do see the point about scratched pans and wooden spoons, I'll replace those.

The food has a designated space in our pantry, I think I'm comfortable with that.

[Phyllis28]

A gluten free household is best if it can be done. You might consider a gluten limited househould. This works in my family. I am the only one gluten free. Basically the only gluten foods in the house are store bought bread products and cereal. All gluten products and food needed to prepare gluten containing meals are kept outside the kitchen. I call it the "Sandwich Making station". It contains an apartment size refrigerator, a large kitchen cart and a small micorwave. Also, silverware, dishware, kitchen knifes and cutting boards specifically for gluten foods are kept there. The gluten free items are different from gluten items so there is no confusion. An example are cutting boards. The gluten free ones are white and the colored ones are for gluten.

Any meals I cook in the kitchen are gluten free.

Hope all goes well.

[Dyan]

I make all gluten free meals. A lot of the meals you would eat anyway are very easily made gluten free. Any baking or pancakes or anything are ALL gluten-free. Honestly they taste better than regular gluten frecipes. I do keep regular bread in the house for my boys lunches. I pack my daughters lunch, and then I make my boys sandwiches on waxed paper and then make sure I clean all bread crumbs. No one in my family even cares that everything is gluten free because it all tastes good.

Get yourself some gluten free cookbooks. I really like The Gluten Free Kitchen. She uses mainly cornstarch and potato starch, (which are both the cheapest flour replacements I've found).

[Breila]

I should clarify that all the meals I personally cook are gluten free, no way am I cooking twice as much, LOL. But at the time, we are keeping things like sandwich bread, cookies, cereal, frozen waffles, etc. in the home. I have gotten everyone to switch over to rice pasta, so that isn't a concern, though I'll admit I didn't think about replacing the colander. I'll put that on my list.

[Sweetfudge]

I also bought some of those new silicone baking mats. So a lot of times I use either the silicone mat, aluminum foil, or parchment paper (great for baking) on top of the pan/sheet as a liner, so I know there is no contamination. This is great when we go out of town to grandma's etc. so I can cook there.

I line all my baking pans with foil, but that's just because mine are old and cheap, and all stained up

Wow, all that seems so overwhelming, I was focusing on the things that would be difficult to clean or easy to cross contaminate, but different cookware? Really? I keep a pretty clean kitchen, IMO, I had no idea. So, I'm assuming if I should have separate cookware I should also have separate plates and utensils too? What about using the dishwasher or the same sink of dishwater to wash dishes?

I do see the point about scratched pans and wooden spoons, I'll replace those.

The food has a designated space in our pantry, I think I'm comfortable with that.

I only got rid of my wooden spoons, and some really old scratched pans. Every thing else I just scrubbed and dishwashed a few times before using. Haven't had any problems.

I try and keep things separate in my kitchen, but it's tough. Just me and hubby. But ours is a limited gluten kitchen. He has his gluten things in the bottom drawer of the fridge (bread, tortillas, cheese). What I do with a lot of things is split them. Like cheese, I found, was a big problem, and lunch meat. When he goes in and makes a sandwich, he doesn't always think about the fact that he's touching the bread, then the cheese, mayo, mustard, and meat. So those kinds of things I split when I buy them. I keep a bigger chunk of the cheese for meal preps in a ziploc, and leave his in the original bag. I also do this with chips because he sits there eating his out of the bag along with his sandwich.

You just gotta figure out what will work with your family, not making things too hard on yourself, or the others. I wish you luck, it's not the easiest thing to do, but it can be done.

[Juliet]

Besides separate butter, too, have separate jams, jellys, peanut butter, mayo, etc.

And don't cook with any gluten flour (regular flour, cake flour, semolina flour, oat flour that's not designated gluten free, kamut flour, spelt flour, did I get it all, folks) or gluten mix (cookies, cake, cornbread, etc.) anymore. That stuff will get EVERYWHERE. And even a couple of specks of flour can cause a reaction, even if it's not visible. Just so you know, though, things like cornbread, cake, even pretty basic cookies are easy to make gluten free. Pancakes using Pamela's Products Ultimate Baking & Pancake mix were the first things that tasted "right", and its recipe on the back for cornbread and banana bread are pretty tasty and good (both tested by people who eat gluten on a daily basis and had no idea it was gluten free).

And, f.y.i., this is not a given, but you may find that your son will start to get more visible reactions the longer he's gluten free. Our son after being gluten free for a few months had a small amount of gluten accidentally and had an incident of diarrhea a few hours later. Now, after over 2 years, he gets the diarrhea a few hours later, but first begins to act like a wild, mean, violent kid (honestly, practically bipolar). This behavior peaks the first two days, then slowly disappates after about a week. He also cycles with diarrhea and constipation for about 5 days. It is an extreme ordeal now, and I've had to be far more conscious of cross contamination now than I did even the first six months.

[lpellegr]

All of the above plus a few more tips:

Even if your pasta strainer is metal, get a separate one for gluten-free and keep it that way.

I got new wooden spoons, drew a big black ring around their handles with a Sharpie, and put them in a separate crock away from the stove. Those are mine. The non-gluten-free kids can use all the old ones which are right next to the stove. I tried using plastic spoons, but they actually melt if you leave them in the pan while cooking.

I bought some red and green dot labels from the stationery store and spent a little time writing gluten-free on the green ones and NOT gluten-free on the red ones, then I label all of the things which we duplicate: peanut butter, cream cheese, margarine, jelly, etc. The kids are very good about following this and if they accidentally grab the wrong one and use it, they tell me and change the label.

Since I am the gluten-free one, I took over two drawers in the fridge for all my stuff that I don't want them using. If they can't see it they're less likely to grab it. Helps me hide my Greek yogurt, too, hee hee. I also designated a shelf in the freezer for gluten-free stuff.

I'm not the world's best housekeeper, but I focus on kitchen cupboards, especially before I bake, and I put down a paper towel or a plate for holding the measuring cups and spoons while I work for further division between them and any possible crumbs I might have missed.

The dishwasher takes care of most food residue efficiently, but I find after cooking non-gluten-free pasta in a stainless steel pot I scrub out the ring it leaves before I load it in the dishwasher, otherwise I'm left with an otherwise clean pot with a ring. Then I have to wonder, was it potatoes? rice? wheat pasta?

The most effective thing was getting rid of the husband ! I realize this method isn't for everyone, but it sure helped avoid cross-contamination in my house.

[Darn210]

I've got a similar story . . .

All meals that I cook are gluten-free. The only gluten items are bread/buns, cereal, and a few snacks. There is a designated counter for gluten items. All other areas are gluten free. My son and daughter used to sit next to each other at the table. They now sit at opposite ends, just to put distance between her gluten-free plate and his gluten plate. I trust myself and husband to be careful. My son and hubby are the two main gluten eaters. They have both been warned repeatedly that if my daughter starts having problems, I will yank all gluten out of the house.

I kept all of my stainless steel pots/pans, replaced my scratched teflon and my baking pans (they had those browned oil/grease marks that are a impossible to clean off). Added a new toaster, replaced the pasta strainer, gluten food goes into a separate cabinet, when something (like peanut butter) is used with gluten, I just write on the lid with a Sharpie. I only bake gluten free, wheat flour is no longer used in the house. I get feed back from my daughter about the gluten snacks that I stock for my son (without giving her total power . . . that could result in anarchy ) so that she isn't upset about seeing him eat something she can't have. Her previous favourite cereal and snacks won't ever come into the house.

[mmcdaniels]

I was having a lot of trouble with hubby cross contaminating the silverware drawer by touching a gluten item then reaching into the drawer. I finally took a couple sets of silverware and put it in a ziploc baggie so I wouldn't constantly have to worry about whether or not it was safe. That has helped me be less stressed out. I haven't let hubby off the hook by telling him about my extra silverware--I'm still hoping he's trainable. (Hubby & celiac son just spent 2 nights alone together while daughter and I were a Girl Scout Camp. I came home to a son with healthy bm's so I think they made it through the weekend without glutening. YEAH!)