CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you are responsible for cooking Thanksgiving dinner there are some things you need to do to keep everyone safe.
The Centers for Disease Control states a rise in food poisoning cases during the November and December holidays.
Here are the proper ways to get that turkey ready.
OUR SOURCES:
- Tara-Rose Groberski, an expert on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line
- Carrie Watson, the trauma medical director at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina
- USDA
WHAT WE FOUND:
When it comes to thawing your turkey, that needs to start days before Thanksgiving. Groberski said it takes about 24 hours for every four pounds of turkey to thaw in the fridge.
If you haven’t yet defrosted your turkey, Groberski said you can use cold water, which takes an hour for every two pounds of turkey.
“If you want to use our cold water method, you're going to clean your sink with your turkey in its wrapper and put it in the cold water. Then you are going to change your water every 30 minutes to help that process. Once that completely thaws, put it in the fridge,” Groberski said.
When it comes to cooking the turkey, the USDA states the turkey is ready when your food thermometer reaches 165 in the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast.
They also recommend letting the turkey sit between 15 and 20 minutes so the juices can settle.
Watson said there are other safety measures you’ll want to remember when you’re in the kitchen.
- Keep kids out of the kitchen to avoid dangers from equipment.
- Turn the handles of pots and pans inward whenever they're on the burner. This will make them less likely to get knocked onto the floor.
- Put knives in a place where kids cannot reach them
- Keep oil at the appropriate temperature whenever deep frying to avoid fire
- Be sure to clean cooking surfaces that come in contact with raw meat