Thanksgiving is one week away and people are already getting all the ingredients they need for a welcoming spread this holiday.
Mike Strain, Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, shared tips you need to know when it comes to safely preparing a turkey. He says the most important step in preparing a turkey is the thawing time.
“If you have a big Butterball turkey… in other words a big 20 pound turkey, you need to put it in the refrigerator if it’s frozen…today,” Strain explained on WWL's Tommy Tucker show. “24 hours for each four to five pounds… in the refrigerator, put a pan under it so those juices don’t potentially drip and contaminate other foods.”
A thawed turkey can stay in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days says Strain.
The second method for thawing a turkey uses cold water.
“It will take 10 to 12 hours to thaw it in water... in the sink, but you got to change the water every 30 minutes,” said Strain. “Now, if you mess up and say honey, I forgot to thaw the turkey… it generally takes twice as long to cook as it would if it thawed.”
Strain says don’t bother to wash the turkey because you could risk spreading contaminated water on or near other foods, increasing the risk of bacteria in the kitchen.
There is more than one way cook a turkey. The key Strain says, is to use a thermometer to be sure the turkey is cooked internally to 165 degrees.
Frying a turkey is a popular method, however, Strain warns it comes with some safety risks.
“When you are frying that turkey, please put that cooker…don’t put it under the ease or next to the house. Every year there are several fires that occur… you got to watch it closely, you know keep the kids away… but that grease gets very hot so please be careful because we don’t want to catch the house or shed on fire” said Strain.
For more turkey tips from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry click here.
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