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.