[Image: thanksgiving meal]Holidays bring festive parties and large family meals. With so much food in the house, it’s important to practice food safety. LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames says harmful bacteria that may be present in food can double every 20 minutes. The more bacteria present, the greater the chance of foodborne illness.
A rule of thumb is keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. After a meal, refrigerate food quickly, because low temperatures keep most harmful bacteria from multiplying.
Reames suggests following these steps when you’re preparing your holiday feast:
Clean. Make hand washing a frequent activity. Everyone who will help prepare the meal needs to begin with clean hands. After touching raw meat or poultry, wash hands for 20 seconds in hot, soapy water.
Separate. Home food safety is just as important as the precautions manufacturers and retailers take before food reaches your home. Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods and foods that will not be cooked, such as salad fixings and bread, to avoid cross-contamination. Raw meat and poultry products may contain harmful bacteria, so it’s important that juices from raw meat and poultry don’t come into contact with food that will be eaten without cooking. Also, never place cooked food on an unwashed plate that previously held raw meat or poultry.
Cook. Using a food thermometer when you cook turkey will assure that you reach the safe internal temperature. The correct temperatures make your turkey and other meats taste better, because you won’t overcook them trying to make them safe.
Chill. To keep foodborne bacteria from growing, refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours. Cut meats such as turkey into smaller pieces, slicing the breast and thigh meat. Wings and legs may be left whole. Place leftovers into shallow containers for storing in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to eat them, reheat leftovers to a hot and steamy 165 degrees F. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within three to four days, gravy within one to two days or freeze these foods.
Reames offers some helpful tips for keeping cold foods cold:
- Make sure the temperatures are 40 degrees F or lower in the refrigerator and 0 degrees F or lower in the freezer. Use a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to check the temperature.
- Don’t overfill the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to help keep food safe.
- Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared food and leftovers within two hours of purchase or preparation, or within one hour if the temperature is higher than 90 degrees F.
- Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator. For quick thawing, submerge it in cold water in airtight packaging or thaw in the microwave, and cook the food immediately.
- Divide large quantities of leftovers into shallow containers for quicker cooling in the refrigerator.
- Marinate food in the refrigerator.
- When transporting food, place cold food in a cooler with a cold source such as ice or commercial freezing gels. Keep the cooler in the coolest part of your car, rather than in a hot trunk.
Myths about refrigeration and defrosting
Myth: Refrigeration stops bacterial growth.
Fact: Not so. Refrigeration slows but does not prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Always remember to refrigerate food quickly.
Myth: You can safely thaw food on the kitchen counter at room temperature.
Fact: Remember, bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature. Avoid keeping food in the danger zone – the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F. To keep your food safe, always follow the thaw law: Never defrost food at room temperature.
Keep Turkeys Safe
If you shop ahead, you’ll probably purchase a frozen turkey. If you’re purchasing a turkey within one to two days of cooking it, you can safely purchase a fresh bird and keep it refrigerated. Frozen turkeys should be thawed before cooking. As with all raw and frozen meat and poultry products, turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during thawing. Any harmful bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again unless you use proper thawing methods.
The three safe ways to thaw a turkey include: in the refrigerator at 40 degrees F or lower, in cold water and in the microwave. When thawing in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey. When thawing in cold water, allow 30 minutes per pound, and change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is t[Image: cooking]hawed. When thawing in the microwave, follow the oven manufacturer’s instructions and plan to cook the turkey immediately after thawing, because some areas of the turkey may become warm and begin to cook in the microwave.
A food thermometer is the only way to make sure that turkey has reached a high enough temperature to destroy harmful bacteria.
Follow temperature guidelines to ensure a safe turkey:
- Cook whole turkey until it reaches 180 degrees F between the breast and the innermost part of the thigh.
- Cook turkey breast to 170 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast.
- Cook turkey thighs and wings until they reach 180 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat.
- Cook stuffing, alone or in the bird, to 165 degrees F in its center. If stuffing inside a turkey has not reached 165 degrees F, continue cooking the turkey until it does.
Fried Turkey
Fried turkey has become a tradition for many people during the holidays. Although this cooking method may produce a great-tasting bird, be cautious. Underwriter’s Laboratory offers a number of additional tips for safe cooking:
- Use turkey fryers only outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other material that can burn.
- Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages.
- Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
- Never leave the fryer unattended.
- Most units don’t have thermostat controls. If you don't watch the fryer carefully, the oil may continue to heat until it catches fire.
- Never let children or pets near the fryer when it’s in use – or even after cooking is finished. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
- To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
- Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water causes oil to spill over, causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
- Never use water to extinguish a grease fire and use your best judgment when attempting to fight a fire. If the fire is manageable, use an all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call 911 for help.
Reames says fried turkey is not as unhealthy as it sounds – if you don't eat the skin. A study has shown that by measuring the oil before and after frying, a 17-pound fried turkey absorbed less than a hal[Image: refridgerator]f cup of oil. The amount of oil needed to fry a whole turkey will vary, depending on the size of the bird and the size of the pot used to fry it.
Most pots require five gallons of oil, and Reames recommends peanut oil because of its higher flash point. The oil should be heated to 350 F – the point where it almost is smoking. Then ease the bird into the oil. Never let the bird touch the bottom of the pot.
Turn the turkey every 30-45 seconds to keep it from burning, and try not to break the skin, if possible. The turkey needs to cook for three minutes per pound, plus 10 minutes, to assure it is thoroughly cooked.
Use an instant-read thermometer, and check the bird after removing it from the oil. A whole turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees F. To check for doneness, insert a food thermometer in the thickest part of the inner thigh without touching the bone. After it’s cooked, the turkey can be allowed to drain briefly and then moved inside and served.
For more information on safe handling and cooking, contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service .
(This AgCenter Lead was updated on Dec. 15, 2006)