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Food Safety

A great cook is a safe cook. In this section, learn how to properly store and cook your turkey in order to protect your family against food-borne illness.

  1. General
    What type of cutting board do you recommend?
    What's the best way to clean a cutting board?
    How can I guard against Salmonella?
    How does cross-contamination occur?
    How long can a turkey be left out after it has been cooked before it needs to go in the fridge?
  2. Storing
    How long can a turkey be stored?
    Is my frozen turkey still good?
    How long past the sell by date is a fresh turkey product still safe to eat?
    We forgot to put the turkey in the fridge after dinner and it's been sitting out all night. Can we still eat it?
    Our turkey is done but we're not planning to eat for a while. What should we do?
    I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to leave the turkey on the counter to thaw. Will it be okay to use?
    If I leave the turkey in the trunk overnight, is it safe to cook and eat?
    How long can a frozen turkey be kept in the freezer?
  3. Cooking
    Is it safer to cook stuffing separately?
    What color should the skin be?
    Is it safe to eat turkey meat that's pink?
    Can a turkey be roasted overnight at a low temperature?
    Can I partially roast my whole turkey the day before and complete the roasting just before the meal?
    How can I tell if meat is grilled thoroughly?