Start new traditions in your kitchen and with your family during the holidays using these simple home food safety tips!
Reckless Thawing
Old Habit: Thawing frozen turkey, chicken, or other meats on the kitchen counter or under hot water in the kitchen sink.
New Tradition: Frozen meats and poultry should be thawed in a refrigerator set at or below 40°F to avoid the spread of harmful bacteria. If running late, you can thaw a wrapped frozen turkey in a sink filled with cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. It also may be thawed in the microwave depending on the size of the turkey, but be prepared to cook it right after defrosting. If heated to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F, a frozen turkey can be cooked in the oven but it will take longer to cook than if it is thawed first.
Holding Out on Hot Stuff
Old Habit: When storing a cooked dish that needs to be chilled, many people think it's necessary to wait until foods cool before putting them in the refrigerator.
New Tradition: To guarantee a fresh, safe leftover, place the cooked dish promptly in the refrigerator after cooking. Using shallow containers will allow food to cool more rapidly.
Covered Dish Delivery
Old Habit: Holiday celebrations with family and friends may require travel which usually results in long car rides for dishes brought along to share.
New Tradition: Pay attention to how much time your prepared dish will be out of the refrigerator or oven. Cold dishes can be placed into a cooler with ice packs to keep under 40°F while traveling. Hot dishes can be transported in an insulated bag to keep foods hot, or covered with foil and insulated with towels to keep temperature above 140°F. If cold or hot dishes are outside these temperature zones for two hours or more, they should be discarded.
Rocking the Gravy Boat
Old Habit: While most cooks remember to bring gravy to a boil before serving it, many forget the same rule applies when reserving it again.
New Tradition: To eliminate harmful bacteria, always bring gravy to a boil on the stove before serving it a second time. Leftover gravy should be used within three to four days.
Festive Floor-Grazing
Old Habit: To determine how long food is safe to eat after it falls on the floor, it is popular for children and even many adults to abide by the “five-second-rule” or “ten-second-rule”.
New Tradition: Tragic as it may sound, when a holiday favorite falls on the ground it is never a good idea to eat it.
If you question the safety of a food during the holidays, just toss it.
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