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If the freezer door was left ajar and the freezer continued to keep the food cold, the food should stay safe. A freezer full of food will usually keep about 2 days if the door is kept shut; a half-full freezer will last about a day. The freezing compartment in a refrigerator may not keep foods frozen as long.
The first step in having safe leftovers is cooking the food safely. Use a food thermometer to make sure that the food is cooked to a safe, minimum internal temperature. Red meats: Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145° F as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat ...
For longer freezer storage, wrap in heavy duty plastic wrap, aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic bags made for freezing. Ground beef is safe indefinitely if kept frozen but will lose quality over time. It is best if used within 4 months. Mark your packages with the date they were placed in the freezer so you can keep track of storage times.
Perishable foods will stay safe in a refrigerator only 4 hours. Find out where dry ice and block ice can be purchased. During a Power Outage. Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. The refrigerator will keep food safe for up to 4 hours. If the power is off longer, you can transfer food to a cooler and fill with ice or frozen gel packs.
Keep Food Out of the "Danger Zone". Never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour. Keep hot food hot—at or above 140 °F. Place cooked food in chafing dishes, preheated steam tables, warming trays, and/or slow cookers. Keep cold food cold—at or below 40 °F.
The bag should be submerged in cold tap water, changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. Small packages of meat, poultry or seafood — about a pound — may thaw in an hour or less. A 3-to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per pound. If thawed completely, the food must be ...
First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product. Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.
Foods should be reheated thoroughly to an internal temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming. In the microwave oven, cover food and rotate so it heats evenly. Follow manufacturer's instructions for stand time for more thorough heating. In the absence of manufacturer's instructions, at least a two minute stand time should be allowed.
NOTE: These short but safe time limits will help keep home-refrigerated food from spoiling. Storage Times For Refrigerated Foods. Ground Meat, Ground Poultry, and Stew Meat. Ground beef, turkey, veal, pork, lamb. 1-2 days. Stew meats. 1-2 days. Fresh Meat (Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork) Steaks, chops, roasts.
To prevent foodborne illness, uncooked sausages that contain ground beef, pork, lamb or veal should be cooked to 160°F. Uncooked sausages that contain ground turkey and chicken should be cooked to 165°F. Ready-to-eat sausages are dry, semi-dry and/or cooked. Dry sausages may be smoked, unsmoked or cooked.