Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude, attend family gatherings and enjoy a whole lot of food.
With many people planning to cook plentiful meals in the days ahead, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a reminder to follow food safety and hygiene recommendations, with the goal of preventing a foodborne illness outbreak.
IDPH Director Sameer Vohra, writing in a news release, noted the importance of following basic food safety guidelines such as ensuring hot foods stay hot, keeping cold foods cold and making sure frozen turkeys are properly thawed in the refrigerator before being cooked.
Need a refresher on how to safely prepare a turkey?
First and foremost, planning ahead is key.
Here’s what health officials recommend:
Start by putting the bird in the refrigerator and allowing it to safely thaw. You’ll want to do so sooner rather than later, as it takes about 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator.
Under that recommendation, it will take three days to thaw a 15-pound turkey.
But if you don’t have that much time, there is a safe alternative.
You can thaw a turkey using a microwave or a sink of cold water – just make sure to change the water every 30 minutes, according to IDPH.
If you’ll be cooking a bird, it’s especially crucial to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before handling turkey; you should also do so before, during and after preparing food — and before eating.
Once your turkey preparation is complete, wash cutting boards, utensils and all other items with hot, soapy water before moving to your next food dish. According to health officials, keep in mind that raw turkey and its juices can contaminate anything they touch — so you’ll want to make sure they are separated from any foods that won’t be fully cooked.
After cooking the turkey by whichever method you choose, you’ll want to use a food thermometer to check if the meat and stuffing have reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees. It’s recommended you take the temperature in three places: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing, IDPH stated. When it comes to the stuffing, make sure its center reaches 165 degrees.
Once your Thanksgiving meal wraps up, it’ll be time to package all those leftovers. And you’ll want to do so fairly quickly.
To ensure leftovers are safe to eat, they must be refrigerated within two hours of serving or have been kept hot at or above 140 degrees or cold below 40 degrees, IDPH stated.
Leftovers stay safe in the fridge for up to four days, so you’ll want to disregard anything after that. Before serving or eating, you’ll want to reheat your dishes to at least 165 degrees.
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