Thanksgiving

Storing, Thawing & Cooking

• Storing Raw & Cooked Turkey↓
• Turkey Thawing Hints from the National Turkey Federation↓
• Safe Food Handling & Sanitation↓
• Basics of Cooking↓

Safe Food Handling & Sanitation

• Always wash hands thoroughly in hot, soapy water before and after preparing foods and handling raw poultry.
• Keep hands, face, hair and personal clothing clean. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Those with nasal discharges or skin infections should not handle food.
• All equipment and materials used in the thawing, storage, preparation and serving of turkey must be clean and sanitized to prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked food.
• Clean cutting surfaces, knives, pans, cutting equipment and thermometers frequently and sanitize after each use. Wash counters, cutting boards and other surfaces raw poultry has touched.
• Store turkey products in their original wrappers and carton. Check the wrap for tears or perforations. Add protective, moisture and vapor-proof wrapping, if necessary.
• Cross-contaminating raw and cooked foods can cause a major kitchen calamity. DO NOT let raw poultry juices touch ready-to-eat foods. DO NOT put cooked foods on a plate that held raw poultry.

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Basics of Cooking

To rinse or not to rinse the whole bird

Today's whole body turkeys are oven-ready because of sanitary processing and storage methods used by turkey processors.

However, USDA does recommend following these guidelines when rinsing turkeys:

• Remove neck from body cavity and giblets from neck cavity.
• Remove any pin feathers or pieces of lung or windpipe.
• Sanitize sink and drain board or draining area.
• Rinse turkey inside and out under cold, running water. Rinse only. Do not leave turkey in water.
• Drain on sanitized surface.
• Use turkey immediately or cover and refrigerate.
• Do not re-use any plastic bags or boxes that have been used to store poultry.

Measuring Temperature

One of the critical factors in controlling pathogens in food is controlling temperature. Disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and parasites grow very slowly at low temperatures, multiply rapidly in mid-range temperatures and are killed at high temperatures. For safety, perishable foods must be held at proper cold temperatures to inhibit bacterial growth or cooked to temperatures high enough to kill harmful microorganisms. It is essential to use a food thermometer when cooking turkey products to prevent undercooking, and consequently, prevent food-borne illness.

Many believe that visible indicators, such as color changes, can be used to determine if foods are cooked to a point where pathogens are killed. However, recent research has shown that color and texture indicators are unreliable. Using a food thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure safety and to determine the "doneness" of turkey.

Inserting the thermometer

When measuring the temperature of the whole bird, follow these procedures:

• Insert thermometer in the deepest part of breast or thigh. The thermometer should reach 170ºF in the breast or 180ºF in the thigh.
• When inserting the thermometer in the breast, insert from the side. The thermometer is easier to read and more accurate than when inserted from the top.
• Be sure to insert a thermometer into each bird.
• To measure the temperature of turkey parts and products, follow the same procedure of inserting the thermometer in the deepest part of the piece.

Cooking Whole Turkey

Note: When comparing whole body turkey and breast of the same weight, notice the breast requires more cooking time. This is because a large breast comes from a large turkey (e.g., a 20-lb. breast from a 40-lb. turkey). So, the breast has a very high meat to bone ratio and, therefore, requires longer cooking.

Whole Body Turkey and Turkey Breast

Cooking Equipment	Cooking Method	Oven Temperature	Total Cooking Time
Conventional Oven Unstuffed Whole Body Turkey	Roast	325°F	14 to 18 lbs. 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hrs. 18 to 22 lbs. 4 ¼ to 4 ¾ hrs. 22 to 26 lbs. 4 ¾ to 5 ¼ hrs.
Convection Oven Unstuffed Whole Body Turkey	Roast	300°F	14 to 18 lbs. 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hrs. 18 to 22 lbs. 2 ½ to 3 ¼ hrs.
Conventional Oven Unstuffed Breast	Roast	325°F	8 to 12 lbs. 2 ½ to 3 ½ hrs. 12 to 16 lbs. 3 ½ to 4 ½ hrs. 16 to 20 lbs. 4 ½ to 5 ½ hrs. 20 to 24 lbs. 5 ½ to 6 ½ hrs.
Convection Oven Unstuffed Breast	Roast	300°F	12 to 16 lbs. 2 ¼ to 3 hrs. 16 to 20 lbs. 3 to 3 ¾ hrs.

Special tips for whole body turkey:

• Cook breast up, back down.
• The number of turkeys you cook at once depends on the size of your oven.
• Section turkey for faster cooking, if desired. Remove thighs and drumsticks and cook them separately from the breasts.
• Cook to an internal temperature of 180ºF in the thigh, 170ºF in the breast.

Special tips for turkey breast:

• Cook same-size breasts at the same time.
• Cook meaty side up.
• Do not overcook or delicate breast meat will dry out.
• Cook to an internal temperature of 170ºF.

Roasts

Cooking Equipment	Cooking Method	Oven Temperature	Amount	Total Cooking Time
Conventional Oven	Roast	325°F	3 to 4/pan	4 to 5 ½ hrs.
Convection Oven	Roast	300°F	3 to 4/pan	3 to 4 hrs.

Special Tips:

• These directions are for netted, rolled, boneless, raw roasts.
• Cook to internal temperature of 170°F.

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