Experts warn about 1 in 6 people will contract a foodborne illness during the holidays.
That’s because people are cooking for a bigger crowd than usual and often, are making recipes that are different than what they typically cook during the year.
“The most important thing would be to make sure that you use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your turkey to make sure it’s done,” Sharon McDonald, a Penn State Food Safety Specialist, said.
McDonald does not recommend relying on the juices to run clear. Instead, use a thermometer.
“You want to reach a minimum of 165 degrees and that would be in the thickest part of the bird,” she said. “You can certainly cook it to a higher temperature. A lot of people like to go to 180 degrees, but 165 degrees is the minimum and you’ll have a nice, juicy bird at that temperature.”
She also recommends not rinsing the turkey before cooking it.
“It’s really the cooking that destroys the bacteria. When you’re rinsing your turkey in the sink, you’re going to have splashes, water droplets that will get on your countertop and other utensils that you’re using that might not get effectively cleaned up,” McDonald said. “It’s best just to carefully remove the bird from the packaging and put it in your pan.”
Caution doesn’t stop with meal prep and cooking. Experts recommend that you put any leftovers away within two hours.