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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2016)
32 Wednesday, November 23, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Observe food safety over Thanksgiving This week millions of Americans will gather family and friends around the dinner table to give thanks. But for those preparing the meal, it can be a stressful time. For many it is the largest meal they have cooked all year, leaving plenty of room for mistakes that could cause foodborne illness. “Unsafe handling and undercooking of food can lead to serious foodborne illness,” said Al Almanza, Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “Turkeys may con- tain Salmonella and Campylobacter, harm- ful pathogens that are only destroyed by properly prepar- ing and cooking the turkey. Similarly, leaving leftovers out for too long, or not taking care to properly clean cooking and serving surfaces, can lead to other types of illness. We want to be sure that all con- sumers know the steps they can take and resources that are available to them to help prepare a safe and enjoyable holiday meal. ” To avoid making everyone at the table sick, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) offers five tips for a food-safe Thanksgiving: Tip 1: Don’t Wash That Turkey. According to the most recent Food Safety Survey, conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, 68 per- cent of the public washes whole turkey before cooking it. USDA does not recommend washing raw meat and poultry before cooking. Washing raw meat and poultry can cause bacteria to spread up to three feet away. Cooking (baking, broiling, boiling, frying or grilling) meat and poultry to the right temperature kills any bacteria that may be present, so washing meat and poultry is not necessary. Tip 2: Use the refrigerator, the cold-water method or the Don’t wash that bird! Cook to 165ºF ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DIMEDROL68/ microwave to defrost a frozen turkey. There are three safe ways to defrost a turkey: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave oven. Thawing food in the refrig- erator is the safest method because the turkey will defrost at a consistent, safe temperature. It will take 24 hours for every five pounds of weight for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. To thaw in cold water, submerge the bird in its original wrapper in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes. For instruc- tions on microwave defrost- ing, refer to your microwave’s owner’s manual. Cold water and microwave thawing can also be used if your bird did not entirely defrost in the refrigerator. Tip 3: Use a meat thermometer. The only way to determine if a turkey (or any meat, poul- try or seafood) is cooked is to check its internal tempera- ture with a food thermometer. A whole turkey should be checked in three locations: the innermost part of the thigh, the innermost part of the wing and the thickest part of the breast. Your thermometer should register 165°F in all three of these places. The juices rarely run clear at this temperature, and when they do the bird is often overcooked. Using the food thermometer is the best way to ensure your turkey is cooked, but not overdone. Tip 4: Don’t store food outside, even if it’s cold. Storing food outside is not food-safe for two reasons. The first is that animals, both wild and domesticated, can get into food stored outside, consum- ing it or contaminating it. The second is temperature varia- tion. Just like your car gets warm in the summer, a plastic food storage container in the sun can heat up and climb into the danger zone (above 40°F). The best way to keep that extra Thanksgiving food at a safe temperature (below 40°F) is in a cooler with ice. Tip 5: Leftovers are good in the refrigerator for up to four days. Cut the turkey off the bone and refrigerate it as soon as you can, within 2 hours of the turkey coming out of the oven. Leftovers will last for four days in the refrigerator, so if you know you won’t use them right away, pack them into freezer bags or airtight containers and freeze. For best quality, use your leftover tur- key within four months. After that, the leftovers will still be safe, but can dry out or lose flavor. The Nugget Newspaper Crossword By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service — Last Week’s Puzzle Solved — This Week’s Crossword Sponsors PUMP & ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR “If you want the job done, give them a call. Their work ethic was beyond impressive.” — Marcia Tripiano Sisters Owned A Division of CCB#178543 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE Curt 541-480-1404 • Zach 541-420-8170 NEWLY RENOVATED BAR! PLUS NEW BAR MENU & 60” SPORT TVs! WINGS • ONION RINGS •MINI MINI CORN DOGS GARLIC/PARMESAN POTATO JO-JO’s CALAMARI •JALAPEÑO POPPERS HAPPY HOUR 3-6 PM 5 541-549-8620 • 425 Hwy. 20 W. (Next to Bi-Mart) Mon-Thurs 11 am-8 pm, Fri 11 am-9 pm, Sat 8 am-9 pm, Sun 8 am-8 pm • Lounge Open Later Holiday Open House! Essentials 6TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION! Sunday December 4, 2 to 4 p.m. Skincare Please join us for wine, hot buttered rums, appetizers. Door prizes • Drawings • Gifts • 10% OFF all Éminence Organic Products 541-480-1412 | 541-588-6271 | 492 E. Main Ave. | Mon-Sat Flexible Hours | www.SistersEssentials.com
