Thanksgiving feast or fiasco-avoiding a menu malfunction for the holidays
More than 200,000 Americans get sick every day because of something they ate, and no dinner like turkey with all the trimmings poses a greater risk of food poisoning. Food poisoning may be common, but it is still a very serious threat, one that kills roughly 9,000 people each year and sickens nearly 80 million.
“Many holiday recipes, such as turkey and stuffing, aren’t prepared that often,” explained Kate Shumaker MS, RD, LD Ohio State University Extension Educator for Holmes County. “So it is difficult sometimes to remember exactly how to handle and prepare these items safely.”
When it comes to the turkey, Shumaker said that getting it from the store to your refrigerator or freezer immediately is a huge necessity.
“The turkey should be kept fresh in the refrigerator, in its original wrappings,” she said, “or if Thanksgiving is still a few days away you will need to keep it in the freezer. If it is fresh it needs to be cooked within two days. If it is frozen it needs to stay in the freezer until one to four days prior to cooking it.”
If you are preparing a frozen turkey, it will take a long time to thaw and you cannot thaw a turkey at room temperature. That is a recipe for disaster because the outside of the turkey will thaw long before the inside, giving deadly bacteria a great opportunity to form.
“The safest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator on a cookie sheet or in a pan,” Shumaker said. “It will take about 24 hours for every four pounds of turkey to defrost in the refrigerator.”
According to this formula, an eight to 12-pound turkey will take one to two days, but a 20 to 24-pound turkey is going to take four to five days. Make sure you note the weight of your turkey so it can be properly thawed. Nothing is harder than trying to remove turkey innards that are frozen solid. If you do forget to thaw your turkey in a timely manner, you can try thawing with cold water. The only drawback to this method is that the turkey must be cooked immediately and the water has to be changed often so it maintains a cold temperature. Regardless of the method you use, make sure your turkey is thawed completely before cooking or the meat will not cook evenly.
“Another important thing to remember is proper handwashing when handling a turkey,” Shumaker added. “You need to thoroughly wash your hands, your sink, the counter, any plates, cookie sheets or anything else that has touched the raw turkey or has turkey juice on it. You will need to use very hot water and soap. The bacteria from raw turkey can be easily spread around the kitchen and can end up on other foods. This is really the number one cause of food borne illnesses, so it’s important to keep everything clean.”
In addition to turkey, dressing is another dish that can cause a lot of problems. Cooking the dressing inside the turkey is not recommended by the Department of Agriculture. If you do, however, they recommend you measure the temperature of the dressing separately from the turkey and make sure it is 165 degrees. Turkey is recommended to be 180 degrees to ensure safety.
Shumaker noted that if you are going to stuff your turkey it will need to cook longer and must be stuffed just before it is placed in the oven.
“It is actually better to cook the stuffing separately in a covered baking dish during the last hour while the turkey is roasting,” she said. “If you are going to stuff your turkey, stuff it loosely and stuff it right before you put it in the oven.”
Turkey should be roasted at 325 degrees. No one wants a dried out turkey though, so Shumaker suggests using a rack and a roasting pan with an aluminum foil tent to help maintain moisture. Some experts say that soaking the turkey in brine before roasting will add moisture to the bird and help it withstand high temperatures. Recipes for brine range from simple water and salt to mixtures with apple cider or molasses. Soaking recommendations vary from hours to days. You may also want to invest in a brine-pumping syringe and inject the brine into the thicker parts of the breast before cooking. Remember to baste it with turkey fat or melted butter.
“Keep the foil on the turkey for the first one to three hours of roasting, and then remove it in time to let the turkey skin brown,” Shumaker said. “When determining if a turkey is done you should use a meat thermometer and insert it into the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey away from the bone.”
And don’t forget the leftovers! Everyone loves turkey leftovers and Shumaker has plenty of suggestions when it comes to using turkey in new dishes.
“First things first, leftovers need to be treated with the same care you used on the raw bird to ensure their safety for future meals,” she said. “Try to use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days and if you don’t think you will be able to use everything in that time frame – freeze it right away.”
You should also store leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours after cooking to ensure safety. Divide large quantities into smaller portions and store in several shallow containers. Food in small amounts will chill faster, keeping it safer and fresher. Store turkey and stuffing separately and completely remove all stuffing from the turkey, and wrap and refrigerate in separate containers.
“Remember, anything you can make with chicken, you can also make with turkey,” Shumaker added. “Some of my favorite turkey leftovers include: Layer turkey slices and your favorite cheese between slices of chewy bread and grill; toss cubes of turkey with hot cooked pasta and cheese sauce, garnish with parsley; toss turkey into chili, soups or stews; top baked potatoes with cubed turkey; or chopped turkey on a green salad.”
For question or concerns regarding your turkey this year, the USDA offers a 24-hour meat and poultry hotline 365 days a year. That number is 800-535-4555.
“Many holiday recipes, such as turkey and stuffing, aren’t prepared that often,” explained Kate Shumaker MS, RD, LD Ohio State University Extension Educator for Holmes County. “So it is difficult sometimes to remember exactly how to handle and prepare these items safely.”
When it comes to the turkey, Shumaker said that getting it from the store to your refrigerator or freezer immediately is a huge necessity.
“The turkey should be kept fresh in the refrigerator, in its original wrappings,” she said, “or if Thanksgiving is still a few days away you will need to keep it in the freezer. If it is fresh it needs to be cooked within two days. If it is frozen it needs to stay in the freezer until one to four days prior to cooking it.”
If you are preparing a frozen turkey, it will take a long time to thaw and you cannot thaw a turkey at room temperature. That is a recipe for disaster because the outside of the turkey will thaw long before the inside, giving deadly bacteria a great opportunity to form.
“The safest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator on a cookie sheet or in a pan,” Shumaker said. “It will take about 24 hours for every four pounds of turkey to defrost in the refrigerator.”
According to this formula, an eight to 12-pound turkey will take one to two days, but a 20 to 24-pound turkey is going to take four to five days. Make sure you note the weight of your turkey so it can be properly thawed. Nothing is harder than trying to remove turkey innards that are frozen solid. If you do forget to thaw your turkey in a timely manner, you can try thawing with cold water. The only drawback to this method is that the turkey must be cooked immediately and the water has to be changed often so it maintains a cold temperature. Regardless of the method you use, make sure your turkey is thawed completely before cooking or the meat will not cook evenly.
“Another important thing to remember is proper handwashing when handling a turkey,” Shumaker added. “You need to thoroughly wash your hands, your sink, the counter, any plates, cookie sheets or anything else that has touched the raw turkey or has turkey juice on it. You will need to use very hot water and soap. The bacteria from raw turkey can be easily spread around the kitchen and can end up on other foods. This is really the number one cause of food borne illnesses, so it’s important to keep everything clean.”
In addition to turkey, dressing is another dish that can cause a lot of problems. Cooking the dressing inside the turkey is not recommended by the Department of Agriculture. If you do, however, they recommend you measure the temperature of the dressing separately from the turkey and make sure it is 165 degrees. Turkey is recommended to be 180 degrees to ensure safety.
Shumaker noted that if you are going to stuff your turkey it will need to cook longer and must be stuffed just before it is placed in the oven.
“It is actually better to cook the stuffing separately in a covered baking dish during the last hour while the turkey is roasting,” she said. “If you are going to stuff your turkey, stuff it loosely and stuff it right before you put it in the oven.”
Turkey should be roasted at 325 degrees. No one wants a dried out turkey though, so Shumaker suggests using a rack and a roasting pan with an aluminum foil tent to help maintain moisture. Some experts say that soaking the turkey in brine before roasting will add moisture to the bird and help it withstand high temperatures. Recipes for brine range from simple water and salt to mixtures with apple cider or molasses. Soaking recommendations vary from hours to days. You may also want to invest in a brine-pumping syringe and inject the brine into the thicker parts of the breast before cooking. Remember to baste it with turkey fat or melted butter.
“Keep the foil on the turkey for the first one to three hours of roasting, and then remove it in time to let the turkey skin brown,” Shumaker said. “When determining if a turkey is done you should use a meat thermometer and insert it into the inner thigh area near the breast of the turkey away from the bone.”
And don’t forget the leftovers! Everyone loves turkey leftovers and Shumaker has plenty of suggestions when it comes to using turkey in new dishes.
“First things first, leftovers need to be treated with the same care you used on the raw bird to ensure their safety for future meals,” she said. “Try to use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days and if you don’t think you will be able to use everything in that time frame – freeze it right away.”
You should also store leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours after cooking to ensure safety. Divide large quantities into smaller portions and store in several shallow containers. Food in small amounts will chill faster, keeping it safer and fresher. Store turkey and stuffing separately and completely remove all stuffing from the turkey, and wrap and refrigerate in separate containers.
“Remember, anything you can make with chicken, you can also make with turkey,” Shumaker added. “Some of my favorite turkey leftovers include: Layer turkey slices and your favorite cheese between slices of chewy bread and grill; toss cubes of turkey with hot cooked pasta and cheese sauce, garnish with parsley; toss turkey into chili, soups or stews; top baked potatoes with cubed turkey; or chopped turkey on a green salad.”
For question or concerns regarding your turkey this year, the USDA offers a 24-hour meat and poultry hotline 365 days a year. That number is 800-535-4555.
Published: November 14, 2011
