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| Turkey Safety Tip |
Here are some tips for preparing holiday turkeys from the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Happy Holidays! Handling: Take the turkey home directly from the grocery store. Place the turkey immediately in the refrigerator or freezer. Prevent juices from dripping onto other foods in the refrigerator by placing wrapped turkey on a tray. A fresh turkey should be cooked within two days. Thawing: Thawing turkey at room temperature allows bacterial growth and is not recommended. Refrigerator thawing is recommended: defrost frozen turkeys in the refrigerator, allowing 24 hours for each five pounds. If time is short, however, place the frozen turkey in cold water, allowing about 30 minutes per pound. Change the water every half-hour. A turkey may be defrosted in the microwave if the oven is large enough. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Cook microwave-defrosted turkeys immediately after defrosting. Clean-up: Place raw poultry on nonporous surfaces; these are easy to clean. Avoid wooden cutting boards. Use paper towels, not cloth, to dry off turkey and wipe up juices. Wash hands, work surfaces and utensils touched by raw poultry and its juices with hot, soapy water. Stuffing: Food borne illness could occur if the stuffing is not cooked and handled properly. The safest way to prepare stuffing is to bake it in a separate casserole dish outside the bird. However, many people still prefer to cook stuffing in the turkey. Here's how to make in-turkey stuffing preparation safer. Mix the stuffing just before it goes into the turkey. Use only cooked ingredients-such as sautéed vegetables, and cooked meats and seafood (oysters) - and use pasteurized egg products instead of raw eggs. If more convenient, the wet and dry ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and chilled. Stuff the bird properly. The turkey should be stuffed loosely - about 1/2 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. This will help allow the stuffing to reach the proper 165°F internal temperature. What about frozen turkeys stuffed at a USDA-inspected plant? Turkeys purchased frozen at a grocery store should be safe when cooked from the frozen state, but the manufacturer's directions should be followed carefully. When the turkey is cooked on an outdoor grill, water smoker or by fast cook methods where the turkey typically gets done faster than the stuffing, do not stuff the bird! Roasting: The stuffed turkey should be placed immediately in a preheated oven set no lower than 325° F and cooked to the proper temperature. Cooking overnight in a "slow" oven is not recommended since food borne bacteria can form under these conditions. The tip of any oven-safe meat thermometer should be placed in the thigh muscle just above and beyond the lower part of the thigh bone, but not touching the bone, and pointing towards the body. Turn the thermometer so it can be read while the turkey is in the oven. Checking for doneness: Always use a meat thermometer. Turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches the following temperatures: Temperature Location Observations When
the stuffed turkey is done, remove turkey
from oven and let turkey with stuffing
stand 15 to 20 minutes. This stand time
provides an added measure of safety for
stuffing temperature to reach 165°F.
Checking the stuffing temperature with a
thermometer is essential. That's because
even if the turkey itself has reached the
proper internal temperature of 180° F
in the innermost part of the thigh, the
stuffing may not have reached the correct
temperature of 165° F in its center.
It is important to reach this temperature
in all parts of the stuffing to be sure
that food borne bacteria are
destroyed. About the Author: Nancy Price, Editor of Myria - the magazine for mothers and Interactive Parent where you'll find ideas, interaction and inspiration for parenting your children, from newborns to teens. What's related A Frugal but Elegant Thanksgiving | Thanksgiving Idea Exchange | Thanksgiving Centerpieces and Crafts | Tom Turkey | Bread Basket Centerpiece |
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Happy Halloween
