Don’t let your Thanksgiving turkey make everyone sick! Here are six tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for safely preparing your holiday bird.

Don’t rinse it!

For many years, people thought they should rinse their turkey before baking it. But studies have shown that rinsing raw turkey can actually spread germs to other food – so you can skip that step.

Use a safe thawing method.

Never thaw your turkey by leaving it out on the counter. When a turkey stays at room temperature for more than two hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen.

Instead, thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, allowing about 24 hours of thawing for each 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. Once it’s thawed, keep it in the refrigerator and cook it within two days.

Alternatively, you can thaw your turkey in water. Place your turkey in a leakproof plastic bag to prevent germs from spreading, then place it in cold water in the sink. Completely cover the turkey with water and change the water every 30 minutes. Plan for 30 minutes of thawing for each pound of turkey. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.

You can also thaw the turkey in the microwave, but only if you plan to cook it immediately after thawing it. Follow the microwave manufacturer’s instructions for thawing the turkey.

For more information about safely thawing a turkey, visit the USDA website.

Handle your turkey correctly.

Don’t spread germs! Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling the turkey.

Use one cutting board for raw turkey and a separate cutting board for food that won’t be cooked. Never place cooked or fresh food on a plate, cutting board or other surface that held raw turkey.

Wash cutting boards, utensils, dishes and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing raw turkey before you prepare the next item.

Cook stuffing separately from the turkey.

Cooking stuffing in a casserole dish is the safest way to prepare it. If you decide to bake the stuffing in the turkey instead, put the stuffing inside the turkey just before cooking.

Whether you cook the stuffing in a dish or in the turkey, use a food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165 degrees. For stuffing baked inside the turkey, wait 20 minutes before removing the stuffing, allowing it to cook longer.

Cook turkey thoroughly.

When roasting a turkey in the oven, set the temperature to at least 325 degrees. Place your completely thawed turkey in a roasting pan that is 2 to 2-1/2 inches deep.

Use a food thermometer to make sure your turkey has reached a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees. Check by inserting a food thermometer into three places, avoiding bone:

• Thickest part of the breast
• Where body and thigh join, aiming toward the thigh
• Where body and wing join, aiming toward the wing

Even if your turkey has a pop-up timer, use a food thermometer to check that it is safely cooked.

For other cooking methods such as frying or smoking, follow USDA guidelines for safely preparing it.

Store leftovers properly.

Within two hours of cooking, refrigerate leftovers at 40 degrees or colder. (If the food was exposed to temperatures higher than 90 degrees – such as in a hot car – refrigerate it within one hour.) Cut meat into smaller pieces so they cool quickly. You can store food in the refrigerator or freezer before it cools completely.

Eat cooked turkey and any dishes made with it within three to four days. You can store them for longer in the freezer. Reheat all leftovers to at least 165 degrees before serving or eating.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention