As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, you might be thinking of eating a home-cooked meal of corned beef and cabbage, and of course, consuming a few (or more) beers to go along with it. But, in between all the fun, how do you keep these foods safe to eat and avoid being affected and getting “sham-rocked” by foodborne illness this holiday?

Stop Foodborne Illness, a national nonprofit, public health organization dedicated to preventing illness and death from foodborne pathogens, wants you to be aware of how preventing foodborne illness while you get in touch with your inner Irish this St. Patrick’s Day.

The luck of the Irish only goes so far, so knowing how to properly store, prepare, cook, and reheat your corned beef will help you avoid foodborne illness this St. Paddy’s Day. Corned beef comes from the tougher part of the cow, and to tenderize the beef it is placed in a bath of salt water along with spices, most commonly peppercorns and bay leaf. If you buy uncooked corned beef in a salt brine drain the brine before freezing or refrigerating because the excess salt can cause the beef to go rancid. If the brine is not drained, the corned beef can be stored unopened safely 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Corned beef can be prepared in several different ways, and the USDA doesn’t recommend one kind of cooking over the other. The five freshest ways to fix corned beef are: 1) in the oven, 2) in an oven cooking bag, 3) in a slow cooker, 4) on the stove, and 5) in the microwave. Just make sure that you follow the temperature and time instructions for the specific cooking method that you are using. Find the USDA’s instructions for cooking corned beef here:

The USDA says that “fork-tender” (https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/meat-preparation/corned-beef-and-food-safety/ct_index) is a “good indication of doneness”, but to use a food thermometer to make sure the meat is heated to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit before consuming. In an article by Stanley Rutledge of Stop Foodborne Illness, he says that just because your food may look done, and the meat may still look pink, this does not indicate it is done. A food thermometer is essential to making sure your food is safe to eat. Take a look at this listfrom Stop Foodborne Illness of safe internal cooking temperatures for reference.