Holiday Cooking Safety

Talking Turkey

During the holiday season, consumers are buying turkeys for that big family meal. Everyone wants to find the perfect bird, but cooking it properly is even more important. These tips can help you create a safe and delicious main course.

Buying a Turkey: Fresh vs. Frozen
Storing a Frozen Turkey
Preventing Cross-contamination
Methods of Thawing
Stuffing & Cooking
Early Preparation
Leftovers

Buying a Turkey: Fresh vs. Frozen

Fresh and frozen birds differ in cook time and storage time, not taste or quality. If you like to buy your turkey ahead of time, try a frozen bird. If you have limited storage space, you may prefer a fresh turkey.

Frozen turkeys can be kept frozen for up to one year. Fresh turkeys can only be kept in the refrigerator for one or two days, after which they must be cooked or frozen. Store a fresh turkey in a pan in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. Always keep raw animal products separated from ready to eat food products.

Do not buy pre-stuffed turkeys. These turkeys can contain harmful bacteria if handled improperly.

When deciding what size to buy, estimate one pound of fresh or regular frozen turkey for each person. For frozen pre-stuffed turkeys, estimate 1¼ pounds per person.

Storing a Frozen Turkey

A frozen turkey can be stored indefinitely in a home freezer set at 0°F. However, it should be cooked within one year for best quality.

Most turkeys are sold in vacuum-sealed plastic wrap. Leave the turkey in the original packaging and keep it frozen until you are ready to cook it. Unless you thaw the turkey gradually in the refrigerator, you will not be able to refreeze it once it has thawed.

Preventing Cross-contamination

When handling fresh and frozen raw meat, wash your hands, utensils, dishes, and kitchen surfaces frequently with hot, soapy water.

To avoid spreading the turkey's juices around, open the packaging carefully and dispose of it right away. Wash any surfaces that the meat, juices, or packaging might have touched, including refrigerator or freezer shelves.

Even heavy-duty freezer bags can leak. If you use the kitchen sink to thaw the turkey, be sure to drain and sanitize the sink immediately afterward. If you thaw any raw meat in the microwave, sanitize it as well.

Use separate knives and cutting boards when preparing the turkey and stuffing. Wash the cutting boards and utensils frequently. These precautions are a very important part of preventing cross-contamination.

Methods of Thawing

In the Refrigerator

The safest--but slowest--way to thaw a frozen turkey is to keep it in the refrigerator in its original packaging, with a pan underneath to catch any drips. The turkey will need to thaw one day for every five pounds. Turkey thawed using this method can be kept in the refrigerator for one to two days and even refrozen if necessary.

In the Kitchen Sink

To thaw your turkey more quickly, submerge it in potable water in the kitchen sink. Clean the sink thoroughly. Put the turkey in a heavy freezer bag and close it tightly. Place it in the sink, and fill the sink with cold water--70°F or lower--until the turkey is completely submerged.

Change the water every half hour to keep it cool. The turkey should thaw for about thirty minutes per pound. Cook the turkey immediately after thawing it, and do not refreeze it.

Remember to disinfect the sink immediately after removing the thawed turkey. Do not use the sink again until it has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

In the Microwave

If you're really in a hurry, you can use a microwave--if the turkey will fit. Check the microwave owner's manual for the recommended power level and amount of time per pound. Remove all packaging and place the bird in a microwave-safe dish. The turkey must be cooked immediately after thawing. It is not safe to refrigerate or refreeze a microwave-thawed turkey.

Stuffing & Cooking

Stuffing

According to the USDA, the safest way to make stuffing is to cook it separately, not inside the turkey. Measure the temperature at the center of the stuffing with a food thermometer to make sure that it reaches the minimum temperature of 165°F.

To save time, you can prepare the stuffing ingredients in advance. Keep wet and dry ingredients separated--and the wet ingredients refrigerated--until just before you cook the stuffing.

Cooking the stuffing inside the turkey is not as safe as cooking the stuffing separately. If you do choose to stuff the turkey, pack the stuffing loosely, and cook the turkey immediately after stuffing it. Remove the stuffing from the turkey about twenty minutes after the turkey is done cooking.

Cooking

Fresh or Thawed Turkey

Be sure to remove the giblets immediately after thawing. Giblets should be cooked separately.

Preheat the oven to at least 325°F. Place the turkey in a shallow roasting pan. For the meat to be safe to eat, the inside of the turkey must reach at least 165°. You may cook the turkey to a higher temperature if desired.

Use a food thermometer to check the temperature at the thickest part of the turkey breast and at the innermost part of the thigh and wing. Even if your turkey comes with a "pop-up" thermometer, double-check the temperature with a food thermometer.

Cook an unstuffed turkey for approximately fifteen minutes per pound. Allow a few extra minutes per pound for a stuffed turkey.

Cooking the turkey uncovered will give it a great roasted flavor, but it can also dry out the meat. Put the turkey in an oven cooking bag for more tender meat and faster cooking. Follow the manufacturer's directions on the bag. Other options include pouring half a cup of water into the bottom of the pan or covering the turkey with the roasting pan lid aluminum foil. Covering the turkey will reduce oven splatter and overbrowning.

After removing the turkey from the oven, let it stand for fifteen to twenty minutes before carving to allow the juices to settle.

Frozen Turkey

You can safely cook a frozen turkey without thawing it first. A frozen bird will take fifty percent longer to cook than a thawed or fresh turkey. Remove the giblets with tongs or a fork while the turkey is cooking.

Early Preparation

Some people prefer to cook their turkeys a day or two in advance. Once the bird has been cooked, carve it and refrigerate the meat in small, shallow containers. The wings, legs, and thighs may be left intact. You can also refrigerate the juices that collect in the bottom of the pan during cooking.

On the day you plan to eat the turkey, reheat the meat in an oven heated to at least 325°F. To keep the meat tender while reheating it, cover the dishes with lids or cover the meat with gravy or the cooked juices.

Leftovers

Throw away turkey, stuffing, or gravy that has been sitting at room temperature for more than two hours. If room temperature is over 90°F, food should be thrown out after one hour.

Cooked turkey may be eaten cold or reheated in the oven or microwave. The oven should be heated to no less than 325°F. Follow the owner's manual instructions for reheating turkey in the microwave.

Leftover meat should be eaten within three to four days; gravy, within one to two days. You can also freeze leftovers, but they will not retain their quality for more than six months.