THANKSGIVING: Do Not Wash Your Turkey Before You Cook It

Washing the turkey won’t “clean it” or get rid of any bacteria. What will happen is that water will splash off the bird and drip and spray onto all sorts of surfaces in your kitchen. It will spread bacteria all over your kitchen and potentially make all your guests sick because of cross-contamination. The last thing you want is for all your guests to end up with food poisoning.

To lower your chances of contracting Salmonella when dealing with raw turkey, thaw the bird in the fridge, minimize contact with it before it goes into the oven, and make sure it’s fully cooked. Also, wash your hands often and wash whatever plates and kitchen tools that touched the raw turkey before using them again. You should also cook your stuffing outside the turkey.