Holiday Meals: Feasting without fear

It's great to gather friends and family around the holiday table - but food-borne illness is nothing to be thankful for. And at this time of year, you're facing increased opportunities for contracting a nasty bug just by buying, preparing and cooking a turkey. Eating it brings on a whole new series of risks.

On the Thanksgiving weekend alone, more than three million turkeys will be cooked in homes across Canada.

Here are some tips on how to make sure your holiday feast doesn't wind up cramping your style.

Buying a fresh turkey

• Check the "best before" date to make sure you have the freshest turkey.
• Purchase it no more than two days before cooking.
• The turkey should be cold when bought and immediately refrigerated at home at a temperature of 4 C (39 F).
• The turkey should be the last thing purchased before you go to the checkout.
• Put the turkey in a separate plastic bag to avoid contaminating other foods.
• Your fresh (or frozen) turkey should not sit in your car longer than the trip home from the grocery store.
• Don't leave your turkey sitting on the counter once you get home - put it in the refrigerator immediately. Bacteria grow rapidly at room temperature.

Buying a frozen turkey

• Frozen, wrapped turkeys can be kept in the freezer for up to one year without a loss in quality.
• Purchase your frozen turkey four to six days before you plan to cook it to allow it to thaw in your refrigerator.

Storing and thawing your turkey

• Place the turkey in the fridge on a platter big enough to catch leaking juices.
• Do not thaw turkey on the kitchen counter.
• Start thawing the frozen turkey in the refrigerator four to six days before cooking it (allow 24 hours of defrosting time for each 2.5 kilograms or 5.5 pounds).
• Turkey can be thawed in cold water but it should be wrapped in plastic and the water changed every half hour.
• If you thaw the bird in a microwave, cook it immediately after thawing it completely.

Preparing your turkey

• Do not let any turkey juices come in contact with other food.
• Thoroughly wash your hands, the counter and all utensils before preparing the turkey - and every time you go to do something else after handling the turkey.
• Rinse the turkey under cold running water.
• If anything in your kitchen - including utensils, cutting boards, counters and dish cloths - has been in direct contact with raw poultry or its juices, clean them thoroughly before using them again to prepare other foods.

Stuffing your turkey

• Stuffing can be a veritable breeding ground for bacteria. It is moist and slow to heat up and cool down.
• Cooking stuffing outside the bird - in its own oven dish or on the stove - is the safest (and least appetizing) way to prepare it.
• If you stuff your bird, stuff it loosely just before it goes into the oven and remove the stuffing as soon as it comes out.
• Stuffing should reach a minimum internal temperature of 74 C (165 F).

Cooking your turkey

• Turkey should be cooked until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the breast or thigh reaches 85 C (185 F).
• Turkey is done when the leg of a whole bird moves easily and the juices are no longer pink.

Deep frying your turkey

More and more Canadians are adopting the American tradition of deep-frying turkey outdoors. This method of cooking is much quicker than roasting it in the oven and can lead to a juicier bird. But it is also fraught with dangers.

Deep fryers are notorious for leading to fires, if not handled properly.

CSA International has prepared these tips for safe deep-frying:

Setting up your deep fryer

• Ensure that your deep fryer has been certified by an accredited certification organization.
• Turkey fryers should only be used outdoors and at least three metres from structures - including garages, carports and overhangs - vehicles, and combustible materials.
• Always use a turkey fryer on a level, stable, non-combustible surface, and never on a wooden deck or any structure that can catch fire.
• Place the propane gas tank and fryer so that any wind blows the heat of the fryer away from the gas tank.

Cooking the turkey

• Never cook a partially or fully frozen turkey! A frozen turkey can cause the oil to splatter and boil over, posing a potential risk of fire and burn injuries.
• Dry the turkey - especially the cavity - before putting it in the oil.
• When filling the pot with oil, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions and never over-fill the turkey fryer. This can cause the oil to overflow posing a potential risk of ignition from the burner flame.
• Never heat the oil above 200 C (392 F) and always use the thermometer supplied with the turkey fryer to measure the oil temperature.
• Slowly lower the turkey into hot oil with caution, being careful to avoid an overflow.
• Use well-insulated oven mitts when touching a pot lid or handles as they can become extremely hot, posing a risk of burn injuries.
• Never leave a turkey fryer unattended.
• Young children and pets should be kept away from the area where turkey fryers are being used.

Dealing with leftovers

• In case the entire bird is not consumed during one sitting, anything left over should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
• Remove the meat from the carcass and store in small containers for rapid and uniform cooling.
• Ensure that cooked food does not come into contact with uncooked food.
• Eat leftovers within two or three days.
• Don't reheat the same leftovers more than once.