STORAGE TIPS:
• Like all raw meat, turkey can spoil quickly. Therefore when
you're on a shopping trip, pick up your turkey just before going home.
• Select meat packages that are cold and well wrapped.
• Labels on fresh turkey must indicate the year, month and day
of packaging. When buying fresh poultry, select those packaged on
the day you are in the store.
• At home, place turkey in refrigerator or freezer immediately.
• Do not refreeze turkey that has been previously frozen.
• Fresh, unfrozen turkey should be stored in the coldest part
of the refrigerator, loosely covered with wax paper or in its original
wrapping. Do not let raw meat juices touch ready-to-eat foods either
in the refrigerator or during preparation.
• Fresh turkey should be cooked within 2 or 3 days of purchase.
Frozen whole turkeys can be kept frozen for up to 12 months and turkey
parts for 6 months.
• Cooked turkey can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
• Turkey labelled previously frozen must be kept refrigerated
and used within 48 hours of purchase.
• Avoid leaving turkey (cooked or raw) in the 'Danger Zone' 40
Deg. F. (4 Deg. C.) to 140 Deg. F. (60 Deg. C.).
SAFETY TIPS:
• Always wash hands in hot soapy water before preparing foods
and handling raw meat.
• Wash all equipment and utensils thoroughly in hot soapy water
after handling raw turkey to avoid bacteria transfer onto cooked meat.
Then rinse using a sanitizing solution of one capful of chlorine bleach
in a sink full of warm water. Thoroughly rinse surfaces, dishes and
utensils with hot water.
• Keep cutting boards for raw meat cutting and preparing separate
from other foods and don't use to prepare vegetables.
• Never partially cook your turkey one day and continue cooking
the next day. (Food spoilage organisms accumulate quickly on partially
cooked foods.)
• An oven temperature of 325 - 350 Deg. F. (160 - 180 Deg. C.)
is best for roasting turkey. Higher temperatures may toughen the protein
and cause shrinkage. Temperatures lower than 300 Deg. F. (150 Deg.
C) are not recommended.
• Cooked turkey should never be left on the table or counter
after carving. Keep it hot in the oven or cool it quickly in the refrigerator.
MEAL PLANNING TIPS:
• Good meal planning can help to present the perfect meal. Writing
down a schedule for meal preparation can help eliminate any unforeseen
timing issues.
The following ideas are helpful when preparing
the traditional turkey dinner:
 •
Use the drippings from the turkey to make your gravy. Plan to make
your gravy after the turkey is cooked, while letting it stand.
• Serve root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beans or squash
with turkey. The flavours are very complimentary.
• Use turkey or chicken stock to moisten your dressing instead
of water. It will boost the flavour.
• Add unique food items to your stuffing to enhance the flavour.
For spicy dressing add onions, mushrooms, celery and red peppers.
For a sweet dressing add walnuts, apple slices, raisins and cinnamon.
FOODBORNE ORGANISMS WHICH MAY BE FOUND IN TURKEY
• These organisms may be found in turkey and could cause foodborne
illness with symptoms such as headache and an upset stomach if turkey
is not handled correctly and cooked thoroughly:
• Campylobacter jejuni -
found in raw or undercooked poultry and sometimes in humans. Avoiding
cross contamination by cleanliness and thorough cooking prevents infection
by this bacterium.
• Salmonella - found in raw or undercooked poultry. Infections occur when these bacteria are ingested and reproduce in the small
intestine in numbers large enough to cause symptoms of illness. Thorough
cooking destroys Salmonella bacteria.
• Staphylococcus aureus - carried by humans on the skin, in nasal
passages and throats, infected cuts and pimples. These bacteria are
spread by improper food handling and then can multiply in food producing
a toxin which is not destroyed by normal cooking temperatures. Always
wash hands and utensils before preparing and serving food. Refrigerate
cooked food within 2 hours.
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