The holiday season is here and the Oneida County Health Department is reminding everyone to keep food safety in mind while preparing turkey for family and friends. Sanitarian Jody McKinney says refrigerator thawing is the best and safest way to thaw a turkey. She says it takes about 1 day for every pound of turkey to thaw.
“…Ideal temperature would be 325 degrees, and it takes that 20 pound turkey about 5 hours to cook in the oven. You’ll want to use a food thermometer, and check your turkey in various spots including the breast, in between the leg and the body cavity and any other thick areas of the turkey. You want all the areas to reach 165, this includes any stuffing inside the cavity.”
McKinney says people should avoid rinsing the turkey in the sink to avoid spreading bacteria. She says all left- overs should be refrigerated two hours after cooking.
For more information visit oneidacountypublichealth.org
