IT’S TIME TO TALK TURKEY

FRESH & FROZEN

Fresh turkeys should be bought 2 days before cooking. Remove all packaging and pat the turkey dry with paper towel. Place on a large tray, cover with foil and refrigerate in the lower part of the fridge.

To thaw a frozen turkey, allow 2-3 days. Remove packaging, pat turkey with paper towel. Place turkey on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and thaw in the lower part of the fridge away from cooked foods. Never refreeze raw turkey.

While you may have been taught that it is essential to rinse poultry, including turkeys, prior to cooking to get rid of harmful bacteria, current government health guidelines now advise against this. The current wisdom is that campylobacter is, in fact, far more likely to be spread during the washing process onto hands and surrounding areas in the kitchen, therefore increasing the risk of food poisoning. Proper cooking alone is sufficient to kill any bacteria.

STUFFING 101

Traditional stuffing is bread-based, although couscous,