Holiday Saftey Food Tip

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Holiday Food Safety Tips

Throughout the holiday season, many people enjoy celebrating by entertaining friends and family, throwing parties, and preparing feasts. From the buffet table to the office party, food becomes a focus of celebrations.

Although safe food handling rules should always apply, extra precautions are necessary during the holidays to prevent food borne illness. To make sure everyone can enjoy the holiday season, be sure to keep food safe and avoid illness by following the basic food safety steps:

Clean: Wash hands and food-contact (cutting boards) surfaces often. Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and counter tops.

Separate: Don't cross-contaminate--don't let bacteria spread from one food product to another. This is especially true for raw meat, poultry and seafood. Keep these foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

Chill: Refrigerate promptly. Refrigerating foods quickly keeps most harmful bacteria from growing and multiplying. Refrigerators should be set at 40° Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0° Fahrenheit, and the accuracy of the settings should be checked occasionally with a thermometer.

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Thawing the Turkey

In refrigerator – Place frozen bird in original wrapper in the refrigerator (40 °F) – be sure to place the turkey in a pan to prevent any of the juices from dripping onto other surfaces or foods in the refrigerator. Allow a thawing time of approximately 24 hours per 5 pounds of turkey. After thawing, keep turkey refrigerated for only 1-2 days, or use this chart to help you countdown to the holiday:

Size of Turkey
Thawing Time in the Refrigerator

8 to12 pounds
1 to 2 days

12 to16 pounds
2 to 3 days

16 to 20 pounds
3 to 4 days

20 to 24 pounds
4 to 5 days


In cold water – If you forget to thaw the turkey or don’t have room in the refrigerator for thawing, do not worry. You can also defrost the turkey by submerging it in cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes. Allow about 30 minutes defrosting time per pound of turkey. The following times are suggested for thawing turkey in water:

Size of Turkey
Hours to Defrost in Cold Water

8 to 12 pounds
4 to 6 hours

12 to 16 pounds
6 to 8 hours

16 to 20 pounds
8 to 10 hours

20 to 24 pounds
10 to 12 hours

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Approximate cooking times for cooking your turkey, the first for an unstuffed bird, and the second for a stuffed bird in an oven at 325 °F. These times are approximate:

UnStuffed

Size of Turkey
Hours to Prepare

8 to 12 pounds
2 3/4 to 3 hours

12 to 14 pounds
3 to 3 3/4 hours

14 to 18 pounds
3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds
4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours

20 to 24 pounds
4 1/2 to 5 hours


Stuffed

Size of Turkey
Hours to Prepare

8 to 12 pounds
3 to 3 1/2 hours

12 to 14 pounds
3 1/2 to 4 hours

14 to 18 pounds
4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds
4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

20 to 24 pounds
4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours


Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey. A good indication of the turkey being cooked thoroughly is when the temperature of the bird (as measured in the thigh) has reached 180 °F. The stuffing, whether cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish, should reach 165 °F.

When turkey is removed from the oven, let it stand 20 minutes. Remove stuffing and carve turkey.

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Storing Leftovers

Cut the turkey into small pieces; refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days; gravy within 1-2 days; or freeze these foods. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.