Thanksgiving Safety Tips

Wednesday morning you'll see ABC4's Nicea Degering and I walked through Dan's Foothill and talked about keeping our Thanksgiving meal out of the Danger Zone. Nobody wants to wind up sick from buffet food at Aunt Carol's house so, here's the list. One more tip I forgot to mention....have everyone bring their crockpot and keep your dressing, mashed potatoes, etc. safe and warm inside.

• Thaw turkey in the fridge? Figure 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey
  Thaw submerged in cold water? Change out the water every 30 minutes and a good measure is 1 pound for each half hour
• Internal temperature of 180 degrees (measure in the innermost part of the thigh….we recommend roasting your bird at 325. Please use a meat thermometer even if you have a pop up timer…just a good safety precaution
• If you stuff your turkey, make sure the dressing reaches 165 degrees. Some families don’t even stuff their bird anymore..and if you don’t…fill the cavity with chunks of onion, maybe big slices of oranges to help keep the turkey moist…oh & don’t forget to pull out the little packet of giblets!
• How long can you leave your food out…for example on a buffet table? Bacteria likes to show up between 40 degrees and 140 degrees…keep cold foods cold, hot foods hot….room temperature is not your friend.
• If you have leftovers, all of your hot foods like Gravy, vegetables, stuffing…reheat those to 165 degrees before eating them.
• My favorite personal tip? I like to take thick slices of bacon and lay them across the top of the turkey, the fat self bastes the bird and you get some great bacon to cut up into your mashed potatoes or sprinkle over your green beans.

If you have anything to add...please post it in the comments section of this message. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and make sure to watch ABC4's Good Morning Utah this Wednesday for more great ideas to keep in mind for the holidays.

Angel