Thanksgiving Safety Quiz

Not only will you save lots of clean up time later, but you can stop bacteria growth in its tracks. Prevent cross contamination by using one cutting board exclusively to cut raw meat. Thoroughly clean your cutting surfaces and knives after each use with soap and hot water. Don't re-use a platter or plate that has held raw meat unless it has been thoroughly washed, either. Use separate spoons and/or forks when sampling and don't sample again with a used spoon; wash it before re-using it. Don't taste from the same spoon that you used to stir the pot. Yikes ~ big germ-spreader!

Follow food safety guidelines when thawing turkeys. Refrigerator thawing takes about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey in a 40° F refrigerator. You can also thaw the turkey by leaving original wrapping intact and submerging in COLD water for approximately 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every 30 minutes.

If you're going to stuff the turkey, use a moist stuffing rather than a dry one. Heat kills bacteria better in a moist environment. You could always cook the stuffing in a separate casserole. That's what I do.

A whole turkey should be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the bird. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.

Cut the turkey into small pieces; refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days or freeze them. Reheat to a temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.