News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A local expert said the most common mistake people make when preparing the Thanksgiving turkey is not thawing it correctly.
Pickett County UT Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Amanda Woody said she prefers placing a turkey in the refrigerator over other thawing methods such as submerging the turkey in cold water and a microwave.. Woody said the turkey should stay in the fridge for 24 hours per four to five pounds of turkey.
“If you got a 10 to 12-pound turkey then it could take a couple of days of thawing in the refrigerator,” Woody said. “So plan ahead and check how big your turkey is and move it from the freezer to the refrigerator in plenty of time give it that thawing time.”
Woody said if the turkey is not completely thawed when it comes to pulling the turkey out of the fridge, then sitting the turkey in cold water could help finish the thawing process. Woody said being prepared is crucial into having an enjoyable turkey this holiday season.
“You have to plan you have to kind of your to-do list,” Woody said. “I like to write down what time I need to do everything. When I’m getting ready for our Thanksgiving meal I’ll write down what time my turkey needs to go in the oven.”
Woody said people do not have to rinse their turkey before cooking it.
“There’s some debate over whether we rinse off our turkey before we get ready to cook it after it is thawed or if we don’t,” Woody said. “The food safety experts say we don’t need to rinse the turkey so after it’s thawed we can start preparing it. We do need to make sure we are washing our hands correctly with soap and water for twenty seconds and cleaning anything that the turkey might have touched to avoid cross-contamination.”
Woody said not cooking the turkey to the correct temperature or not cooking it for the correct amount of time are also some mistakes people make. Woody said she recommends cooking the turkey until it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Woody said there is a lot of information online about how long a turkey would need to cook to reach that temperature.
Woody said after the turkey is cooked the next steps are as follows: let the turkey cool, cut the turkey up, and then serve the turkey. If you have any questions about preparing your turkey for this Thanksgiving please reach out to your local UT extension office for more information.
