It's Turkey Time, take time to do it safely

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 In my last article we reviewed tips to prepare chicken safely and keeping in the poultry lane, let's go over a few food safety tips for turkey this holiday season.  There are so many different methods for turkey that each can have some differences in how you prepare and serve it.


In general, whole, smoked or fried turkey needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 82°C (180°F) for whole chicken and 74°C (165°F) for pieces.  If the whole turkey is frozen and you need to thaw it before cooking, it needs to be thawed safely.  There are a few methods you can use to thaw the turkey safely.  Thawing in the refrigerator is the safest method and you will need to plan ahead.  It could take up to a week to slowly thaw from frozen.  This is the safest method because the turkey will not enter the temperature danger zone where bacteria could grow.  Health Canada reviews other methods for thawing foods safely.    

Smoked turkey or prepared turkey breasts, are very popular options in many households that you can pick up in the frozen or refrigerated aisles.  For the prepared turkey breasts, you need to follow the instructions on the label and for refrigerated smoked turkey you need to reheat to a safe internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) unless you plan to serve it cold.      

Whether you cook or reheat the turkey, you'll need a probe thermometer to check the temperatures, preferably with a digital readout.  You also want to check the temperature in several places so ensure the turkey has reached the safe temperature throughout the bird.  Digital food thermometers are widely available in most supermarkets these days.  You can skip the thermometer that has a needle that points to the different types of meats with no digital readout.  


As for stuffing turkey, this is a food safety no-no.  If you think about the long hours that it takes to cook a  whole turkey, the raw turkey juices will flow into the stuffed cavity and if the stuffing doesn't also reach the safe temperatures, it will probably contain raw, bacteria-filled juices and you could make someone sick, It is safest to cook the stuffing separate from the turkey, you can add jus from the turkey to flavour the stuffing.  I know many will still go ahead and stuff the turkey despite what I've said, so check the temperature of the stuffing too and get above 74°C (165°F).

Here are some rhyming couplets to help you remember your reheating temperatures

  • For the Celsius crew- Bacteria is no more when you reheat to 74
  • For the Fahrenheit crew- Bacteria is no longer alive, when you reheat to 165
For your cooking temperatures
  • For the Celsius crew- You know what to do, cook that turkey to 82
  • For the Fahrenheit crew- Food borne illness can you leave you looking pasty, unless you cook that turkey to 180

Have any questions?  Connect with me on Twitter (@SAFTDIVA), or LinkedIn