Are you traveling this Thanksgiving?
Is it no longer off to grandma’s house? Are you meeting at a community center so you have room for everyone? Let me guess, you have been asked to bring the turkey. These arrangements have made it possible for the whole family to get together, but care needs to be taken so the turkey and all other perishable foods arrive food safe.
Pat Kendall, food science and human nutrition specialist at Colorado State University, share these tips for traveling safely with turkey dinner:
Cooking ahead?
Question: Can a turkey be cooked the day ahead and then taken to someone’s house the next day?
Answer: Yes, but for safety’s sake, you shouldn’t travel with the whole bird intact. Cook the turkey in an oven set no lower than 325 degrees to an internal temperature of 165 degrees as measured with a meat thermometer in the thigh and several other places.
Once the turkey is done, let stand for 20 minutes, then carve all the meat from the turkey, leaving small parts, such as legs, thighs, and wings intact if desired. Divide the carved turkey meat and turkey parts into small, shallow containers or packages. Meat should be no more than 2 inches deep. Refrigerate the containers if you plan to use within two days; otherwise, freeze the containers.
When preparing to travel, pack the turkey and other perishable foods in an insulated cooler with a cold source, such as ice or frozen gel packs. Make sure you have enough ice to keep the turkey cold until arrival. One-fourth the capacity of the cooler should be ice or frozen gel packs. At your destination, transfer the foods to a refrigerator until ready to reheat. Right before serving time, reheat in a 325-degree oven until the foods reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees or are steaming hot.
How much travel time is safe?
Question: How long will a raw or cooked turkey keep unrefrigerated for transporting to someone’s house?
Answer: No longer than two hours. For either raw or cooked turkey, it’s a good idea to use an insulated cooler as a carrier. Raw turkeys actually transport better than cooked ones. Never try to transport a cooked, stuffed turkey. To transport an unstuffed one that’s freshly cooked, take it out of the oven, immediately wrap in foil and put directly into an insulated cooler. Place in the warmest spot in the car and plan to get to your destination within an hour or less. If your travel time will be longer than two hours, consider carving and cooling your turkey ahead of time to be reheated on site.
