FOOD SAFETY REMINDERS FOR ALL of us!

Jim...Pretty much, you have been lucky, though beef is not nearly as bad an offender as poultry or pork. Best to set a bit of your marinade aside before marinating...then there is no concern regarding cross contamination.

Bruce...I hope they do too!! :blink: They say ignorance is bliss?....I say education is the key to happiness. Thanks for the feedback. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Michael....Thanks!! And you hit the nail on the head....these guidelines apply to EVERY day and all ingredients....not just Thanksgiving and turkey.

Good question about the marinating....I will give you my best reply....though I do not fully understand the scientific reason behind these results yet....though I have definately experimented.

I have found the absolute best way to ensure terrific saturation with a marinade is to take the fresh meat, put it into the container I am going to freeze it in, add the marinade, then freeze. During the thaw process, I am assuming the protein strands relax, and suck in the marinade. The marinade also helps protect the meat from any kind of damage the freezer may do. This should only be used if you must freeze the meat!! The best textures still happen when you use fresh meats....never frozen.

If the meat is frozen without the marinade, add the marinade as soon as removed from the freezer, then thaw in the fridge.

Thawing completely then adding the marinade yields the least successful results.

As I said before however, the best meat texture still occurs when the meat is marinated and cooked without freezing.

FYI....You know the premarinated pork tenderloins and such you see in your market?? (Mass produced ones by large manufacturers?) The meat is placed in the bag...marinade is added...bag is sealed, then frozen for shipment. By the time you see it on your market shelf, it has been thawed.

Force thawing...ie under running water...should be avoided if possible, but I know very well...sometimes it is not an option. This method should only be used when the meat is in a completely sealed environment...ie vac packed. Always keep cool water flowing...do not just set the item in a bowl of water, and check the item often!

Hope this answered your question!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, to you and yours.

As long as you feel comfortable.... :woohoo:

Actually I do keep a stick of butter at room temp....due to the environment of high fat, bacterial growth is very limited....More so in salted butter than unsalted, but have never had any go rancid. But it also doesn't last in this house long.... :laugh:

And ketchup has an average Ph of 3.85-3.93. Any Ph less than 4.6 is considered shelf stable due to the acidic content.

So again...as long as you feel comfortable!! :laugh:

Thanks Dale! As I have said...just hoping it will cause enough concern for people to stop and think, before they leave that turkey, stuffing, or whatever on the counter longer....

Auntie Egger....Thanks for the kind words...and I hope your daughter learns a bit from this as well.

I have to say your comment about dogs and turkey threw me a bit, and frankly made me too curious. I have done extensive research before responding to this post. Still I have concerns replying, and I encourage you, and any and all concerned about feeding turkey to your dogs, to remain true to your beliefs, and refrain from doing so. However, the only subtantiating facts I can find for concern remain true to concerns that we as humans should have as well. We should not feed the trimmings...fatty skin...bones...etc...to our canine friends. Ironically, the reasons hold true to humans as well...excess fat intake, pancreatitis, excess weight gain, etc. Excess spices, onions in particular, can be of concern for dogs. However, most every informational source says there is absolutely no harm in giving a few slivers of plain turkey to our dogs.
But once again, if this concerns you, please do not do so...however, I have not been able to substantiate this belief in research to date. I would be interested in seeing any information you could provide regarding the toxicity of turkey to canines....as it is my job to know food from any and all angles! Thanks for your help!

A Happy Thanksgiving to you, and yours!!

Fishless....I believe it was 4 hours in the early 2000's, but the stipulation was food had to be discarded. There was no allowance made for chilling and reheating, because it could not be done without significant danager. Perhaps it was changed to allow for saving foods...ie rapid chill....to allow for a later reheat instead of sheer waste. But it has been 2 hours for several years regardless.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!