Top 10 Turkey Mistakes

It's time to talk turkey. If you're cooking one for the first time this Thanksgiving or even if you've cooked one before, do you know how to prepare it safely?

If you're not sure what to do, don't worry. Plenty of people have turkey questions and the answers are readily available. Each Thanksgiving, staffers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Meat and Poultry Hotline answer hundreds of calls from people who have questions about preparing turkey.

On a typical Thanksgiving, the Hotline always gets people calling and their birds are still in the freezer. They also want to know how long it takes to cook (turkey) and basic kinds of things.

Raw or undercooked meat and poultry may contain harmful bacteria. So improper thawing, handling, cooking or storing of that holiday bird can put hosts and dinner guests at risk for food poisoning.

Avoid these turkey bloopers

1. Buying fresh turkeys too early. If you buy fresh, don't buy much too early - more than two days before Thanksgiving. You can only keep a fresh turkey refrigerated one to two days before cooking. (However, a whole frozen turkey can be stored in your home freezer at 0 degrees F for as much as a year.)

2. Cross contamination. Don't put raw meat or poultry with raw vegetables, says the National Turkey Federation (NTF). Although you may not intentionally have these items in contact, if it happens, there is high risk of cross-contamination that can spell food poisoning. Make sure to wash your hands and the food preparation surface thoroughly in between preparing the turkey and a salad, for example.

3. Thawing a frozen bird at room temperature. This can lead to a potentially unsafe turkey. As the turkey starts to defrost, bacteria will grow on the surface, multiplying to high levels that may not be destroyed during cooking. There are three proper ways to thaw. One is in the refrigerator, allowing one day for every 5 pounds of turkey. An 8-pound bird would take one to two days to thaw. If you need a quicker way, use cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes. The same 8-pound bird would take about four to six hours to defrost this way. The third method is to microwave the turkey - if you can fit it in. Follow the manufacturer's directions, and roast immediately after thawing.

4. Partial cooking or prestuffing the night before. Do not partially cook a turkey. Interrupted cooking may increase bacterial growth. Do not prestuff, either, because that also can create a hotbed for organisms to multiply. Also, the cavity of the bird insulates the stuffing and may prevent it from heating to the proper temperature. So stuff your turkey just before putting it in the oven. If you want a jump on Thanksgiving dinner, premix the dry and wet stuffing ingredients (to prevent cross-contamination) and store them in separate containers the night before.

5. Overstuffing the turkey. You'll either wind up with undercooked stuffing or an overcooked bird because you'll have to cook beyond the cooking time for the stuffing to reach a safe temperature. The NTF recommends cooking the stuffing separately from the turkey because improper handling and inadequate cooking of stuffed birds can increase the possibility of food poisoning.

6. Cooking the turkey at low temperatures overnight. Cooking a turkey lower than an oven temperature of 325 degrees F is unsafe. Temperatures lower than this may encourage bacteria to grow inside the turkey, where temperatures could stay below the danger zone of 140 degrees F.

7. Cooking the turkey ahead of time and letting it sit in the refrigerator. Cooking a turkey ahead of time is all right, but leaving it whole in the refrigerator is not recommended because a cooked bird is just too big to cool quickly enough in a home refrigerator. The solution is to remove the stuffing if the turkey is stuffed and to carve the turkey and store the slices in covered shallow pans in the refrigerator. When reheating the slices, reheat to 165 degrees F.

8. Forgetting the thermometer. A food thermometer is a must. Temperature is the true indicator that the turkey is done. Time is just a gauge. Everyone wants to make sure their turkey is moist and pretty. When it's done, it's done. The temperature will tell you it's ready.

   Here's a word of caution on relying on cookbooks. Temperatures have changed for cooking turkeys. Turkeys today typically take a shorter time to cook, because they have more white meat and white meat cooks faster. Throw away the cookbook, and use the thermometer.

   So what is the right temperature? The turkey should reach an internal temperature of at least 180 degrees F. The thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the thigh between the leg and the breast. If cooking only the turkey breast, it should reach 170 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast, according to USDA guidelines.

9. Predicting the exact time your turkey will be ready. Don't try to predict when the bird is going to be ready. If it is done too early, you can hold it in the oven at 140 degrees F or you may have to switch from having a hot turkey to a cold one. NTF suggests if you are going to be serving a pre-cooked turkey at a later time, set the oven temperature high enough to keep the turkey at 140 degrees F or hotter. (Use a meat thermometer.) Stuffing and side dishes must also stay hot. Covering with foil will help keep the food moist.

10. Leaving out the leftovers. People tend to think that once they've cooked the turkey, they can leave it out forever. They can't. Leftovers shouldn't be left on the table beyond two hours. When you're done with your meal, take the turkey off the bone, divide into portions so that it will cool and refrigerate. Turkey will keep three to four days in the refrigerator. Use stuffing and gravy within one to two days, and be sure to bring the gravy to a boil before serving.

    And what happens if you forget to take the turkey out of the freezer on Thanksgiving Day? You may be surprised to hear that you can actually take the turkey out of its wrap and stick it straight in the oven as-is, at a temperature no lower than 325 degrees F. Once it is thawed enough, you can remove the giblets and neck from the cavity and continue the cooking process.

    It takes about 50 percent more time for it to cook, but it is safe.

More and more people are turning to deep-fried turkeys. Keep these thoughts in mind:

• Never fry a turkey indoors or in a garage or other structure attached to a building.
• Never fry on wood decks, which could catch fire.
• Never leave the hot oil unattended, and don't allow children or pets near the cooking area.
• Make sure the oil is completely cooled before disposing or storing.
• Just as with roasting a turkey, immediately wash your hands, utensils, equipment and any surfaces that come in contact with raw turkey.

For more information on turkey tips, check out the NTF Web site at www.eatturkey.com. You also can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-4555 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. eastern standard time on Thanksgiving Day. The hotline is staffed by home economists, registered dietitians and food technologists.

Related Articles When to Run to the Doctor Are You at Risk for a Foodborne Illness? What Are Restaurant Health Risks?

External Sources The National Turkey Federation USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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