SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah — With holiday kitchens heating up across Utah, food-safety experts are urging families to slow down and double-check things, including their cooking temperatures, to keep celebrations safe this year.
Taylorsville resident Roxana Huerta is hoping this holiday goes right. It's a special year because for the first time, she's taking on the turkey.
"This is my first time cooking turkey," Huerta said.
While she's excited, she's also a little nervous about keeping her family healthy. "I don't want them to get sick. I'm really careful when I cook," Huerta said.
With millions of Americans prepping their holiday meals, Salt Lake County Health Officials say those concerns are pretty common. "We see about 48 million cases of food-borne illness every year, and one of the best things you can do is wash your hands," said Andrea Gamble, an Environmental Health Scientist in the Bureau of Food Protection.
Gamble says one of the most important steps starts days before you cook.
"Hopefully, if you have a big turkey, you're already thawing it in the refrigerator, so 16-20 pound turkey needs about 4 days to completely thaw and when you do that, it should be on the very bottom shelf because you don't want turkey juice dripping onto other foods," Gamble said.
She says whatever you do, don't rinse the turkey. "Don't wash your turkey, you're actually just spreading contamination. You're spreading small drops across your kitchen," Gamble said.
Instead, let the oven do the work. "The best way to kill germs is just by cooking it to 165 degrees," Gamble said. "Use a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast or leg, avoiding the bone so you get a true reading."
When dinner is over, keep an eye on the clock. "Food should not be left out on the counter at room temperature for longer than 2 hours and then you need to put it in 2-inch containers and quickly cool it in your refrigerator and throw it away after 4 days. Everything should be stored according to cooking temperature, ready to eat foods on the top and the turkey on the bottom," Gamble said.
For Huerta, it's a lot to think about, but worth it to keep her family safe. "I'm thankful for my healthy family," Huerta said.
