The Political Insider

As long as I have been alive, my parents and grandparents washed the turkey before cooking it. My mother is 93 years old, my sister is 50 and I’ll be 51 in a couple of weeks.

It is important for people to know what not to do when preparing their turkey since we’re so close to Thanksgiving. One of the worst things you can do while prepping a Thanksgiving turkey is rinsing it off. At least that is what experts are saying.

Ever wonder why older people have more resistance to disease? They played in the dirt, played with mercury, sprayed DDT from a bicycle-type sprayer in the kitchen while the food was being prepared, ate pesticide sprayed food, wore clothes with dangerous chemicals on them, and the list goes on and on.

Children born then were robust and healthy. Now we are turning out defective children at a faster rate than doctors and scientists can start “charities” to cure them.

Is Washing Off Turkey Safe?

I have been washing the turkey for years and always clean the area around after I am done. If you have not heard by now about the dangers of contamination then shame on you!

Rinsing the bird and drying out and cleaning up is part of the whole process. If you do not do it, do not make a turkey. And, it is okay to stuff the turkey which is another no-no to some people. Use a thermometer, read the directions or go online to get helpful hints, most of all do not be afraid be SAFE.

“You can’t wash off bacteria with water, and rinsing out the turkey risks splashing its juices all over the sink,” Amy Keating, R.D., a Consumer Reporters nutritionist, said in a food safety memo last week.

Experts instead recommend opening the plastic wrap and draining any liquid into the sink before throwing the packaging out. They then suggest patting the turkey dry with paper towels, and washing your hands and utensils thoroughly with hot water and soap when done.

According to the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, washing raw poultry — and even beef, pork, lamb or veal — before cooking is not recommended because bacteria in the raw meat and juices can be spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces.

Some of the bacteria are so tightly attached to the meat that they cannot be removed with washing. There’s also the risk of failing to clean all surfaces of the kitchen where the bacteria has spread, leaving open the possibility for cross-contamination. [Fox News]

We wash our birds in our freshly-scrubbed laundry room sink. Bring a rack with you and set the bird on it, still in the sink, to drip dry. Bring the prepared roasting pan in and deposit turkey. We add all the various ingredients right there on the laundry room counter, then carry directly to the waiting oven.

Safe Turkey Preparation Is Key

All the germs stay in the laundry area which is where we keep the Clorox and other cleaning supplies. While the turkey is cooking, we quickly wipe down the laundry area… zero bacteria-transfer to the kitchen!

Will you be washing your bird before Turkey day? Share your comments below.

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