Don't wash your turkey! Here's why
This bad habit can make you sick.
Cleaning before Thanksgiving visitors show up is just part of the tradition. You want to make a good impression, right?
Out of all the things on your list, there's one thing that you shouldn't be cleaning. The turkey.
Skip the rinse
No doubt you'll see plenty of recipes in cookbooks and online that instruct you to rinse your turkey before you start to cook it. Just don't do it, though, says the US Department of Agriculture.
Rinsing your turkey is supposed to wash off all of the icky germs. But actually, rinsing doesn't remove any germs and may end up spreading dangerous bacteria around your kitchen.
The bacteria -- including E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella -- can lead to potential food poisoning if it contaminates other foods or cooking supplies.
How to make your turkey safe
The only real way to kill bacteria on your turkey is to cook it to 165 degrees F at its center. Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check the temp. Don't rely on the little red popup thermometer that comes with the turkey.
Pro tip: To be sure your turkey is safe to eat, check out the recent turkey recalls to make sure your bird isn't on the list.
Turkey still frozen? Here's how to defrost it, fast.
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