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Holiday Food Safety

From family dinners to buffets and snacks with friends, the holidays often have food at the center of the gathering. Care for your loved ones by preparing food with care and cleaning appropriately before and after cooking. It’s a great way to help everyone stay healthy for the holidays.

If you are defrosting a turkey or other meat, never leave it out on the countertop to defrost – bacteria will grow rapidly at room temperature. Plan on one defrost day for every five pounds of turkey. A second, faster method is to defrost the wrapped turkey by submerging it in cold water. Add ice or new cold water every 30 minutes. It takes about 10 hours to defrost a 20-pound bird this way. Finally, if the turkey fits, it can be defrosted in the microwave. Be sure to follow the oven manual instructions. Because the cooking process may start during thawing, a micro-defrosted turkey must be cooked immediately.

Of utmost importance to food safety is keeping everything clean. Always thoroughly wash your hands before preparing foods and after handling raw meat. Wash utensils, counters, cutting boards and any other surface that raw meats have touched, using hot, soapy water. And don’t neglect the refrigerator – clean up spills right away to prevent contamination of other foods.
Once the food has been served, pay attention to how long it’s been out. Chafing dishes can keep warm dishes warm and ice can keep cool dishes cool. Turkey, for instance, should never be held at room temperature for more than two hours. Leftovers should be stored within two hours, then eaten within three to four days.

For more information visit our holiday cleaning resources.

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