Safe Preparation of Poultry

Two of the healthiest foods to eat are poultry and eggs. They are rich in protein and low in fat. Sadly, many people just never learned safe preparation of poultry and eggs. If not prepared with care and cooked properly, they can make you very, very ill. That is due to the possibility of bacteria that can be in raw eggs and poultry that can be transferred to your hands, utensils and counters when preparing these foods,  and you can get by eating them if not completely cooked.

Salmonella poisoning is very possible with poultry or eggs and can be life threatening. Imagine diarrhea so bad you can NOT get liquids in fast enough to make up for the ones you are losing.

Basic tips for safe preparation of poultry:

• Wash your hands, utensils, dishes, counters and sink surfaces they come in contact with before and after use with hot soapy water. Even if just a little. Even if just liquid.
• Do not touch a hand towel until after you have washed your hands with hot soapy water. (I have seen good cooks wipe hands on a dish towel after handling a chicken. Don’t do this! Err on the side of caution and wash your hands first!
• Use the back of your hands (where you have not gotten any egg or poultry juice) to turn on faucets or open the trash can. In case of doubt wash anything you touched with hot soapy water too. With practice, you can get good at not touching things until your hands are clean.
• Set up your sink faucet and hand soap so you can reach and use them easily.
• If you know you will have trash (egg shells, poultry wrappers or parts you don’t want), open the trash before working with them.
• Have your pans ready and in place (egg pan out and near or on the stove. Roasting pan oiled and on the counter).
• I usually have someone assist me when I am prepping a turkey because it’s a challenge with the size and weight of it to move it around and not touch anything.
• Most poultry recipes call for rinsing and/or wiping the bird with paper towels. Have them ready (torn from the roll) before you start prep.
• Another trick is to have a plastic shopping bag hooked over a drawer knob for all the trash.

Basic trips for safely cooking poultry:

• Do NOT cook a partially frozen bird! Period. My son and I got salmonella poisoning when a hostess cooked a partially defrosted turkey.  Better to give them something else than poison people.
• Properly defrost poultry – be sure there are no crystals of ice anywhere, including inside the bird. Err on the safe side.
  • In the refrigerator is the best. Depending on the size of the bird, this can be overnight to several days. Most turkey tell how long to defrost.
  • If you need it faster or it’s not completely defrosted when you need to cook it, put it in a resealable plastic bag in a cold water bath with a slow tap on so the water stays cold.
  • The third way is to defrost in the microwave- be sure to set on defrost (30% power) and for less time than you think. Check, turn, repeat.
  • Cook to an internal temperature of 165° F and use a thermometer to check
• Follow directions on the wrapper of the bird, or bake at using this roasting chart from foodsafety.gov.

Knowing the easy steps for the safe preparation of poultry can keep these healthy foods healthy for you.

Next time we will discuss cooking eggs.