Fresh?  Frozen?  Organic?  Natural?  Hen or Tom?  There are plenty of decisions to make when purchasing your Thanksgiving turkey.  Turkeys to be sold fresh are quick-chilled to 40°F or lower at the processing facility, but must not go below a temperature of 26°F.  You may think that turkeys chilled to this temperature would be ‘frozen’, but they […]

Turducken.  The name doesn’t sound appetizing, but once you cut into the triple layers of chicken, duck, and turkey, you can see why people bypass the traditional Thanksgiving turkey for this all-in-one, mega-stuffed delicacy. The Turducken was born in Louisiana when someone decided to debone a chicken, put it inside of a deboned duck that […]

Whether serving the meal yourself or sharing ideas with others on preparing an upcoming holiday feast, everyone will be grateful for recipes that include special food safety tips! Just in time for the holidays, the Partnership for Food Safety Education shares recipes, videos and more with food safety prompts that will help even the novice chef prepare a […]

Pies are an all–time favorite dessert and a feature of our winter holiday celebrations. Cooking and storing pies safely is important because bacteria that cause foodborne illness can grow in certain pies kept at room temperature, especially when the ingredients include milk, other dairy products, and eggs.  Food Safety for Pies Containing Dairy Ingredients or Eggs If […]

As we move into the season of holiday baking, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds consumers that some decorating “luster dust” has been associated with toxic metal poisonings in children. Decorating foods with luster dust or glitter is a current trend, popularized on television programs, instructional videos, blogs, and websites such as […]

As we head into the gun-deer season,  it is a good time to remember safe handling practices for wild game meat.  Families across Wisconsin depend on game meat to supplement their food budget, and safe animal and food-handling practices can help ensure that harvested meat is safe and high quality. Venison is a nutritious game […]

The holidays are a common time for food items to be used for gift exchanges. However, is this really a good idea for a gift? What should you do if you receive a home-processed food item? It is always best to err on the side of caution, even if you know the person giving the […]

In home canning, salt is primarily for flavor in plain vegetables, tomato products, poultry, and meat. Therefore, salt can be left out of these products to reduce the sodium content. In vinegar-based pickles, salt contributes to the flavor. For fermented foods, salt is needed for safety and flavor. There are many types of salt available. […]