Robyn Stewart
As we head into the last week of November, we enjoy the season of inviting bonfires, cozy flannels, and my favorite thing- time with friends and family. This week, millions of Americans will gather around dining room tables to give thanks for the year we have enjoyed and look forward to the blessings coming in 2020. For many folks, this will be the largest meal they have cooked all year, which can be stressful and lead to mistakes that can cause foodborne illnesses. There are several tips and tricks that should be followed to ensure safe food preparation and handling in your home this Thanksgiving.
First things first- how much turkey do you need? The general recommendation is at least one pound of turkey per guest. However, if you have big eaters or if you’d like leftovers for turkey sandwiches, it is better to size up to 1.5 or 2 pounds per person. You’ll also want to add some weight for the fat, skin, and bones of the bird. Using those guidelines, a party of eight will need anywhere from a 10 to 14-pound bird for their meal.
So you’ve got the right size bird- now what? There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey- and unfortunately there are no short cuts, so don’t forget this step! Thawing your turkey in the refrigerator is the safest method as it keeps the bird at the most consistent and safe temperature. It takes approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey to defrost. Therefore, allow 48 hours for a 10-pound bird to defrost in the fridge. Another way to thaw your bird is to submerge the turkey in its original packaging in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. It usually takes around 30 minutes per pound to thaw a bird in cold water, or 5 hours for a 10-pound bird. A final method to thaw your turkey is to use the microwave according to your owner’s manual. Thawing a turkey on the counter is not safe as any bacteria present on the bird can multiply at room temperature. To maintain freshness and quality, you should cook your turkey within two days of thawing.
The Food Safety Survey conducted by the Food and Drug Administration states that 68% of people wash their turkey before they cook it, however, this is not recommended. After thawing, your turkey should be placed in the fridge until it is time to cook it. Washing raw meat and poultry can cause bacteria to spread up to three feet away, contaminating other surfaces and foods in your kitchen. The cooking process, as long as it meets the correct temperature threshold, will kill any harmful bacteria.
The only safe way to determine whether meat, poultry, or seafood is cooked correctly is to check the internal temperature with a food thermometer. When determining whether your turkey is finished, you should check the temperature at the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast. The thermometer should read 165°F at each of these locations. Even if the bird comes with a “pop-up” thermometer, it is recommended that you double check the temperature to ensure food safety. Once it has finished cooking, the bird should rest for a minimum of twenty minutes to allow the juices to be absorbed back into the meat.
If you’ve followed the excess rule on turkey size in order to have leftovers, there are a few things you should know. Leftover turkey should be cut off the bone and refrigerated within two hours of the bird coming out of the oven. If you know you won’t use leftovers quickly, consider packing them into freezer bags or airtight containers and freeze them. Refrigerated leftovers should last approximately four days, while frozen leftovers are best before four months as they may lose flavor after that point.
Following these rules of thumb will help ensure that you maintain good food safety and handling practices this Thanksgiving. Lincoln County Extension would like to say thank you for all of your support and enthusiasm for us in 2019. We are thrilled to be working on behalf of our residents and can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store. To close this week, we would love to know what your favorite Thanksgiving tradition is! Shoot us an email or phone call to uge3181@uga.edu or 706-359-3233 and let us know for a chance to get mentioned in our next article!
