Wyoming Poison Center spokeswoman Joan McVoy has some tips for keeping your Thanksgiving meal a festive occasion rather than making it an unhappy memory.

McVoy says for frozen turkeys being defrosted in the refrigerator you need to allow 1 day for every five pounds, with the turkey being kept in it's original packaging during the thawing process.

McVoy says that if you haven't begun thawing your turkey yet and it's over 10 pounds your only option for having it thawed out in time for the holiday on Thursday is to soak it in a cold water bath, changing the water every half hour.

McVoy says using the cold-water bath method will take about 12 hours to thaw out a 20 pound bird.

She says when preparing Thanksgiving dinner in general it's very important to make sure everyone preparing food washes their hands frequently. She also says if you cook dressing inside your turkey it's important to remove it immediately after you finish baking.

McVoy also says you shouldn't leave leftovers out after dinner for longer than about a half an hour. She also says leftover turkey can spoil after a couple of days or so, even when refrigerated.

McVoy says nurses at the Poison Center are on call 24/7, including through the Thanksgiving Holiday. They can be reached toll-free at 1-800-222-1222.

 

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