Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 9, 1994 TAG: 9411090025
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLOTTE KIDD
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Among all the changes, though, the importance of food safety remains constant. Proper defrosting, cooking and storing are the key.
Believe it or not, I have had calls from folks asking if it's safe to defrost the turkey in a brown bag, picnic cooler, porch, garage, car trunk, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag. It's not.
The easiest way to thaw a turkey is to put the frozen bird in the refrigerator, allowing one day for each 5 pounds. A little faster method is to submerge the wrapped turkey in cold water, changing the cold water every 30 minutes. A 20-pound bird thaws in about 10 hours this way. If the turkey defrosts by either of these methods sooner than needed, it will be safe another one or two days in the refrigerator - the same storage time as for fresh turkey.
If the turkey isn't too large to fit, it can be defrosted in a microwave oven. Place the turkey in a glass baking dish and rotate it top to bottom and end to end during defrosting. A general rule is 6 minutes per pound on medium-low (30-percent power), or a little more than an hour for a 12-pound turkey. Remove the turkey wrapping as soon as it becomes loose. Check your specific oven's manual for times, power settings and to determine whether the metal hock lock on the turkey legs can be left on while microwaving.
A drawback to the microwave method is that some areas of the turkey defrost faster than others and can begin to cook. Microwaved turkeys also must be cooked immediately because the lukewarm temperatures they may reach in the microwave have started the cooking process.
A meat thermometer can make the difference between a moist, safely cooked turkey and an overcooked, dry bird. The turkey is done when the meat thermometer reads 180, F. in the dark meat and 170, F. if cooking just the turkey breast. Stuffing should reach 165, F.
Slow-cooking the turkey (or any other meat, for that matter) at 200 , F. overnight is not safe because it takes too long for the turkey to reach a temperature high enough to kill foodborne bacteria. Also, a turkey cannot be partially cooked ahead of time and then finished later because partial cooking of meat or poultry is very unsafe. It is safe, however, to partially cook turkey in a microwave or other oven immediately before transferring the turkey to a heated grill or to a preheated conventional oven for finishing.
Be sure to test the temperature in several areas. A turkey has thick and thin parts and temperatures can vary.
To check visual signs of doneness, pierce the turkey with a fork; juices should run clear. The bird should be tender and its legs should wiggle freely in the sockets.
When the turkey is done take it from the oven. Let the stuffed turkey stand 20 minutes, then remove the stuffing and place it in a covered serving bowl in a warm oven - at least 300, F.
Speaking of stuffing, we can feel pretty stuffed after that great holiday dinner, and who wants to put leftovers away then? But somebody had better. If turkey and trimmings are left out at room temperature more than two hours, harmful bacteria can multiply to unsafe levels and cause foodborne illness.
Carve the meat off the bones. Refrigerate leftovers in small, tightly sealed, shallow containers so they will cool to a safe temperature quickly, or wrap in foil.
Use leftover turkey and stuffing within three to four days; gravy within one or two days. Or freeze these foods for longer safe storage.
Some folks really enjoy preparing the annual Thanksgiving dinner. Others prefer to take out a complete holiday dinner from a restaurant, caterer or supermarket. The rule to remember is keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Warm is not good enough; harmful bacteria multiply fastest between 40 , and 140 , F.
To keep turkey hot, set oven temperature at 200 , F. or higher - enough to maintain an internal temperature of 140 , F. or above when measured with a meat thermometer. Stuffing and side dishes must also stay hot.
It's not a good idea to try and keep the foods hot longer than two hours. If eating much later, turkey and trimmings will be safer and taste better if you remove all stuffing from the turkey cavity immediately and refrigerate. Cut turkey off the bone: slice breast meat; legs and wings may be left whole. Refrigerate meat, potatoes, gravy and vegetables in small, shallow containers.
Cold turkey dinners should be refrigerated within two hours of pickup. To reheat the cold turkey, carve it as above.
Cooked frozen turkeys with the USDA Inspection Seal have been processed under controlled conditions. Follow package directions for thawing, reheating, and storing. Buying a refrigerated, fully cooked, stuffed turkey is not recommended.
Always reheat leftovers thoroughly to 165 , F. or until hot and steaming. Bring gravy to a rolling boil; in the microwave oven, cover food and rotate dish so it heats evenly.
To cook a turkey a day ahead of time and then transport it elsewhere, be sure to cook the turkey in an oven set no lower than 325, F. Check to be sure the turkey has cooked completely to an internal temperature of 180 , F. as measured in several places with a meat thermometer, then let the turkey stand 20 minutes. If stuffed, remove the stuffing and let cool in small, shallow dishes. Carve, divide and refrigerate the turkey as described above.
When ready to travel, pack the turkey and other perishable foods in an insulated cooler with a cold source such as ice or frozen gel packs. At your destination, transfer the foods to a refrigerator and reheat in a 325 , F. oven or in a microwave oven until the foods reach an internal temperature of 165 , F., or are steaming hot.
A raw or cooked turkey will keep unfrigerated for transporting no longer than two hours. Use an insulated cooler as a carrier (two coolers if carrying both types). To transport a raw turkey, take it out of the refrigerator and place it in the cooler immediately before leaving. Stow it where it will be coldest in the car. Upon arrival, immediately refrigerate the raw turkey.
To transport a hot, unstuffed cooked turkey, take it out of the oven, immediately wrap it in foil and put it directly into the cooler before putting it into the warmest spot in the car. Don't try to transport a stuffed turkey.
A hot turkey must be put directly into a warm oven (set at 200 , F. or higher) until serving time. Set the oven high enough to maintain the internal temperature of the turkey at 140 , F. or higher.
Charlotte Kidd is the senior extension agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension unit in Roanoke.
by CNB