 Hello, this is Janet and I'm here to talk to you about different thermometers that you might use in your kitchen. The first one that you would probably use is what we call a meat thermometer. As you can see it has a big dial and it only has the levels or different types of meat that you would actually cook. This is a thermometer that can actually be put in the oven while the product is cooking. This thermometer is called a bimetallic stemmed or instant read or analog thermometer. As you can see it has a dial and there is a number on there and you do have to calibrate this thermometer and we'll talk about this later. The other type of thermometer is a digital thermometer. It is also an instant read thermometer and it gives you the number in numbers you can actually see. You don't have to actually look at a dial. And as you can see they will talk about how and where to put the thermometers in the product that you're going to be testing. Another thermometer that you might find out there is also another type of digital thermometer. And this is one that can also be actually put in the oven and cooked in the product while it's preparing and it also is a digital thermometer. And as you can see you get a big readable LCD number. We mentioned calibrating a thermometer because if you can get one that you can calibrate it is ideal because that way you can make sure it's accurate. If it's not calibratable you may have to just purchase ones because they do come calibrate it from the manufacturer. But this is one that allows you to calibrate it. It is self-contained and that it does not require any other tools. As you can see it has a built in holder where your nut would go because this is your calibration nut. You would simply slide it through the slot until it is aligned. And then, I don't know if you can see this, but there is a little dimple here on the thermometer. When you're taking temperatures that dimple has to be completely submerged in your solution and all it requires is a glass of water with crushed or cubed ice. And you want to insert your probe so that that dimple is below the level of the water. And then all you have to do is turn and read your dial and make sure that it is set to 32 degrees Fahrenheit while it is in the submerged solution. And leave it there for about 15 to 30 seconds to make sure it's not very in. Let's talk in a few minutes about the different temperatures that you need to cook meats to. Poultry normally has a lot of bacteria associated with it and this is regardless of the form of the poultry, whether it's a turkey, a hen, or chicken, if it's ground, it doesn't matter. The temperature that the United States Department of Act recommends is about 180 degrees and you're talking about at the thigh. You will also hear a minimum internal temperature of 165. That's normally from FDA, but both temperatures are safe. And one of the reasons USDA goes with the higher temperatures because a lot of times you may not have a thermometer that's calibrated correctly and they want you to err on the side of safety. When you're doing ground meat like fish or ground beef, you generally do a temperature of about 155 degrees. When you're doing whole cuts of meat like steaks and roast, it's about 145 and your whole seafood is also 145. So if you're not sure about those temperatures and not sure you can always purchase a meat thermometer which will actually give you those temperatures on there with the type of meat that it is. And so that way you would be able to actually just look at that thermometer and see the recommended temperature that you should cook that meat to to make it safe. Let's talk about the proper placement if you're going to be using a meat thermometer in your bird that you would put in the oven. But before we do that, let me point this out. As you can see, this is a pop up temperature indicator that comes in product. This is for reference purposes. To be sure, you would want to make sure you're taking that temperature using your instant read thermometer after it has popped up to ensure that it has been cooked to the right temperature. When you're doing your raw bird using your meat thermometer, if you're going to take the temperature in the breast, you would want to make sure you're inserting it into the breast. Try to make sure you do not touch a bone. And then the other thing that you want to do is make sure that it won't touch the pan as well. The breast remember should measure at about 170 degrees. If you want to do it in the thigh, you would want to insert it into your thigh again, not touching the bone. And like we said, USDA recommends about 180 degrees internal for your thigh. Let's talk about taking the temperature of your bird with an instant read thermometer. There's a dimple on there and you want to make sure that when you've inserted the thermometer, you have it at the correct location in the bird. And you will want to, if you're doing the breast, insert the thermometer into the bird so that it goes below or is past that dimple, that it does not touch your bone or won't be able to touch the pan because it will be hotter. And you'll want to let the temperature sit there for a few minutes, a couple of seconds really, to make sure that you've reached the right internal temperature and that it's not moving around. And from this temperature, it's not fully cooked. If you want to check your temperature at the thigh, again, you would insert it into the thigh below the dimple so that it's not touching the bone or the pan. And again, wait a couple of seconds to make sure you're getting a constant reading. And from this temperature, we can see we need to continue to cook this. When you're cooking your meals, you may have some casseroles or some mixed vegetable dishes. And your directions will tell you to cook it for 350 degrees for, say, 25 to 30 minutes or until it's bubbly or brown. But what's the internal temperature there? Well, we do have recommendations for you on what that proper temperature should be. So as you see, we have a casserole here, and you would still want to take the temperature using your instant read thermometer, make sure, again, that it is inserted below your dimple, and you would just stick it into the side of the product, making sure it goes below the dimple and not touching your container. And you're actually looking for a temperature of about 135 degrees or higher. That means that those ingredients have been cooked to the right minimum internal temperature. When preparing your meal, you might want to stuff your bird. That's not recommended. It's better to prepare your stuffing outside of the bird. Make sure it's cooked to 165 because if you stuff it, you may get uneven cooking, and they may not cook together well, and you may end up with dry product. Now, you can use aromatic herbs and vegetables, but you would still want to make sure those, the vegetables, are cooked to an internal temperature of 165 because you're putting it in poultry. You can also stuff other meats like stuffed pork chops. You can also stuff mushrooms, and you would want to make sure that those stuffings are cooked to an internal temperature of 165. Enjoy.