Oakland County Thanksgiving Safety Tips

A beautiful, cooked turkey sits in the center of the table amidst of Thanksgiving dishes like stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Whether you’re a pro at hosting the Thanksgiving meal or this will be your very first time, it’s important to follow and practice food safety tips, especially when poultry and stuffing are involved.

Turkey:

Cooking a turkey requires planning and preparation; get started using these tips from the USDA.

  • Buy the turkey a few days before you plan to cook it.
  • Refrain from buying a pre-stuffed turkey.
  • Remember that thawing the turkey takes 24 hours in the refrigerator for every four to five pounds, and cold water thawing takes 30 minutes per pound.
  • Be sure the turkey is completely thawed before cooking.
  • Set the oven temperature no lower than 325 ºF.
  • Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2-2 1/2 inches deep.
  • Cook stuffing in a casserole for optimum safety.
  • Check the internal temperature with a food thermometer and ensure it is at least 165 ºF.
  • Let the bird sit for 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving.

Homemade Roasted Thanksgiving Day Turkey with all the Sides

Stuffing:

The Partnership for Food Safety Education has a special section devoted to stuffing in their Talking Turkey guide.

  • Cook all stuffing and dressing to a minimum temperature of 165 ºF, whether it is cooked inside or outside the bird. For optimum safety, cooking your stuffing in a casserole dish is recommended.
  • Prepare and put stuffing in the turkey immediately before it’s placed into the oven.
  • Mix wet and dry ingredients for the stuffing separately and combine just before using.
  • Stuff the turkey loosely, about 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey.
  • Bake any extra stuffing in a greased casserole dish.

Need more tips for preparing your feast? Call Butterball’s hotline at 800-288-8372, text them at 844-877-3456, or visit their website. Check out the Oakland County Health Division website for additional food safety tips.

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Donate to Forgotten Harvest, Every Pound Counts

Forgotten Harvest is one of the largest and most efficient food rescue organizations in the United States of America. The organization rescues fresh, nutritious surplus food and sends it to hungry communities. Last year, they rescued 45 million pounds of food that would have otherwise been wasted; each pound represents a meal enjoyed by a community member who needs it.

Take a look at this video that goes behind the scenes at the Forgotten Harvest warehouse in Oak Park:

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Share the Bounty with Forgotten Harvest

Volunteers pack food at the Forgotten Harvest Warehouse

You can help to ensure that every family has food on the table this holiday season by donating surplus prepared and perishable food to Forgotten Harvest. Founded 27 years ago in Metro Detroit, Forgotten Harvest has grown to become the largest and most efficient food rescue organization in the United States.

Forgotten Harvest’s charitable footprint is massive in scale. The organization covers 2,000 square miles, distributing millions of pounds of food to 250 emergency food providers in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Last year, Forgotten Harvest rescued 45 million pounds of food that would have been otherwise wasted. Each pound represents a meal enjoyed by community members in need.

 

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