It’s estimated that 88 percent of Americans have a turkey on the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day. But preparing this holiday staple safely can be a bit tricky, even for experienced cooks. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare your Thanksgiving Day feast:
Leave plenty of time for thawing. Allow about 24 hours of thawing time for each 4-5 pounds in a refrigerator set for 40 degrees or below. A turkey weighing 24 pounds could take as long as five to six days to thaw! It’s the big day and the bird is still a bit frozen? Here are two other safe ways to thaw a turkey.
Do not thaw a turkey on your counter top. Remember, it’s never safe to leave frozen meat out on your countertop. A warm, moist kitchen is a perfect incubator for potentially toxic bacteria such as salmonella. Leaving a turkey to thaw on a counter for hours could lead to bacterial growth, and the cooking process may not be sufficient to make the turkey safe to eat. Don’t leave any meat to thaw on your kitchen counter.
Check the temperature before serving. Don’t try to guess if a turkey is cooked thoroughly. The temperature of the turkey and the center of the stuffing must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165°. Check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
Refrigerate leftovers promptly. After everyone has enjoyed their meal, promptly refrigerate leftovers. Illness-causing bacteria can grow in perishable foods within two hours unless you refrigerate them.
Keep young children occupied while dinner is being prepared. The Thanksgiving Day kitchen is not a safe place for young children. Thanksgiving is a common time for young children to end up in emergency rooms with burns. It’s a good idea to appoint one or two older family members to supervise children while Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared. Adults can have kitchen mishaps, too! Make sure you have enough space to prepare dinner. When too many cooks are in the kitchen, bumping into a hot pot is definitely a holiday spoiler.
