By Betty L. Chesnut
Unplanned situations often arise when guests have been invited for dinner, especially near busy holidays. The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service provides these answers to common questions about food safety.
Everything is ready to eat, but my guests have been delayed at least an hour. What shall I do to hold the food? Remember basic food safety rules:
- Keep hot foods hot (140⁰F) and cold foods cold (below 40⁰F, refrigerator temperature).
- Don’t let cold foods or cooked food, meat or poultry remain in the danger zone—between 40⁰F and 140⁰F—for more than 2 hours.
You may be able to hold hot foods safely in the oven until your guests arrive. Adjust the oven temperature so that the food stays at an internal temperature of 140⁰F or above. Put a food thermometer in the thickest part of the meat or casserole to check the temperature. To prevent dryness, cover the dishes or wrap with aluminum foil.
My guests have been delayed three to four hours. Can the food stay in the oven that long? Food will probably dry out if kept warm that long. It is safer to refrigerate it and reheat it when your guests arrive. Put food in shallow containers to cool rapidly to a safe temperature in the refrigerator. When your guests arrive, reheat food in a 325⁰F oven to an internal temperature of 165⁰F, or until hot and steaming.
My stuffed turkey is ready NOW, and guests are not arriving for three hours. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to stand for 20 minutes. Remove the stuffing, place it in a shallow container, cover and refrigerate. Remove the legs, thighs, and wings; carve the breast meat. Place meat on platters or shallow containers, cover and refrigerate. Serve cold or reheat. To reheat, sprinkle the turkey with a little broth, cover, and heat in a 325⁰F oven, starting about 30 minutes before serving time. Stuffing can also be reheated in the oven.
How should I handle take-out food? Take food home immediately. Refrigerate cold foods. Hot foods can be kept hot in the oven until served. If you are picking up foods far in advance, refrigerate them and reheat later for serving.
My guests are not coming. What should I do with all the food? Freeze cooked food for long-term storage. Arrange it in shallow airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap, and freeze. Foods will keep their best quality for 3-4 months. Raw meat and poultry can be safely refrozen ONLY if they were thawed in the refrigerator. Freezing meat a second time might decrease quality but it would be safe. A frozen turkey that has not been thawed will keep indefinitely at 0⁰F, but best if used within one year.
Call the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline if you have a food safety question about meat, poultry, or egg products toll free at 1-888-674-6854 or 1-888-MPHotline. The Hotline is open year-round Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. For more information, go to www.fsis.usda.gov. Other holiday hotlines are often available.
Betty Chesnut is an Eat Smart New York Resource Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at blc4@cornell.edu.