814-L«nca»ter Farming, Saturday, November 30, IMS
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
“Anything to promote the farm
and farm products,” said Johnny
B. Peachey, owner and operator of
Peach-Vale Farm. A Dairy of Dis
tinction in Mifflin County’s Big
Valley, Peachey places the name
Peach-Vale Farm on hats, shirts
and other clothing belonging to
the Peachey family. His design in
cludes the reason for the logo in
the first place a picture of a
dairy cow. For his personalized
logo, Peachey visited Faith Yoder
at Yoder’s Tees Sc More.
“We can design a logo no one
else has,” Yoder says of her farm
logo service through her store in
the Belle Acres Complex, Belle
ville. Customers peruse through
books filled with designs, mixing,
A request for a combine sends Faith looking through the
books.
WILKES-BARRE (Luzeme
Co.) ‘To stuff or not to stuff”
that is the question on the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Meat
and Poultry Hotlilne. It is an im
portant question to ask as the
Thanksgiving holiday draws near,
because cooking a home-stuffed
turkey can be somewhat riskier
than cooking one not stuffed. If
the stuffing is not cooked and
handled properly, foodbome ill
ness could occur.
“However, with careful pre
paration and the use of a meat
thermometer to endure that safe
temperatures are reached, con
sumers can safely enjoy the tradi
tional holiday stuffing—inside or
outside the bird,” said Bessie Ber
ry, Hotline manager.
Checking the stuffing tempera
ture with a thermometer is essen
tial. That’s because even if the tur
key itself has reached the proper
internal temperature of 180 de
grees F in the innermost part of the
thigh, the stuffing may not have
reached the correct temperature of
16S degrees F in its center. It is
important to reach this tempera
ture in all part of the stuffing to be
sure that foodbome bacteria are
destroyed.
Berry also mentions that al
though a “pop-up” thcrmo
meterthat comes with many tur
keys is one way to judge the bird’s
doneness, it can’t tell you the
temperature of the stuffing. A con
ventional meat thermometer
should also be used with stuffed
birds.
"After the estimated cooking
time has elapsed, a meat thermo
meter should be inserted in several
places, including the innermost
part of the thigh and the center of
and matching to their own liking.
If customers have simply an
idea, Faith draws upon the talents
of local artists. These artists fash
ion an attractive design from cus
tomer’s ideas. Yoder sends these
designs away to be made into
transfers. Then she beat transfers
the design onto whatever Fruit of
the Loom, Hanes, Lee or Jeizees
clothing the customer picks out
from her store’s large selection of
tee, sweat, and other types of
shirts. Faith requires a minimum
order of 12 shirts or hats for cus
tom-made logos.
Faith supplies many area busi
nesses, schools, farms and church
es organizations with logo cloth
ing.
Yoder also helps youth groups
with fundraising when they sell T
Here’s Some Advice On Stuffing A Turkey Safely
the stuffing, to check the tempera
tures,” Berry said.
If the innermost part of the
thigh has reached 180 degrees F.
but the stuffing has not reached
165 degrees F, continue roasting
the turkey, until the stuffing has
reached 165 degrees F, according
to Berry. Be aware that during the
added cooking necessary to bring
the stuffing up to a safe tempera
ture, the meat may become over
cooked.
Once the turkey meat and the
stuffing have reached the proper
temperatures, Berry noted that the
bird should be removed from the
oven and allowed to “stand” for 20
minutes Before removing the
stuffing and carving.
“If you are not prepared to use a
meat thermometer to measure the
internal temperature of the stuff
ing in the bird, then the stuffing
should be cooked outside the tur
key,” said Berry.
What about frozen turkeys
stuffed at a USDA-inspected
plant? Berry said that those tur
keys purchased frozen at a grocery
store should be safe when cooked
from the frozen state, but cau
tioned that the manufacturer’s dir
ections should be followed care
fully.
Here are some important food
safety guidelines to follow;
• Handle raw tuikeys safely.
Take the turkey home directly
from the grocery store. Errands
should be run first, before going to
the store. At home, place the tur
key immediately in the refrigera
tor or freezer. A fresh turkey
should be cooked within two days.
Defrost frozen turkeys in the re
frigerator, allowing 24 hours for
each five pounds.
Yoder’s Tees And More
Faith Yoder of Yoder’s Tees & More provided T-shirts for the Byler Family Re
union.
shirts through Yoder’s Tees &
More.
“Personalized shirts or hats
make good Christmas gifts,” Faith
adds. For more on farm logos, call
Yoder’s Tees and More at (717)
935-5011.
Colorful flags, scented candles,
country crafts and home decora-
• For faster thawing, place the
frozen turkey in cold water, allow
ing about 30 minutes per pound.
The water should be changed
every half hour. A turkey may be
defrosted in the microwave if it is
large enough, but follow the
manufacturer’s instructions. Codr
immediately after defrosting.
• Prepare stuffing safely. Mix
the stuffing just before it goes into
the turkey. If more convenient, the
wet and dry ingredients can be
prepared ahead of time and
chilled. Mix the ingredients just
before placing the stuffing inside
the turkey or in a casserole.
• Stuff the bird properly. The
turkey should be stuffed loosely
about V* cup of stuffing per
pound of turkey. This will help al
low the stuffing to reach the prop
er 165 degrees F internal tempera
ture whether the stuffing is in the
bird or in a casserole. Use a meat
thermometer to be sure. The stuff
ing should be moist, not dry, since
heat destroys bacteria more rapid
ly in a moist environment.
• Cook at the proper tempera
ture. The stuffed turkey should be
placed immediately in a preheated
oven set no lower than 325 de
grees F. Cooking overnight in a
“slow” oven is not recommended
since foodbome bacteria can form
under these conditions.
• Storing leftovers. Leftovers
should be stored within two hours
of cooking. Cut the turkey off the
bones. Refrigerate the stuffing and
the turkey separately in shallow
containers. Use leftover turkey
within four days; stuffing and
gravy, in one or two days.
For more information on pre
paring the holiday bird, and other
food safety and handling, ques
dons make visiting Tees & More
especially nice!
“What we sell here is on con
signment,” Yoder explains. “I’d
like mote stuffed items like dolls
and bunnies.”
Customers will find painted
slate, grapevine wreaths, barn
board shelves, iron work and
tions concerning meat, poultry
and eggs, call the toll-free USDA
Meat and Poultry Hotline at (800)
535-4555. In the Washington,
D.C. area, the number is (202)
720-3333. Hoem economists and
dietitian food technologists are
available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eastern Time, year-round. In addi
tion, timely recorded messages are
available 24 hours a day, using a
telephone “menu.” Both numbers
sau
This column is for readers who have questons
but don’t know who to ask for answers.
“You Ask—You Answer” is for non-cooking
questions. When a reader sends in a question, it
will be printed In the paper. Readers who know
the answer are asked to respond by mailing the
answer, which will then be printed in the paper.
Questions and Answers to this column should
be addressed to You Ask—You Answer, Lancas
ter Farming, P.o. Box 609, Ephrata, PA 17522.
Attention: Lou Ann Good.
Do not send a self-addressed, stamped enve
lope for a reply. If we receive the answer, we will
publish It as soon as possible. Please include
your phone number because we sometimes need
to contact the person to clarify details. Wewlll not
publish your phone number unless you request
H.
QUESTION Betty Sterner wants to thank Nola
Brion of Liberty, Pa., for her information, but she had
already contacted Replacements Ltd., Greensboro,
N.C., before writing to Lancaster Farming, so she is
still looking for the January, 1979 Peter Banett,
Franklin Mint plate.
much more.
Faith’s overall goal is to pro
vide this area with a store where
people can purchase unique gifts
at a reasonable price. She’s gone
beyond that. She’s helping farm
families promote the business they
love through farm logos.
arc TDD-accessible.
Additional food safety infor
mation is available on the
USDA Food Safety and Inspec
tion Service homepage. The in
ternet address is: http://www.us
da.gov/fsis. Consumer informa
tion pieces may be received
from the Agency’s “Fast Fax”
by calling (202) 690-3754 or
(202) 690-3755.
(Turn to Pag* BIS)