Four Food Safety Tips for the Holidays

Family. Friends. Turkey. Dressing. Sweet Potato Casserole. Desserts. Thanksgiving is almost here. With our family gathering together tomorrow, we thought it might be helpful to share a few reminders with you about how to keep your family safe during the holidays. Delicious food should be safe, too!

 

Tip One: A CLEAN space is the first rule of safe food preparation!

  • Wash hands with warm water and soap before and after handling food.
  • Wash food-contact surfaces (cutting boards, utensils, bowls, plates) with hot water and soap after preparing each food item.
  • Rinse fruits and vegetables under cool water before cooking/eating.

 

Tip Two: Don’t give bacteria the opportunity to spread. SEPARATE your un-cooked meats from fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw.

  • Keep raw eggs, meat, poultry, seafood and their juices away from foods that won’t be cooked.
  • Use one cutting board for foods that will be cooked (meats), and another for those that will not be cooked (raw fruits and veggies).
  • Do not put cooked meat or other food items down on a place that is unwashed.

 

Tip Three: COOK your meats to the proper internal temperatures to kill harmful bacteria.

  • Color is not a reliable indicator!

Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, poultry and fish are cooked to proper temps. See cheat list of cooking temperatures below:

  • Turkey/Chicken: 165ºF
  • Beef (ground): 160ºF
  • Beef (steaks): 145ºF
  • Fresh Ham (raw): 145ºF
  • Pre-cooked Ham (reheat): 140ºF
  • Casseroles that contain eggs: 165ºF

 

Tip Four: CHILL – Within 2 hours of cooking food or after it is removed from an appliance keeping it warm, leftovers must be refrigerated.

  • Don’t forget to put the pumpkin pie in the fridge, too!
  • Don’t taste food that looks or smells questionable. When in doubt, throw it out!
  • Leftovers should be used within three to four days.

(Source: FDA, Consumer Health Information – www.fda.gov/consumer)

 

Have a blessed holiday with your family and friends. Safe travels to those on the roads!

 

Our markets will be open until 6 pm today (Wednesday 11/23) and closed on Thanksgiving Day. Regular hours to resume Friday morning!

Friday Hours:

Alto Farm and Market (Hwy. 365): 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

 

Taste the Difference Family Makes.

Know your Farmer. Know your Food.