Recipe: Taking Turkey's Temperature is Key to Healthy Holiday Feasts

TAKING TURKEY'S TEMPERATURE
IS KEY TO HEALTHY HOLIDAY FEASTS

Whole Turkey Should be Cooked to 170 Degrees F in the Breast

To ensure that Americans enjoy a healthy and safe Thanksgiving feast, the National Turkey Federation (NTF) is encouraging consumers to use food thermometers when checking if their turkey and stuffing are fully cooked.

According to an NTF survey of consumers, 66 percent used a thermometer to check their turkey's doneness last year, down from 73 percent the previous year. Only 30 percent of consumers used a thermometer to check both their turkey and stuffing. This could mean that many home cooks are over-cooking or under-cooking their turkeys.

"There is only one sure way to know if your turkey and stuffing are cooked - by taking its temperature," said Sherrie Rosenblatt, the federation's senior director of marketing and communications. "A thermometer will help you cook a turkey so that it's neither underdone nor overcooked, but just right. Your family and dinner guests will appreciate your cooking skills far better."

To ensure that turkey is cooked safely, the NTF suggests using a food thermometer placed deep within the thigh away from bone. If the temperature is 180 degrees F in the thigh and 170 degrees F in the breast, the turkey is done and safe to eat. Stuffing should reach 165 degrees F to ensure doneness. If the turkey is done, but the stuffing isn't, take the stuffing out of the bird and finish cooking it on the stove top or in the oven.

Source: National Turkey Federation