Use Intermountain Connect Care®
Learn More.
How can we help?
Thanksgiving cooks juggle oven and refrigerator space and try to time everything for the perfect meal. That means food is often being set out for too long at unsafe temperatures as they attempt to make it all come together in a timely fashion.
“The deck is not a refrigerator. Resist the temptation to set a few cold items outside on the deck or on a car in the garage,” warned Ann-Marie Shirley, registered dietitian and Nutrition Services Educator at Utah Valley Hospital.
Shirley said those situations are rarely cool enough to meet proper refrigeration needs and won’t keep food out of “the danger zone.” The danger zone – 41 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit – is not cold or hot enough to protect your meal.
“Turkey and stuffing cooked in the bird need to be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165° F to remove the bacteria that can cause salmonella,” said Shirley. “But you also need to remember cream pies and those creamy green bean and sweet potato casseroles can become dangerous if they sit out for too long without refrigeration, which needs to be below 41° F.”
Shirley recommended the USDA website for guidelines on how much turkey to buy, proper thawing methods and cooking temperatures. Here are her tips to make sure everyone has a safe, successful and healthy holiday meal: