A HELPUL FESTIVE HINT !
(as if you have nothing better to do than read texts from officialdom! but it just may help the new-to-Christmas-cooking cook . . . )
Britons have been warned to defrost their turkey properly starting TODAY as 11 million are ‘at risk of food poisoning’ by leaving their bird to thaw in the bath, shed or garage. This warning comes from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) who have revealed that 69 per cent have been thawing their bird in unsuitable places such as the bath and the garden shed.
They also commented that nearly half of home cooks still wash the turkeys before stuffing and cooking it, despite the increased risk of food poisoning this practice creates.
The proper way to defrost a turkey, according to the FSA, is as follows:
“1 Defrosting should be done in the fridge and separated from touching other foods, with a container large enough to catch the defrosted juices.
2 Work out defrosting time in advance, so you know how much time to allow – it can take at least a couple of days for a large turkey to thaw.
3 When you start defrosting, take the turkey out of its packaging, put it on a large dish at the bottom of the fridge and cover. The dish will hold the liquid that comes out of the thawing turkey.
4 Remove the giblets and the neck as soon as possible to speed up the thawing process. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw turkey, giblets or any other raw meat.
5 Before cooking, make sure there aren’t any ice crystals in the cavity. Test the thicker parts of the turkey with a fork to tell whether the meat feels frozen.
6 Pour away the liquid that comes out of the defrosting turkey regularly to stop it overflowing and spreading bacteria.”
Good cooking on the day!
Delicious!