According to the US Department of Agriculture, Americans eat more than 45 million turkeys at Thanksgiving. Although a turkey is not difficult to prepare, it's important to thaw and prepare a Thanksgiving turkey carefully. From thawing your turkey fast to keeping your kitchen free of bacteria, here are some tips for Thanksgiving food safety.
If you're in doubt about anything to do with cooking a turkey safely, check out: USDA Turkey Tweets Promote Thanksgiving Food Safety
THAWING A TURKEY:
Thaw your turkey in a refrigerator that's 40 degrees or cooler. The standard for thawing is to allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.
In a hurry? You can defrost the turkey in cold water, allowing 30 minutes for every pound of turkey, changing the water frequently.
RINSING A TURKEY
Raw poultry shouldn't be rinsed, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The reason is that when you rinse, you risk contaminating the sink and everything around it with salmonella bacteria.
If you insist on rinsing your turkey, it's important to clean the sink, countertop and anything that has come into contact with the turkey with soap and hot water, and then follow with bleach.
STUFFING
You just found Emeril's recipe for Cornbread Stuffing and you want to stuff the bird. Is it safe? It's been a tradition for many but it's safer to cook the stuffing separately.
The internal temperature of turkey and stuffing should both reach at least 165 degrees ... if you let the stuffing get to that temperature inside the turkey, the bird would already be up to 175 degrees.
Do not buy a pre-stuffed turkey. If not handled properly, any harmful bacteria that may be in the stuffing can multiply very quickly.
IS THE TURKEY DONE?
Turkey must be cooked to 165 degrees. The temperature will rise to 175 degrees with resting time.
Here's a guide, by weight, of turkey cooking times (at 325 degrees):
Eight to 12 lbs: 2 ¾ to 3 hours (unstuffed); 3 to 3 ½ hours(stuffed).
Twelve to 14 lbs: 3 to 3 ¾ hours (unstuffed); 3 ½ to 4hours(stuffed).
Fourteen to 18 lbs: 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hours
More tips and recipes for a Happy Thanksgiving Day:
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Cheryl Phillips
HULIQ.com
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