Worried about Thanksgiving? Who isn't? Weather your hosting, traveling or just enjoying the holiday stress levels tend to rise up. Here are some helpful tips for the day: Lets start with the most important the turkey! I hope everyone has a good cook at home because turkey can be tricky and unsafe if it's not cooked properly. So first off is safe thawing. A thawing turkey needs to be kept a safe temperature
re. There is a danger zone which is between 40 - 140 degrees F,
this is the temperature range that foodborne bacteria can multiply rapidly. Three safe ways to thaw turkey is in a refrigerator, cold water, and in a microwave over.
Next is safely preparing the turkey. Bacteria that is present on raw me
at can contaminate your hands, utensils, and work surfaces. If your hands, utensils and work surfaces are not cleaned thoroughly before working with the other foods, bacteria from the raw meat can be transferred to other food, and who wants that! Avoid this by washing your hands and work surfaces thoroughly before working with your other foods.
For safe stuffing of the turkey cook the stuffing outside the turkey. If you place the stuffing inside the turkey, do so before you cook it and make sure you use a thermometer. The center of the stuffing must reach a minimal of 165 degrees F, if not bacteria can survive resulting in foodborne illnesses.
Lastly for the turkey is cooking it safely! Make sure the over is set no lower than 325 degrees F and the turkey is completely thawed out. Place the turkey breast-side up. Check the internal temperature to make sure its at least 165 degrees. Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from cavity and carving the meat.
For your other worries
If your traveling :
- make sure you plan accordingly and expect traffic
- Have everything packed and ready the night before
If your hosting:
- Get up early
- Plan all cooking ahead of time
- Get everything set up nice and early
- Don't wait until the last minute for anything especially with food
- If something goes wrong, don't panic and relax
Most importantly remember to just relax and have a great time with friends and family!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
1 comment:
I had no idea that cooking the turkey could be so dangerous. I don't cook the turkey my mom does, but I trust her. I will try to remember these tips for when I get older and it's my turn to cook thanksgiving dinner.
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