If you’re cooking for the holidays, you know it can be stressful. Going from one gathering to the next, making sure you have all the ingredients you need for dishes, and making sure you have room for everything on the stove or in the oven is a lot. Unfortunately, food safety may not be one of those concerns everyone thinks of at the holidays. And while food safety can sound intimidating or scary, it really isn’t. You likely follow some of the tips below without even realizing it.
- Wash your hands.
See, we told you these tips would be easy! Washing your hands while in the kitchen is common sense for most people. Just make sure you’re washing your hands before you start cooking, during cooking (especially after touching raw eggs, raw meat, throwing something in the trash, etc.), and after cooking. You’ll want to make sure too that you’re also washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap, under clean, running water. - Defrost properly.
When defrosting your food, you should ever defrost it at room temperature on the counter or in warm/hot water. This temperature change can allow bacteria to grow. This is especially true for meats, so make sure you’re allowing enough time for your turkey or ham to defrost properly before cooking. You should only defrost food in the refrigerator, in the microwave, or using a cool (not hot) water bath. If you choose to do a cool hot water bath, make sure that whatever you’re defrosting is in a leak proof plastic bag, and the water is changed every 30 minutes. If you decide to defrost in the fridge, make sure that any meat is covered and on the lowest shelf, so it doesn’t drip onto any other food. - Keep surfaces clean.
In the same way you want to make sure your hands are clean, you also want to make sure surfaces coming into contact with food are clean too. Wipe and disinfect countertops and other surfaces, refrigerator and oven door handles, and utensils. You’ll also want to make sure that you use different cutting boards–one for raw meat and one for veggies. Using different utensils while cooking (one utensil with raw meat vs. a new, clean one for cooked meat) is also a good idea. - Don’t eat raw baked goods.
While that brownie batter or cookie dough can be so tempting, any foods with raw eggs or uncooked flour can contain bacteria. This bacteria can lead to food poisoning if you eat it raw, and no one wants to spend the day after Thanksgiving huddled over a trash can. - Use a food thermometer.
Measuring the temperature of your turkey (or other meat) is the only reliable way to make sure that it’s cooked all the way through. You can’t tell my “clear juices” or time in the oven. Eating meat, especially poultry, that’s not cooked through all the way can lead to salmonella and other illnesses. - Refrigerate your leftovers within two hours.
While it can be tempting to sit around the table talking with family you haven’t seen in a while, take a quick break to put the leftover food away. If food is left out for more than two hours, it can start to grow bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.
Making your holiday dinners safe doesn’t have to be hard. Following these simple tips can help ensure that your family has a delicious, safe meal and won’t leave anyone sick and unable to enjoy the rest of the weekend with family.