You Should
Know
(NAPS) —lf you have any
questions about the new food labels,
write: Food and Drug Administra
tion, HFE-88, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, MD 20857.
You can find many delightful
horseradish sauce recipes, a
horseradish usage chart and cook
ing tips in a booklet called From
Roast to Remoulade —featuring
Horseradish. It’s free if you send a
self-addressed, stamped business
envelope to The Horseradish
Information Council, P.O Box
720299, Atlanta, GA 30358.
If you’re interested in informa
tion on preventing and caring for
dry skin, call the Curdl Dry Skin
Hotline at 1-800-3-DRY SKIN,
for a free brochure, “The Dry Skin
Answer Book.”
Pennsylvania Dutch
MINCE
MEAT
WITH BEEF
Packed: 35 Lb. Containers • 12 Lb. ■ 4 To Case
1 Lb.-12 Oz.-12 To Case
33 N. Market St. • Elizabethtown, PA 17022
717-367-1246
Distributor* Throughout Thm Status.
Family Living
Focus
- By
Adams Co. Extension
Agent
Nina Redding
Six Top Turkey Questions
Blame it on the dog! Last week
as I was “digging” in the freezer
in the basement, I found a turkey.
I couldn’t believe it. Right there
before my eyes was a 20 pound
bird. What’s so significant about
this turkey is that I bought it last
Christmas but at the last minute
decided I was hungry for roast
beef for Christmas dinner. I never
would have forgotten the turkey if
it hadn’t been for a large bag of
bones we just had to havdlfor the
dog. The bones were in a bag that
sat on top and completely covered
the turkey!
So the big questions are first is
the turkey still good and if it is, db
I tell Russell we are going to eat
year old turkey for Thanksgiving?
Surely there has to be others of
you reading who’ve had a turkey
in your freezer for a long time.
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Lahciitef s?
article I was relieved to find out
my turkey is fine and I’m not the
only person with the same ques
tion. Here are the six most com
monly asked turkey questions on
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline.
1. How long will turkey last
in the freezer? Is it safe to use a
turkey I’ve had frozen since last
Thanksgiving?
Yes! a whole frozen turkey can
be stored in your home freezer at
O°F for up to one year without
appreciable loss of quality. To
prevent freezer burn, wrap the
turkey in heavy freezer paper.
2. Which tastes betters fresh
or frozen turkeys? If I choose a
fresh turkey, how long will it
keep in my refrigerator?
There is no significant differ
ence in quality between a fresh
turkey and a frozen one. But you
can only keep a fresh turkey
refrigerated 1-2 days before cook
ing.
3. How long should I thaw
turkey? How can I quickly thaw
a turkey when time has run out?
Thawing your turkey in the
refrigerator is the preferred method.
Allow one day for each five
pounds. In a hurry? Thaw the
turkey in a clean sink. Put it in a
heavy freezer bag secured with a
twist tie. Cover the bird with cold
water, changing the water every
30 minutes to keep it cool. Allow
6-9 hours for a 12 to 16 pound
turkey, 9-11 hours for a 16 to 20
pound bird. Turkey can be thawed
in the microwave oven, if it will
fit. Be ready to cook the bird as
soon as it’s thawed.
4. What’s the safest way to
stuff a turkey? Is it okay to stuff
a large turkey?
You can stuff a turkey, but do
it just before you put it in the
oven. To save time, chop up and
refrigerate stuffing ingredients
the night before. Combine every
thing the next morning just before
roasting. Stuff the bird loosely.
5. What is the best way to
cook a picture-perfect turkey?
There are several cooking
methods which will provide a
delicious, tender turkey. You can
roast the bird uncovered in a
325°F oven. This will give you
dryer meat but a great roasted fla
vor. Or you can put the turkey in
an oven cooking bag for a more
moist bird in a shorter time. Other
cooking methods include the
microwave, rotissene or outdoor
kettle grill.
6. Can I cook the turkey the
day before Thanksgiving? How
do I safely store it and then
warm it up for dinner?
Cooking ahead requires spe
cial attention to safe food han
dling. First, cook the bird to an
internal temperature of 180°F in
an oven set not lower than 325°F.
Bake stuffing separately.
When roasted, let the bird
stand for 15 minutes. Carve the
meat off, leaving legs, thighs and
wings intact if you like. Refriger
ate the turkey in small shallow
containers. On Thanksgiving Day,
reheat the meat in a 325°F oven
or warm in the microwave. To
keep the meat tender when using
a conventional oven, cover it with
gravy or the natural cooked
juices. Serve the heated slices on
a platter, with the whole pieces
garnishing the edges.
If you have questions about
food safety or your holiday
turkey call the USDA Meat and
Poultry Hotline at 1-800-535-
4555.