Public Health offers holiday turkey tips

  • Published
  • By Michael Bousquet
  • 22nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  On behalf of the 22nd Medical Group Public Health Flight, here are some helpful cooking tips to ensure Team McConnell members have a joyful Thanksgiving holiday.

A traditional Thanksgiving holiday for most Americans, means feasting together with family and friends and giving thanks for life's blessings. Turkey is the centerpiece on many tables, but if not properly prepared, it can cause food poisoning and spoil the holiday. Even if the meat is cooked thoroughly, leftovers not refrigerated can also make you sick.

A turkey should be properly thawed before cooking by leaving it in the refrigerator to thaw 24 hours for every five pounds of meat or placing it under running water of 70 degrees or less. Always cook the turkey after it thaws. You should never leave a thawed turkey in the refrigerator for more than two days.

Sometimes the time it takes to thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator or using cold water won't fit into busy holiday schedules. You can safety thaw a turkey in a microwave, however, remove all wrappings and place it on a microwave-safe dish to catch any juices that might leak.

You should never thaw turkey at room temperature because bacteria can quickly grow on the outside portions of the bird. These bacteria can multiply and produce toxins that cooking may not destroy.

After the turkey is thawed, remove the giblets from inside the turkey's cavity and cook them separately.

When cooking a turkey, you should keep the oven temperature set to at least 325 degrees. The internal temperature of the whole turkey should be cooked to 165 degrees. Insert a food thermometer into the innermost part of the thigh and wing, without touching the bone, and into the thickest part of the breast. Some turkeys have an internal thermometer or a device that will "pop" out when the bird is thoroughly cooked, but just to be sure, it's recommended you use a manual thermometer to verify the temperature.

No turkey is complete without grandma's homemade stuffing. Many experts now recommend to prepare the stuffing outside of the turkey, but if you choose to stuff the turkey, ensure its contents reach at least 165 degrees.

After the turkey is cooked, let it sit about 20 minutes before it's carved. This allows the juices to set and will make carving easier.

Eating turkey leftovers is almost as grand a tradition as the Thanksgiving feast itself. But remember that bacteria will grow on leftovers left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, so be sure to refrigerate the food after a meal.

Refrigerated turkey and stuffing have a shelf life of three to four days, and gravy is only good for one to two days. If your family cannot eat all of their leftovers in time, you can freeze them. Those frozen leftovers should stay good for months.

No one wants to accidentally poison their holiday guests, but by following the appropriate steps for thawing, handling and cooking a turkey, Thanksgiving can be fulfilling, delicious and safe for everyone.