Electronic Food Rap
Vol. 5 NO. 48
Bill Evers, PhD, RD and April Mason, PhD
Extension Foods and Nutrition Specialists
With the holidays fast approaching it is important to keep food safety in mind when preparing your holiday turkey. The following article discusses some common mistakes and ways to prevent them from occurring this year and in years to come.
(Submitted by Judy Lagge, Extension graduate assistant)
Excerpted from "Is Your Holiday Turkey in Jeopardy?", by Pat Moriarty, R.D. and Barbara O'Brien, R.D. Reprinted from the Food and Drug Administration's Food News For Consumers, Holidays-1991.
Common Mistakes Preparing A Holiday Turkey
There are five common mistakes people make when cooking a turkey, according to Susan Templin Conely, Hotline Manager of the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline.
Mistake 1: Defrosting at Room Temperature
Many people defrost their turkey at room temperature, leading to a potentially unsafe turkey. As the turkey starts to defrost, bacteria will grow on the surface of the turkey, multiplying to high levels that may not be destroyed during cooking.
How to avoid this mistake?
Defrost your turkey in the refrigerator. Allow 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey. For instance, a 15 pound turkey would take 3 days to defrost in the refrigerator.
In case you forget to take your turkey out of the freezer early enough, you can use the cold water method. This involves submerging your wrapped turkey in cold water and adding ice or new cold water every 30 minutes.
Mistake 2: Prestuffing the Night Before
A turkey should not be stuffed the night before, because the cavity of the bird insulates the stuffing and may prevent it from cooling to the proper temperature.
How to avoid this mistake?
Stuff the turkey immediately before cooking.
Mistake 3: Cooking the Turkey at Low Temperatures Overnight
Cooking a turkey below an oven temperature of 325 degrees F. is unsafe, because temperatures lower than this may encourage bacteria to grow inside the turkey where temperatures could stay below the danger zone of 140 degrees F.
How to avoid this mistake?
Cook the turkey at an oven temperature no lower than 325 degrees F.
Mistake 4: Partially Cooking the Turkey the Day Before
Do not partially cook a turkey, because interrupted cooking may increase bacterial growth.
How to avoid this mistake?
Cook the turkey completely at one time.
Mistake 5: Cooking a Turkey Ahead of Time and Leaving It Whole in the Refrigerator
Cooking a turkey ahead of time is fine, but leaving it whole in the refrigerator is not. A cooked turkey is too big to cool quickly enough in a home refrigerator.
How to avoid this mistake?
Cook the turkey 1 to 2 days before the holiday. When cooking the turkey use a meat thermometer to make sure the turkey reaches 180 degrees F. If the turkey is stuffed, remove the stuffing immediately after removing the turkey from the oven. Before carving, allow the turkey to sit for 20 to 30 minutes to let the juices settle. When storing, store the turkey slices in covered shallow pans in the refrigerator. When reheating, reheat to 165 degrees F.
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