Tips for holiday cooking

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports
Cooking times and temperatures
Raw meats and eggs need to be properly cooked to destroy any hazardous microorganisms.
· Avoid thawing large meat items at room temperature; take the turkey and large hams out of the freezer and place them in the refrigerator two to three days before cooking;
· Pork, fish and meats (including ground beef), injected meats, game animals and raw eggs must be cooked at 145 degrees Fahrenheit for three minutes, 150 degrees Fahrenheit for one minute or 155 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds;
· No matter whether people are roasting or frying, poultry and stuffed food items must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds; and
· All hot foods should be kept hot at 135 degrees or above.

Person hygiene
Do not handle uncooked or cooked foods without washing hands in between.
· Washing hands vigorously for twenty seconds with soap and water before and after handling, preparing or serving food will help prevent cross contamination;
· Use clean utensils and work surfaces;
· Use separate utensils and equipment for raw and cooked foods;
· Clean dishes and work surfaces after thawing or preparing raw poultry; and
· Use paper towels to clean up kitchen surfaces or if using cloth towels, wash often in a hot cycle of the washing machine.

Refrigerator storage
Everyone is guilty of eating a big meal and slipping off to watch football or take a nap on the couch. Most potentially hazardous foods (meat, fish, chicken and turkey) deteriorate rapidly at room temperature. Temperature control is one of the factors that can be used to manage the number of microorganisms in food.
· Keeping foods at a temperature that will prevent food-borne illnesses are very important. Cold foods should be kept cold at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below; and
· Food should only be left out for a maximum of four hours. Time begins when the food is taken out of the refrigerator or warmer and subjected to room temperature.

No one wants to spend there holiday in the emergency room, so people need to take the time to follow these simple tips for a safe holiday season. For details, call Public Health at 452-8338.

(Information courtesy of the 52nd Aerospace Medicine Squadron).