Hosting friends and family for Thanksgiving? Make sure you are up to date with the essential “know-hows” on safely preparing a turkey.
Food safety must be at the forefront of Thanksgiving turkey preparation, from thawing to leftovers. Use these guidelines on how to prepare, cook, and serve a Thanksgiving turkey safely.
Before shopping, you should determine the size of turkey you’ll need, usually 1 to 1 ½ pounds per person, and whether your refrigerator and oven are big enough to handle the bird. Measure your refrigerator’s shelf space and oven’s interior, then take a measuring tape to the market.
Do not buy a pre-stuffed, raw turkey. When a turkey is stuffed, incubator-like conditions develop in the turkey’s cavity that promotes bacterial growth.
A smaller turkey will cook faster and more evenly, and the meat will be more tender. If your appliances are smaller or you have a large crowd, I recommend you cook two small turkeys. This will also provide more drumsticks for the leg lovers at your gathering.
Make sure you have a meat thermometer. If not, buy one before you start cooking. Having one ready will help avoid under- or overcooking the turkey and the possibility of foodborne illness.
Food Safety
You need to avoid the safety pitfalls associated with this holiday tradition, so practicing food safety is extremely important when handling turkey or poultry.
Older, younger, or immune-compromised family members or guests can be put in serious danger from foodborne illness and a lack of food safety. That is something for which nobody will ever be thankful.
It’s important to cook the turkey to the correct temperature of 165°F or more and be mindful of sanitary food handling throughout the steps, whether preparing, cooking, carving, serving, or storing leftovers.
Thawing A Frozen Turkey
Slow-thawing of frozen foods is preferred as it allows for minimum growth of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator is the best way to prevent foodborne illness. To help prevent cross-contamination, make sure the turkey is in a container on the lowest shelf to protect the other food in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerator thawing: The recommended method is to allow 24 hours for each 4-5 pounds of turkey weight in a refrigerator 40°F or lower. Once refrigerator-thawed, a turkey can be left in the refrigerator for one to two days before cooking.
- Cold-water thawing: Keep the turkey in its original wrapping and allow 30 minutes of defrosting per pound. Change the water every 30 minutes. For a 20-pound bird, this method takes 10 hours and 20 water changes. Also, be careful to avoid cross-contamination. Do not let the water splash onto counters, cooking utensils, or food. Make sure to wash the sink thoroughly afterward and then sanitize it.
- Microwave thawing: Use the defrost function, remove outside wrapping, and allow 6 minutes per pound. Since microwave thawing often results in a warm to partially cooked turkey exterior, cooking the bird immediately after thawing is essential.
Safely Cook Turkey
Do not wash the turkey before cooking. Remember to remove the giblets from the turkey cavity after thawing. Cook them separately. Most people go with the tried-and-true oven method of cooking the turkey, but other techniques can be used. Whichever method you use, follow these guidelines:
- Stuffing, if added at all, should be placed in the turkey immediately prior to cooking.
- For safety’s sake, do not cook the turkey at a temp lower than 325°F.
- Turkey is unsafe to eat until it reaches 165°F or higher on a food thermometer. Most people will consider this undercooked, so go to 175-180°F if desired. Don’t rely on the red pop-up temperature indicators that are provided. These are not always accurate.
- Don’t rely on color. You cannot tell if a turkey is cooked by its color.
- Check the temperature in three different places: the thickest part of the breast, innermost wing, and thigh.
- If you cook the turkey with stuffing, the stuffing must also reach at least 165°F.
- Allow the turkey to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to set.
Leftover Storage
Thanksgiving leftovers cannot be left out at room temperature. All perishable items should be refrigerated within two hours of coming out of the oven or refrigerator. Watch the clock and put the food away before it enters the danger zone. Discard any perishable food left out at room temperature for longer than two hours! Here are some tips on leftovers:
- Refrigerate perishable within two hours. If you have more food than you can eat within four days, freeze it.
- Store leftovers tightly wrapped in small portions and place them in a refrigerator. The key temperature to avoid bacteria growth is 40°F and below.
- Leftovers should be eaten in four days.
- Frozen leftovers can last two to six months.
Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all of them.
- It is safe to reheat frozen leftovers without thawing. Reheating will take longer than if the food is thawed, but it is safe when time is short.
- When you’re ready to eat the leftovers, reheat them to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- The best way to reheat turkey is in the oven. Place sliced turkey in a shallow pan, add some chicken or turkey broth or stock, and cover tightly with foil. Heat at 325°F until the turkey reaches 165°F. The liquid allows the turkey to steam without drying out.
Follow these simple instructions and you’ll be carving a perfectly browned turkey that you and your guests will gobble up!
Written by Vicki Hayman, MS, University of Wyoming Extension Community Vitality & Health Educator
Sources:
- Agrilife Today, agrilifetoday.tamu.edu
- University of Wyoming Extension, uwyoextension.org
- The United States Department of Agriculture, www.usda.gov