Experts suggest ways to safely store and prepare food for Thanksgiving

PEORIA (25News Now) - Whether making mashed potatoes, apple pie, or a whole turkey, knowing the right way to cook can keep your holiday season from going up in flames.

East Peoria Fire Chief Bobby Zimmerman says cooking fires are the number one cause of fires across the country, 365 days a year.

“Holidays get crazy, so you’re more likely to forget something you put on the stove or something that you put in the oven, so just take a second and relax, enjoy the holidays, but do it in a safe manner,” Zimmerman said.

Mara Thompson, a Spokesperson with the Red Cross of Illinois, also says they see more cooking fire disasters on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.

“You have as little as about two minutes once a fire starts to safely remove yourself from that situation,” Thompson said. “If it seems like it’s gotten past that point, just get yourself to safety; that’s the most important thing.”

A couple of reminders Zimmerman and Thompson offered include never leaving a heat source unattended, turning in pot and pan handles and away from foot traffic, keeping kids and pets out of the kitchen during cooking, cleaning up after your grease messes, and always deep frying a turkey outside.

“Accidents happen every day, so just make sure you take that extra safety precaution,” Zimmerman said.

Making sure you don’t catch your house on fire is one thing, but being aware of cross-contamination and storing food to prevent foodborne illnesses can also make for a happy Thanksgiving.

Denae Sink, a Community Dietitian from Carle Health Methodist Hospital, recommends washing your hands before, in between, and after preparing any food, especially raw turkey.

“Really with raw meats, you want to try and keep things separate from your other foods because there is always a chance of bacteria passing from the turkey to those other foods,” Sink said.

Sink adds if you’re preparing Thanksgiving dishes days in advance, store them in the fridge to avoid what she calls the ‘temperature danger zone’.

“That’s 40° to 140°. That’s the place where bacteria loves to grow the best, so if we can keep things refrigerated or heated above that, that’s going to be the best practice,” Sink said.

Sink suggests eating pre-prepared foods within three to four days.