Maine Turkey Day Truths: Food Safety Tips for a Worry-Free Feast

There's always so much prep for Turkey Day.

In some ways, the days leading up to the big meal are my favorite. The night before, my mom and I always get together and start all the prep. We cut veggies for stuffing, we peel potatoes, we brine the bird, and we make all the bread and rolls. Cooking with my mom is still pretty much my favorite holiday tradition.

Read More: Maine Tops the Thanksgiving 'Most Stressful State' List

Luckily for us, I have had to take several food safety classes over the years. I had my ServSafe certification up to date until just a few years ago. Not a lot changes year to year, so everything I learned in the past has served me well for keeping my family safe from foodborne illness during the holidays.

Get our free mobile app

We'll go over what I consider to be the biggies, as far as keeping things safe. Sure, there are lots of other things you could go overboard on, like how crazy you go washing fruits and vegetables. But, for instance, did you know it's actually considered a bad idea to wash your turkey? Here's why...

Stop washing poultry altogether...

According to the USDA, adding the extra step of washing chicken before you cook it, is one of the biggest spreaders of bacteria in a home kitchen. Most people don't think about how far that bad juice just sprays everywhere when you try to wash it, cross-contaminating everything in its path. Plus, you have to cook it through, so you won't be leaving any bad stuff behind when you eat it. Trust me, restaurants don't wash chicken.

Your turkey must be at least 165 degrees when you eat it.

Ideally, you'll put the thermometer well into where the upper joint joins the body. It's the most accurate spot to take a temp, not just in the meaty part of the breast. But anything less than 165 degrees, puts you right in line for any number of the bacteria you'll find in turkey. Salmonella, etc. So definitely don't ignore the importance of temp.

Keep your cold stuff below 40 degrees.

It's also a good idea to not just keep track of your hot items, but remember that cold things need to stay cold, too. If you're doing a relish tray or a charcuterie board or something, keep it chilled until the last possible minute. If it sits out for too long, consider putting it away for a little while and getting it chilled again. Better yet, if there's a way to keep it on ice or something, even better.

Your leftovers need to be reheated to at least 140 degrees.

Sure, it seems like a lot to keep track of, but not making people sick is pretty cool. If you're going to reheat some of those delicious leftovers, remember that you'll want to get those reheats up to at least 140 degrees. Better yet, if you get all the way up to 165, you're guaranteed to have no issues.

Never stop cleaning while you cook.

This is actually probably the most important rule of all. Foodborne illness happens most often during the prep process. Especially if the meal has poultry. You should be finding a solid sanitizing agent that you can just keep with you the whole time. That could be a light bleach and water solution, or a commercial product. If you choose bleach, add 5 tablespoons of bleach, per gallon of water.

No one wants to get sick at Thanksgiving. And you certainly don't want to be the one to make someone sick. All it really takes is a little common sense, and the willingness to do a little extra. But don't be afraid to look up more tips, depending on what you're doing. You can never be too safe.