On Thanksgiving, you don’t want to allow a foodborne disease to spoil the time you get to spend with your family and friends. Follow these guidelines to ensure the well-being of your guests, regardless of whether you are an experienced chef or are preparing your first-holiday feast from scratch. Continue reading about the 6 best ways to prevent poor food safety.
1. Defrost The Meat
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the refrigerator is the safest location to defrost meat. Allow one day for every 4 to 5 pounds of beef to sit at room temperature. For illustration purposes, if your turkey weighs 16 pounds, the thawing process will take around four days. Did you miss your chance for a gradual defrost in the refrigerator? You should consider immersing the turkey in cold water and switching the water out every half an hour. If you must use the microwave, choose the defrost option and immediately begin cooking the turkey.
2. Clean Your Hands
Touching raw meat or any other products that might be contaminated with germs, washing your hands before and after cooking meals and between each stage of a dish is essential.
- A research conducted by Rutgers and North Carolina State University, spice containers were revealed to be the most germ-ridden surface in a kitchen.
- This finding may come as a surprise to some individuals. Just giving your hands a brief wash won’t be enough.
- Make sure that you use soap and warm water to scrub the tops of your hands, palms, beneath your fingernails, and in the spaces between your fingers for about 20 seconds.
3. Do Not Attempt To Clean The Turkey
It is impossible to remove bacteria from raw meat, and any effort to do so might result in the unintentional transmission of even more germs. Spilt juices may go everywhere in your kitchen, even on you, and it can be tough to wipe up the minute droplets that are left behind completely.
4. Make Use of A Digital Meat Thermometer
Suppose the inner temperature of a turkey reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The turkey is taken fully cooked and free of microorganisms that can cause foodborne diseases when it reaches the 165-degree mark. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) typically suggests that you take a temperature in the deepest area of your thigh and wings and the thickest part of your breast.
5. Your Workstation Must Be Sanitize and Clean
Scrub with soap and warm water on any surfaces you suspect may contaminate the cooking process. Sanitize the countertops by wiping them off with bleach along with dilute water. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests using 1 tablespoon of bleach for every 1 quart of water. Allow the solution to sit out on the counter for ten minutes. And if you want to prevent the reintroduction of germs, you can consider using paper towels rather than fabric towels. Towels made of cloth should be pre-wash in hot water.
6. Keep Leftovers Out of The Refrigerator
It only takes a few hours for bacteria to start growing. Moreover, as per Food Safety Education, a public health group in Virginia, it is preferable to place heated leftovers in shallow containers. This method will enable the food to cool down more quickly. Additionally, you may need to leave food out for a lengthy period of time and take precautions to ensure that hot dishes stay hot and cold dishes stay cold.
Feature image: Pixabay
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