Contributed by Sami Fischer, Food Safety Specialist, UNL Food Processing Center
- Frozen turkeys should be defrosted in one of three ways. In the refrigerator, submerged in cold tap water,or microwaved. It takes approximately 24 hours for every 5lbs of turkey to defrost in the refrigerator.
- If using cold water to defrost your turkey. The water should be changed every 30 minutes and the turkey should be kept in its packaging to reduce cross-contamination.
- Never wash raw meat. The spray off the product can contaminate your sick up to a 3-foot radius.
- When preparing for the meal, keep raw ingredients separate from cooked ingredients to reduce the contamination of cooked items.
- The only way to know if your turkey is really done is to check it with a meat thermometer. The innermost point of the turkey needs to reach 165F before being pulled out of the heating medium.
- Foods that need to be heated or refrigerated should only be left out for 2 hours before being placed in the fridge. Any longer and you risk the chance of microbial growth as the product temperature sits in the “danger zone” (40F - 140F).
- Leftovers are good in the fridge for about 4 days. If they will not be eaten before then, store them in the freezer to extend their safety.