Don’t wash the turkey?! Thanksgiving tips to make your holiday safer

Ready or not, the holidays are here. This is the time for a lot of Americans who’re used to preparing easy meals serve safely multi-course feasts.

This just isn’t a simple task. Explosions some types According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food poisoning increases in November and December. contaminated turkey, CDC researchers found that undercooked stuffing and germy sauce from holiday buffets led to past illnesses and even deaths.

Preparing large meals in a way that avoids common hazards that may make you sick could be difficult for infrequent cooks, said Donald Schaffner, a food science expert at Rutgers University.

“Cooking takes longer with large masses of food. Refrigeration takes longer for large quantities of food,” said Schaffner, who co-hosts the food safety podcast “Risky or Not?”

Along with podcast co-host Benjamin Chapman, a food scientist at North Carolina State University, Schaffner outlined common ways to make holiday meals each festive and secure.

Prepare the turkey

According to turkey producer Butterball, nearly 90% of U.S. hosts plan to serve turkey for Thanksgiving this 12 months.

However, raw turkey can harbor disease-causing bacteria akin to salmonella, Campylobacter and other germs. It must be handled safely to prevent these insects from contaminating the surfaces of fridges, sinks and kitchen counters.

A frozen bird must first be thawed. Schaffner said there are several accepted methods, including in the refrigerator, in the microwave or in cold running water.

“All these methods pose risks,” he warned.

According to the Department of Agriculture, a frozen turkey takes about 24 hours for each 4 to 5 kilos of weight to thaw in the refrigerator. If using the microwave or cold water method, the bird must be cooked immediately. For detailed information on how to handle turkeys safely, try defrosting and cooking calculators created by USDA.

And don’t wash the turkey. Rinsing it in the sink is a nasty idea, although many cooks still stick with this practice, often out of habit, Chapman said.

“Anything that hits that surface and causes splashes will basically spread the contaminants throughout the kitchen,” he said.

Instead, dry the turkey with paper towels and throw it away, or use a kitchen towel and sanitize it in the laundry.

What about baking?

The turkey must reach a cooking temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving. The best way to check if it’s cooked is to use a tip-sensitive digital thermometer inserted into the inner thigh without touching the bone.

Don’t depend on the plastic pop-up thermometers on some industrial turkeys. Chapman’s previous research shows that these buttons could be activated long before the bird actually finishes.

At the same time, don’t judge the doneness of the meat based on signs akin to whether the skin is golden brown, whether the meat isn’t any longer pink, or whether the juice is obvious.

“None of them are good indicators of temperature,” Chapman said.

Extras and leftovers

How you handle the remainder of the meal – mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans or sweet potatoes – is just as vital as the major course. It may be very vital to avoid the so-called danger zones, i.e. temperatures from 40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, where bacteria can easily grow.

The secret is keeping hot food cold and hot in the pipeline, and cooling the whole lot quickly, Schaffner said.

“It is recommended that leftovers be refrigerated within two hours of taking them out of the oven,” he said.

Be sure to store dense foods akin to sliced ​​turkey, cooked sweet potatoes, or gravy in shallow containers in the refrigerator in order that they cool down more quickly. Schaffner’s recent research found that food refrigerated in containers not more than 2 inches deep poses little risk of developing dangerous germs.

Keep it clean

One of the key ways to avoid food poisoning is to thoroughly clean your kitchen.

Wash your hands before preparing food and after handling raw poultry. When handling raw meat and fresh foods akin to vegetables and salads, use separate cutting boards, knives and other kitchen utensils.

Special attention must be paid to any surface which will change into contaminated. It is very important to first clean with soap and water after which sanitize with a disinfectant – a two-step process.