"Meaty" Advice for Holiday Cooks!
A Job Too Well Done?
Cooking to proper internal temperatures not only ensures
the safety of your holiday meat, it also helps ensure
the taste. According to a recent ADA survey*, more than
half of all home cooks (56 percent) admit they have cooked
a holiday turkey for so long it tasted dry. To make sure
your holiday turkey (or other main meat dish) is both
safe and delicious, use a meat thermometer to check for
doneness. Need a temperature cheat sheet? Download a copy
of the Holiday Helper from www.homefoodsafety.org
for a quick reference of temperatures for all of your
favorite holiday meat dishes.
*Source: American Dietetic Association Survey, conducted
by Impulse Research Corporation, November 2004.
Tick Tock, Swap
More than one-third (37 percent)
of holiday meals are buffet or
potluck-style. After you set your
spread, be sure to set your timer:
After two hours, harmful bacteria can multiply
rapidly, putting you and your guests at risk of
foodborne illness. Help ensure the safety of
your holiday smorgasbord by promptly refrigerating foods
below 40°F within two hours.
Or, as a back up for longer gatherings, keep a
fresh set of food in the fridge and swap it out at
the two-hour mark.
Insider Information
While two out of three Americans typically cook stuffing
inside their holiday turkey at least some of the time,
most (79 percent) don't know the proper temperature to
which it should be cooked! To ensure that your stuffed
bird is
thoroughly cooked, use a meat thermometer to check
the internal
temperatures of both turkey and stuffing – a whole
turkey should reach
180°F deep in the thigh; stuffing should reach 165°F.
(For safety and
uniform doneness of turkey, cook stuffing separately.)
Two Times = Too Many
It's true: 38 percent of Americans
admit to “double dipping” at
holiday parties! (That means they
dip a chip or vegetable into a bowl of
dip or salsa, bite off half, and then dip again.)
While this may be the season for sharing, when
it comes to dipping, one time is enough!
Fa La-La-La Leftovers
For most Americans, eating leftovers from a holiday
meal is as traditional as the meal itself. And while
some (60 percent) choose to eat their repeat feasts
cold straight from the fridge, most of us either reheat
foods in the microwave/oven (73 percent), or pack a “leftover
lunch” to take to work or school (71 percent).
How ever you decide to reinvent your holiday meal,
take steps to help ensure it's as safe as it is delicious:
Always reheat leftover foods to an internal temperature
of 165°F and make sure food is not left out of
refrigeration for more than two hours. Pack perishable
lunch foods in an insulated bag and throw in an ice
pack to make sure foods stay properly chilled.
Festive Twist
A festive holiday drink may not
be complete without a colorful
garnish of lime or orange. But beware: One in four holiday
hosts confess they don't always wash
fruit to remove harmful bacteria before adding it
to your drink. In addition to washing ready-to eat
fruits like pears and plums, it's also important
to wash fruits with skin you don’t eat such as limes, oranges and lemons to eliminate
harmful bacteria that can spread during peeling
or cutting.
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