Turkey Tips for 2008; Old Traditions Pose Risks
Orono, ME: Some of our traditional holiday meal practices pose potential food-safety threats. Consider this: turkey should never be thawed on the counter, stuffing your turkey is not recommended, and you should not eat food that has been left out sitting for more than two hours.
"Foodborne illness can be an uninvited guest during the holidays," says Food Science Specialist Beth Calder of University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Calder
provides the following food safety tips to ensure a safe holiday season.
Buying your turkey
Many people prefer the taste of fresh turkeys. But properly frozen birds will maintain good quality for at least one year. Fresh birds should be purchased no more than one or two days before cooking to ensure best quality, and kept refrigerated until cooking. Frozen birds need to be purchased early enough to allow time for safe thawing.
Do not buy fresh pre-stuffed turkeys. Only buy a pre-stuffed turkey if it is frozen and USDA-approved. Do not thaw it before cooking, and follow the package directions.
Thawing your turkey
A turkey should never be thawed on the counter at room temperature, because bacteria can multiply on the surface of the turkey before the inner turkey completely thaws. There are three ways to safely thaw a frozen (not pre-stuffed) turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave oven.
To thaw in the refrigerator, allow plenty of time: up to three days for a 12-pound turkey, four days for a 16-pound turkey, and five days for a 20-pound turkey. A good guideline is 24 hours for every four to five pounds of frozen turkey. Make sure that your refrigerator is at 40° F or below. Keep the turkey in its original wrapper and place it in a drip pan to prevent cross-contamination. A refrigerator-thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for another one to two days, but then must be immediately cooked or refrozen.
To thaw in cold water, place the turkey in a waterproof bag (you can use the original packaging material provided that there are no tears or holes for water to enter). Submerge in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Allow six hours for a 12-pound turkey, eight hours for a 16-pound turkey, and 12 hours for a 20-pound turkey. Cook the turkey immediately after it is completely thawed; do not refreeze.
To thaw in the microwave, first check your owner’s manual for recommendations on maximum turkey size, power level, and minutes per pound to thaw frozen turkey. Remove the outside wrapper and use a microwave-safe dish. Use the DEFROST cycle if it is available. Normally, it takes four to seven minutes per pound to thaw a turkey. Once the turkey is thawed, cook it immediately and do not refreeze.
Cooking your turkey
Stuffing your turkey is not recommended. However, if you choose to stuff your turkey, do so right before cooking—no sooner—and use a meat thermometer to be sure that the stuffing cooks to at least 165°F.
Cook your turkey all at once: do not start roasting on one day and finish the cooking on another. Place the bird breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil if your pan does not have a lid, with the shiny side in. Set your oven at no less than 325°F. Uncover the turkey approximately 30 minutes before the cooking time is up.
The times below are approximate: it is important to cook your turkey until the internal meat temperature reaches at least 165°F. Use a meat thermometer in the innermost parts of the thigh and breast.
Approximate Roasting Times
Don’t forget these basic food safety practices: wash your hands often with soap and water. Keep cooked and raw foods separate. Wash and sanitize cutting boards and food contact surfaces when they come in contact with raw poultry, eggs and meats. Keep cold foods cold (below 40°F) and hot foods hot (above 140°F). Don’t leave food out for longer than two hours.
Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) with food safety questions, or visit the food safety “virtual representative” at www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/ask_karen/index.asp#Question.
For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.
www.umaine.edu/news/
"Foodborne illness can be an uninvited guest during the holidays," says Food Science Specialist Beth Calder of University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Calder
provides the following food safety tips to ensure a safe holiday season.
Buying your turkey
Many people prefer the taste of fresh turkeys. But properly frozen birds will maintain good quality for at least one year. Fresh birds should be purchased no more than one or two days before cooking to ensure best quality, and kept refrigerated until cooking. Frozen birds need to be purchased early enough to allow time for safe thawing.
Do not buy fresh pre-stuffed turkeys. Only buy a pre-stuffed turkey if it is frozen and USDA-approved. Do not thaw it before cooking, and follow the package directions.
Thawing your turkey
A turkey should never be thawed on the counter at room temperature, because bacteria can multiply on the surface of the turkey before the inner turkey completely thaws. There are three ways to safely thaw a frozen (not pre-stuffed) turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave oven.
To thaw in the refrigerator, allow plenty of time: up to three days for a 12-pound turkey, four days for a 16-pound turkey, and five days for a 20-pound turkey. A good guideline is 24 hours for every four to five pounds of frozen turkey. Make sure that your refrigerator is at 40° F or below. Keep the turkey in its original wrapper and place it in a drip pan to prevent cross-contamination. A refrigerator-thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for another one to two days, but then must be immediately cooked or refrozen.
To thaw in cold water, place the turkey in a waterproof bag (you can use the original packaging material provided that there are no tears or holes for water to enter). Submerge in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Allow six hours for a 12-pound turkey, eight hours for a 16-pound turkey, and 12 hours for a 20-pound turkey. Cook the turkey immediately after it is completely thawed; do not refreeze.
To thaw in the microwave, first check your owner’s manual for recommendations on maximum turkey size, power level, and minutes per pound to thaw frozen turkey. Remove the outside wrapper and use a microwave-safe dish. Use the DEFROST cycle if it is available. Normally, it takes four to seven minutes per pound to thaw a turkey. Once the turkey is thawed, cook it immediately and do not refreeze.
Cooking your turkey
Stuffing your turkey is not recommended. However, if you choose to stuff your turkey, do so right before cooking—no sooner—and use a meat thermometer to be sure that the stuffing cooks to at least 165°F.
Cook your turkey all at once: do not start roasting on one day and finish the cooking on another. Place the bird breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil if your pan does not have a lid, with the shiny side in. Set your oven at no less than 325°F. Uncover the turkey approximately 30 minutes before the cooking time is up.
The times below are approximate: it is important to cook your turkey until the internal meat temperature reaches at least 165°F. Use a meat thermometer in the innermost parts of the thigh and breast.
Approximate Roasting Times
| Turkey (lb) | Hrs to Cook (Unstuffed) | Hrs to Cook (Stuffed) |
| 8–12 | 2 3/4 to 3 | 3 to 3 1/2 |
| 12–14 | 3 to 3 3/4 | 3 1/2 to 4 |
| 14–18 | 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 | 4 to 4 1/4 |
| 18–20 | 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 | 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 |
| 20–24 | 4 1/2 to 5 | 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 |
Don’t forget these basic food safety practices: wash your hands often with soap and water. Keep cooked and raw foods separate. Wash and sanitize cutting boards and food contact surfaces when they come in contact with raw poultry, eggs and meats. Keep cold foods cold (below 40°F) and hot foods hot (above 140°F). Don’t leave food out for longer than two hours.
Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) with food safety questions, or visit the food safety “virtual representative” at www.fsis.usda.gov/food_safety_education/ask_karen/index.asp#Question.
For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.
www.umaine.edu/news/
posted by UMaine Extension at 9:39 AM
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