Don’t Let Your Kitchen Spoil your Thanksgiving Feast

Roberta ShaferNov 18, 2022

Here we are, just a few days until the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. While we look forward to enjoying the company of our families over the holiday weekend, we still need to be mindful of making sure that those holiday meals and treats are treated in a food-safe manner. After all, having your family and friends contract food poisoning from your holiday dinner cannot only be life-threatening, but embarrassing, as well. We all should know the basic tenets of food safety. Wash your hands, and work surfaces, don’t cross-contaminate plates and utensils, keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold, cook thoroughly to USDA-recommended temperatures and use a food thermometer to determine if that temperature is reached. You can find more information here: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/steps-keep-food-safe (1).

slicing of pumpkin pie placed on wooden surface — Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

Now we all have been inundated with signs and people telling us to wash our hands for the last few years, due to the pandemic. That situation has not changed, and it is always good advice to keep germs from spreading. We should still have plenty of sanitizer bottles hanging about, as well as disinfectant sprays. Please make sure that you use them, before, during, and after your guests leave.

If you are having guests, perhaps preparing individual portions of appetizers could cut down on cross-contamination of germs. Here are some links to whet your appetite.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-entertaining/best-thanksgiving-appetizer-recipes

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/993/holidays-and-events/thanksgiving/appetizers/

https://www.southernliving.com/holidays-occasions/thanksgiving/recipes/thanksgiving-appetizers

sliced assorted vegetables and bread on brown wooden tray — Photo by Peggy Anke on Pexels.com

With groceries being at an all-time high, it will be tempting to save every leftover morsel of food. Make sure that you refrigerate leftovers promptly (within 2 hours), with warm foods in shallow dishes. Refrain from stacking warm leftovers on top of each other in the refrigerator, as it will not allow sufficient airflow to cool the warm food adequately (1).

As I was doing some research, I stumbled upon a paper, which you can find in the references at the bottom of the page. We are used to seeing scientific papers written on experiments done in laboratories, out in fields, or even in processing facilities, but this one was a little different. It looked at 100 homes and found that 45% of the kitchens were positive for a foodborne pathogen (2), and in some cases, more than one. This was eye-opening for me and reinforces my fear of potlucks. This is why we have to clean and disinfect our kitchens and change out those dishcloths and sponges on a frequent basis. I cannot stress enough that the Thanksgiving turkey which you hopefully got for a decent price, probably contains Salmonella. This is why we need to be mindful of cross-contamination. Thaw your bird in the refrigerator on the lowest shelf. This will keep the bacteria from growing and contaminating other foods by dripping down onto them.

white wooden kitchen cabinet — Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com

While you are preparing your feast, make sure that you wash and sanitize your hands frequently. Wipe down those countertops after you get that bird in the oven, because you will be removing any accidental drops of water or raw juices. Prep your veggie trays ahead of time, to keep them ready for your hungry guests. Keep your eye on any dips or dressings to ensure that they stay cool or set them in a small bowl of ice. If you are looking for some new dip recipes, check out this website:

https://tasty.co/article/christinebyrne/giving-thanks-for-dip

I hope that everyone has a great Thanksgiving holiday, without any natural, cooking, or foodborne illness disasters. Enjoy the company of family and friends, stuff yourselves until you can’t move, and most of all, wash your hands and be safe!