Episode transcript

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Alternate Ways to Cook Holiday Turkey

From Washington State University Extension, I’m Susie Craig.

Are last minute power outages from a winter storm, failure to thaw your turkey, or an oven which unexpectedly breaks down coming between you and the perfect holiday turkey? The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Department of Agriculture has you covered. Search online for “Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table.”

No matter the situation, you have safe and tasty alternatives for cooking your turkey: An electric roasting oven, gas or charcoal grilling, smoking, deep fat frying, pressure cooking, or microwaving. No matter the method you choose for food safety, all whole turkey should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit as measured in the innermost part of the thigh and wing or the thickest part of the breast.

This is Food Safety in a Minute from Washington State University Extension.

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Resources

Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/turkey-alternate-routes-table#:~:text=Preheat%20the%20oven%20to%20at%20least%20325%20°F.,as%20possible%20to%20avoid%20slowing%20the%20cooking%20process. Accessed online 11/14/24.

Episode Transcript

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Why Does Fruitcake Last So Long?

Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute from Washington State University Extension.

Focus of humor, the longevity of a holiday fruitcake. According to the USDA, in a pantry, fruitcakes stay fresh and safe to eat for six months. When frozen, for up to a year.

Why does fruitcake last so long? Because of the ingredients and preparation. Dried fruit contains less moisture along with a high sugar content. Both prevent bacterial growth. Often, home-made fruitcake is soaked in alcohol which adds flavor and antimicrobial properties.

After baking bread or cake, the starch molecules in flour become disorganized creating air pockets which lead them to stale more quickly. The dense texture and low moisture content of fruitcake limit this reaction. Thus, they are good to eat for a long time before becoming stale.

Thank you for listening. I’m Susie Craig.

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Resources

Solis-Moreira, Jocelyn. Why Does Fruitcake Last So Long? Scientific American. 12/23/23.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-fruitcake-last-so-long/.

Accessed online 11/14 /24.

Episode transcript

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I’m Susie Craig. Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute.

It’s a busy time of the year. Minimize time in the kitchen, go easy on your budget, and minimize food waste by taking inventory and using frozen leftovers. Frozen leftovers maintain quality between two and six months of storage. Use the oldest first, especially if you’re tempted to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

For flexible family meals, thaw leftovers in the refrigerator. You have three to four days to reheat and serve them. Some frozen leftovers including soups or stews can be reheated directly in a saucepan. For quick meal preparation, thawing in a microwave oven with appropriate settings may make sense. All leftovers should be re-heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Always use a food thermometer to check.

From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute.

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Resources:

Food Safety and Inspection Service – United States Department of Agriculture. Leftovers and Food Safety. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety#_Reheat. Accessed on 10/22/24.

Episode transcript

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Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute from Washington State University Extension.

Food, often large quantities of food are part of Thanksgiving celebrations. Here are two suggestions to maximize your budget and minimize food waste while protecting your family from foodborne illness.

• Practice the Two-Hour Rule after cooking, serving, and when sending leftovers home with guests. Perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours after serving. Bacteria grows and some bacteria produce toxins between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature danger zone. Once food is served, it needs to be refrigerated. This includes “doggie bags” for guests. After two hours, food should be discarded.

• Leftovers should be eaten within four days or frozen in airtight, labeled containers or bags.

I’m Susie Craig. Happy Thanksgiving.

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Resources:

United States Department of Agriculture. Stay Safe This Thanksgiving Holiday. https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2022/11/07/stay-food-safe-thanksgiving-holiday. Accessed online 10/22/24.

Episode transcript

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From Washington State University Extension, I’m Susie Craig.

From Pinterest to online magazines, Thanksgiving recipes are everywhere. The turkey may look picture perfect, but when you combine the busyness of the season, work and family responsibilities, and a 15-pound turkey you make once a year, it’s easy to overlook the basics of food safety.

For answers to all your turkey questions, search for the United States Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline. Send questions by email, listen to recorded messages in English and Spanish, or talk with a specialist by phone. For last minute questions, they’re open from 10AM – 6PM Eastern time on Thanksgiving. Call (1-888-674-6854). Staffed with home economists, food technologists, and nutritionists, the hotline has answered more than two million questions from consumers.

Thanks for listening to Food Safety in a Minute.

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Resources:

Food Safety Inspection Service – United States Department of Agriculture. USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline. 1-888-MPHotline. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/usda-meat-and-poultry-hotline. Accessed online 10/24/24.

Episode transcript

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I’m Susie Craig for Food Safety in a Minute.

Is it too early to buy a Thanksgiving turkey? It depends on your personal preference of fresh or frozen. Either way, the timing of your purchase matters for food safety.

Turkeys cooled and held at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below are labeled “frozen” or “previously frozen”. There’s plenty of time between now and Thanksgiving to purchase a frozen turkey, defrost, and cook.

A turkey labelled “fresh” has never been refrigerated below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. The USDA advises waiting one or two days before Thanksgiving to purchase a fresh turkey. Always check the manufacturer’s tag on fresh turkey for “Best by” or “Use by” date. These indicate the turkey will be OK on the date of cooking.

This is Food Safety in a Minute from Washington State University Extension.

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Resources:

Food Safety and Inspection Service – United States Department of Agriculture. Turkey from Farm to Table. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/turkey-farm-table. Accessed online 10/23/24.

Garcia, Jesus (Posted 11/9/23). Food Safety and Inspection Service - United States Department of Agriculture. Frozen or Fresh: Which Turkey Should You Buy? https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2023/11/09/frozen-or-fresh-which-turkey-should-you-buy. Accessed online 10/24/24.

Episode transcript:

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From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute.

Do you wonder what’s in your Thanksgiving turkey? Fed corn and soybean meal, turkeys reach maturity in six months. While antibiotics may be used to prevent disease and increase feed efficiency, there is a withdrawal period, so no residues are present at slaughter. Hormones are not allowed for use in turkey. In retail stores, turkeys are inspected either by the United States Department of Agriculture or a State inspection system with equivalent standards.

If a turkey is labeled fresh, no additives are allowed. Same is true for “minimally processed” fresh turkey cut into parts. Processed turkeys may have added basting solutions, salt, and other flavorings. Ingredients are listed on the label in descending order from most to least.

Thanks for listening, I’m Susie Craig.

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Resources:

Food Safety and Inspection Service – United States Department of Agriculture. Turkey from Farm to Table. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/poultry/turkey-farm-table. Accessed online 10/23/24.

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I’m Susie Craig. Welcome to Food Safety in a Minute.

Are you concerned about what to do with leftover chocolate candy from Halloween?

From a food safety perspective, the risk of foodborne pathogens is very low because of a natural preservative in chocolate and low water activity which bacteria need to grow and multiply.

Marlene Greiger of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach recommends storing chocolate in a cool, dry environment such as your pantry. Milk chocolate has a shelf life of a year, white chocolate six months. Placing chocolate in a refrigerator or freezer may lead to bloom. Though it doesn’t affect safety, “chocolate may appear dusted or streaked with grey on the surface.”

Consider donating candy to a food bank, community buy-back programs, or organizations serving military service members. Call first!

From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute.

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Resources

Greiger, Marlene. Chocolate – Shelf Life, Storage, and Bloom. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Answer Line. 11/7/23. https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2023/11/07/chocolate-shelf-life-storage-and-bloom/comment-page-1/#:~:text=STORAGE.%20The%20shelf%20life%20of%20chocolate%20is%20dependent%20upon. Accessed online 9/24/24.

Koenig, Ronnie. Today – All Day. 10/3/23. https://www.today.com/parents/how-donate-halloween-candy-good-cause-t117994. Accessed online 9/24/24.

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From Washington State University Extension, this is Food Safety in a Minute.

If there was a Halloween scale for excitement from a child’s perspective, it would be a ten. Dressing up, visiting neighbors, collecting and consuming candy.

From the Food and Drug Administration, here are ways to have a food-safe Halloween.

• Talk with your children about collecting and eating candy before they leave. That will be easier to do if they eat a light dinner before Trick or Treating.

• When home, check commercially wrapped candy for anything which looks out of ordinary including tears or pinholes. Throw out anything which looks suspicious. If your children are young, check for choking hazards such as hard candies, peanuts, and gum.

Have fun and a food-safe Halloween.

I’m Susie Craig for Food Safety in a Minute.

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Resources:

Food and Drug Administration. Halloween Food Safety Tips for Parents. https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/halloween-food-safety-tips-parents#:~:text=Halloween%20Feature%20item%20provides%20Food%20Safety%20tips%20parents%20can. Accessed online 9/24/24.

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This is Food Safety in a Minute. I’m Susie Craig.

Planning a Halloween party this year? Robert Gravani, food science Professor Emeritus at Cornell University has these recommendations to prevent foodborne illness at your party:

• If serving perishable foods such as sandwiches, cheese and fruit platters, or desserts with whipped crème or crème cheese frostings, refrigerate until serving. Avoid leaving them out for more than two hours.

• Serve pasteurized cider and juices. Unpasteurized juices may have disease-causing E. coli or Salmonella.

• Skip bobbing for apples. Consider making apples from construction paper with a paper clip at the top. Use a stick or line with a magnet attached to fish for apples.

• Before any food preparation, wash your hands with soap for twenty seconds, drying with a paper towel.

This is Food Safety in a Minute from Washington State University Extension.

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Resources:

Pilet, Jonan. Food Safety Tips for This Halloween with Food Safety Expert Robert Gravani. Food Safety News.

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/10/food-safety-tips-for-this-halloween-with-food-safety-expert-robert-gravani/#:~:text=Institute%20of%20Food%20Technologists%20member%20expert%20and%20Cornell. Accessed online 9/24/24.