With Thanksgiving fast approaching (it’s now less than 2 weeks away!) and winter slowly rolling us into the holiday season, Wettstein’s would like to discuss some helpful cooking and dinner planning tips with you in advance of the season to help ensure a memorable and stress-free holiday.
- Don’t run the self-clean cycle before your gathering. Over time, your oven can become a trap for grease and food residue which can lead to bacteria build up or even a grease fire. Cleaning is recommended to be done regularly to avoid such things. There are two cleaning options when it comes to cleaning the interior of the oven; self –cleaning or by hand. When cleaning your oven, no matter if you have a self-cleaning setting or you’re cleaning it by hand, it is always advised to be sure the unit is completely cool before proceeding. You also want to be sure to use a cleaning agent that is safe and specifically made for ovens. We recommend ECOSENTIAL by Smart Choice Kitchen Surface and Oven Cleaner which is a powerful, eco-friendly cleaner designed by home and appliance experts. To avoid having your oven lock up on you before you cook your holiday meal we advise against running the self-clean cycle too close to the big event. The heat produced during the self-clean cycle can damage the Electronic Control Board (E.C.B.), causing the oven door to remain locked after the cycle is complete. This is especially true in older units and units that have an already weakened E.C.B. Instead, plan to clean your oven at least two weeks prior to your gathering or after the fact—which we would at this time recommend as Thanksgiving is now less than two weeks away!
- Have a plan. Chefs always prepare a plan before making a large meal and you should too. Consider your refrigerator, freezer and oven space, and how you’re going to manage keeping hot foods at 140 degrees and cold foods at 40 degrees or lower while serving your guests. If you plan to use coolers and ice for extra cold storage, make sure you are checking the ice often and replacing what has melted.
- Properly defrost your turkey. –Or buy a fresh one. If you go the frozen turkey route, allow 24 hours per 5 pounds to defrost in the refrigerator. You can also defrost your turkey using a cold water bath which requires you to change the water every 30 minutes. However, due to the time commitment and how wasteful that is with water, we don’t recommend the cold water bath unless it’s your only option. Whatever you do, don’t leave the turkey on your kitchen counter to defrost.
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often. You should be washing your hands with hot water and soap before, during, and after food preparation. This is the easiest way to prevent bacterial contamination and keep your dinner guests safe.
- Wash all fresh produce. You should even wash prepackaged produce just to be sure. Make sure you use knives, cutting boards, and counter space that has been properly disinfected.
- Keep guests out of the kitchen. Because the holidays occur during the peak cold and flu season, it’s important to keep excess ‘help’ out of the kitchen. If your guests need something to snack on prior to the meal being served, consider serving some simple appetizers or putting out a vegetable tray.
- Cook food to proper temperatures. This means using a thermometer to determine that food is fully cooked. Hot foods should be cooked to at least 165 degrees and kept above 140 degrees while serving it.
- Be careful with the eggs. Who doesn’t love sampling the cookie dough or cake batter or enjoying a cup of holiday eggnog? Anytime eggs are consumed raw there is a chance of salmonella bacteria being present. To be safe, use pasteurized eggs, keep the eggs refrigerated until you are ready to use them, and always cook egg products to at least 160 degrees.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of preparation. Leaving leftover food out too long is one of the most common food safety problems during the holidays. To prevent bacterial growth, properly store leftovers in your refrigerator. Be sure you aren’t over-packing the fridge and inhibiting air-flow the food needs in order to properly cool down. Another tip is to remove any extra meat from the bone so it is easier to store and is able to quickly cool to the proper temperature.
- Reheating your leftovers to 165 degrees. Microwaves heat food at an uneven rate so while you might think that microwaving a plate of leftovers for a few minutes might be OK, you should really use a thermometer to be sure you have properly re-heated your food.
By following these steps, you will be able to create a memorable holiday meal for your guests.
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Wettstein’s!
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Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
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