My children and all their friends knew the rule: there was no double dipping allowed at the Holladay house. In practical terms, that meant that if they were spreading peanut butter on bread that was not gluten free, they could only dip a knife into the jar once. A second dip could conceivably contaminate the jar with gluten-containing breadcrumbs clinging to the knife.

When I found out I was a celiac, it would have been ideal for me to declare my kitchen a gluten-free zone. If no gluten entered the kitchen, it would be impossible for cross-contamination to originate there. However, as I had a husband and three growing children who did not require a gluten-free diet, it was cost-prohibitive as well as impractical for me to maintain a gluten-free kitchen. Therefore, we learned to do things in ways that would minimize, if not eliminate, cross-contamination. Here are some of the principles we learned and practices we adopted.

Food items that are spread on bread or other baked goods – such as butter, margarine, cream cheese, jams, jellies, frosting, peanut butter, mustard, mayonnaise, and relishes – are especially susceptible to cross-contamination. One way to eliminate cross-contamination in this food category is to have separate containers for each item with the containers dedicated as gluten free labeled “GF.” Because we had a small refrigerator that could not accommodate duplicate items, we instituted the rule against double dipping instead. To accommodate the rule, we use one spoon or knife for serving from a container and a separate knife for spreading. To effect the rule gracefully when we have guests, I set out serving dishes containing portions of the spreadable foods we are having and put a spoon or butter knife in each dish. (Emily Post would heartily approve.) Now that there are many spreadable foods available in squeeze bottles, using them offers a third option for reducing the possibility of gluten contamination.

In a kitchen shared by celiacs and gluten eaters, everyone must be aware that preparation surfaces and utensils are potential carriers of gluten. This became very clear to me one day when I observed a visiting family member slice his wheat flour bagel on a cutting board, return the knife to the knife block, brush the crumbs off the cutting board, and put the cutting board away. After reminding myself that not everyone gets up early in the morning thinking about gluten issues, I explained that it was important to wash the knife before returning it to the knife block or before using it to cut something else that might be shared with other family members; it was necessary to wash the cutting board before it could be used again, and it was not sufficient to brush the crumbs off; and by laying the bagel on a plate instead of on the countertop, gluten crumbs would not be left where they could be picked up by other food. An extension of these ideas would include washing utensils after they have been used for measuring oats, cracker crumbs, or other dry ingredients containing gluten, even if they appear clean.

Not only utensils but kitchen appliances also can be sources of cross-contamination. It is important to thoroughly wipe mixers and the interior of breadmakers with a damp cloth after using them in the preparation of gluten-bearing foods, as flour particles or dough may become airborne and stick to the appliance. Because it is sometimes difficult to remove all traces of bread dough from the pan and paddle of a breadmaker, it is preferable to have separate breadmakers for gluten-free and non-gluten-free bread, or at least to have a separate pan and paddle for each. Toasters are undoubtedly the worst appliances for cross-contamination. If space allows, it is good to have separate toasters for gluten eaters and celiacs. It is even better to have a toaster oven for celiacs, for if gluten accidentally gets into a toaster oven, the rack and tray can easily be removed and cleaned. If there is space in the kitchen for only one such appliance, there are reusable plastic toasting bags that celiacs may use to protect their bread in the toaster.

In addition to using clean kitchen habits to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination, users of the shared kitchen can also use order of preparation to minimize gluten transfer. When preparing anything that will have non-gluten-free ingredients, the safest order is to measure all the gluten-free ingredients first. That assures that the measuring and mixing utensils are all clean and free of gluten, and it allows the cook to close or remove the remaining stock before measuring and mixing non-gluten-free ingredients. When both gluten-free and non-gluten-free versions of the same dish are prepared at the same sitting, it not only reduces cross-contamination but also saves time to prepare the gluten-free version first. One can use a cup to measure gluten-free flour and without washing it subsequently use the same cup to measure wheat flour, but the reverse will result in cross-contamination. Similarly, when cooking pastas, timing it so that the gluten-free pasta finishes first means that it can drain in the colander first, and it will not be necessary to wash the colander before draining the non-gluten-free pasta.

When serving gluten-free and gluten-containing foods in the same meal, it is helpful to make sure every serving dish has its own serving utensil. That prevents people from using the same utensil to dip gluten-free and non-gluten-free foods. Furthermore, if a non-gluten-free food can easily be mistaken for the gluten-free version, we label it in some way. For example, my sister has a decorative pick that she sticks into the middle of her gluten-free desserts to distinguish them from the non-gluten-free desserts. I store leftover gluten-free pancakes in an orange plastic container, while non-gluten-free pancakes are always in the yellow container. Gluten-free bread is in a zippered plastic bag labeled “GF bread.”

Although sharing a kitchen between celiacs and gluten eaters is risky, it is one of the realities that many celiacs face. Using care in the preparation and serving of foods and keeping utensils and appliance clean reduces the risk, though.