By Neil Doyle
BLOOMINGTON – While it won’t be a typical Thanksgiving or holiday season due to COVID-19, health officials are still reminding home cooks about food safety.
If your frozen turkey is 10 to 15 pounds, you need to take it out of the freezer now in order for it to be thawed by Thanksgiving Day, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. It takes about 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. You should never thaw a turkey by leaving it on the counter because that invites bacteria to contaminate the bird.
IDPH recommends people follow four main steps for food safety: clean, separate, cook, chill.
An easy rule to remember is to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. After being cooked to a safe temperature, hot foods should not be allowed to get cooler than 140° F. Cold foods should not be allowed to become warmer than 40° F. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40° F and 140°F. This range of temperatures is commonly referred to as the “Danger Zone.”
Typical symptoms of foodborne illness include vomiting, diarrhea, and flu-like symptoms, which can start anywhere from hours to days after consuming contaminated food or drinks.
Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]
