How to safely cook your turkey this Thanksgiving and how long you can eat Thanksgiving leftovers

If you’re looking forward to a delicious — and safe — Thanksgiving dinner with your loved ones, it’s important to follow the proper precautions when cooking.

“A Thanksgiving meal that especially involves a turkey requires careful attention to food safety to prevent contamination and foodborne illness,” food safety expert Darin Detwiler, a professor at Northeastern University, told CBS News. “A raw turkey can introduce harmful bacteria into your kitchen, including salmonella and campylobacter … These bacteria can spread through juices from the turkey to countertops, utensils and other foods, leading to cross-contamination.”

Each year, foodborne illness causes 48 million illnesses, 128,000 admissions and 3,000 deaths : died nationwide, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Fortunately, there are “simple steps we can all take at home that will help reduce the risk of foodborne illness,” notes the USDA on its website.

Here’s what you need to know to perfect your bird for the big day.

What internal temperature should you cook turkey to?

No matter how you cook your turkey—roasting, deep-frying, smoking, or something else—the minimum temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit for safety, according to the USDA.

Hitting this temperature helps ensure that all bacteria will suffer E.coli, listeria or salmonella get killed before you party.

Where in the turkey should you place your thermometer to measure internal temperature?

The inner thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast are the best places to check the internal temperature of a turkey with a food thermometer, according to the USDA.

You should measure the temperature even if your turkey has a “pop-up” temperature indicator, the agency recommends.

“Make sure the thermometer does not touch any bones while taking the temperature, as this will give an inaccurate reading,” its website notes.

How to tell if your turkey is done if you don’t have a meat thermometer

“Using a food thermometer is the only reliable way to verify that the turkey has reached this safe temperature,” Detwiler said. “Visual cues, such as color or texture, are not sufficient to determine doneness because undercooked poultry may appear cooked in some cases.”

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Services offers a Turkey thaw calculator and Turkey cooking calculator on its website helps home cooks gauge how long their turkey should cook.

But many variables can affect the roasting time of a whole turkey, including whether or not it’s stuffed, if the oven temperature is right, what the roasting pan is made of, and more. service notes.

To make sure any harmful bacteria in your food has been killed before you eat it, use a food thermometer to check its temperature.

“Making sure the turkey reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit protects against foodborne illness and keeps your meal safe for all guests, especially vulnerable populations such as children, elderly individuals, pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals,” Detwiler said.

How long are Thanksgiving leftovers safe to eat?

Leftovers should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving to prevent food poisoning, according to United States Food Safety Web Site.

“Cooked turkey and dishes made with turkey, such as a casserole, can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or can be frozen for longer,” the website notes, adding that all leftovers must be reheated to at least 165 degrees before serving.

If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will remain “at best quality for up to two to six months,” according to the USDA.

“Avoid reheating leftovers more than once to reduce the risk of foodborne illness,” Detwiler said.