Iowa State University Extension

Problem:
During the holidays, many cooks choose a traditional turkey meal. Cooking a turkey requires planning ahead due to the size of such a large bird in order to properly thaw the turkey before cooking. If thawing is done improperly, bacteria can multiply quickly and cause foodborne illness. At an Extension program just before the holidays, several participants indicated they often thaw their meat on the counter or in the sink at room temperature.

Response:
During the Thanksgiving holiday, the radio station and Iowa State University Extension recorded a session for listeners called “Turkey Talk”. This radio spot covered topics such as thawing a turkey safely, what size turkey to purchase for your family, cooking the turkey, and how to handle leftovers safely. This year, the radio spot on purchasing and thawing a turkey was run the Wednesday through Sunday before Thanksgiving week.

Impact:
On the Friday before Thanksgiving, I was in the grocery store when the meat manager came to me quite excited. He said at least twenty people had inquired about getting their turkey now in order for it to thaw properly in the refrigerator because they had heard the “Talk Turkey” radio spot. The store displays meat cooking tips, so ISU Extension supplied “Let’s Talk Turkey” brochures as well. The Monday before Thanksgiving, a client called to say her husband heard me on the radio about thawing turkey properly and that she should call me. She said she had already started the process of thawing her turkey on the counter and it had been thawing about eight hours. After explaining the risks for foodborne illness, she discarded that bird and decided to purchase another one.

Contact:
Nancy Clark
Kossuth County Extension
1121-B Hwy 18 East
Algona, IA 50511
515-295-2469
nanclark@iastate.edu