
For the best flavor and quality, a turkey will keep easily for one year in the freezer. Keep it cold in the refrigerator until ready to roast. A frozen turkey, once thawed, must be used within approximately seven days of thawing. Once defrosted, the meat is virtually as fresh as the day it was processed. They can be purchased in advance whenever it is most convenient or when they are on sale. Frozen turkeys are flash frozen immediately after packaging to 0☏ or below and held at that temperature until purchased. There is no quality difference between a frozen or refrigerated turkey. This allows everyone to enjoy a generous serving of turkey and enough extra turkey for additional meals.įrozen or Refrigerated? What's the Difference? Which One Should I Buy?Ĭhoose the type of turkey that best meets your individual needs. For example, if you are serving 12 people, purchase a 12 pound turkey. Purchasing Pointers What Size Turkey Should I Buy?Īllow one pound of turkey for each adult person. Explore the links on this web site to ensure that your turkey dinner will be the best meal of the year! Decisions about turkey size, cooking method, fresh or frozen, and other factors all come up in the weeks before the holidays. Because there are so many choices on the market today, choosing the right turkey can be a task. For most Americans, turkey is the main course on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas. With a little organization, a few simple recipes and tips from people who have prepared a fully roasted turkey, even a novice cook can prepare and enjoy a scrumptious turkey dinner. It's 20 seconds of prevention that can eliminate 90% of foodborne illness. Hands should be washed again, and rinsed along with all utensils, equipment, and countertops that have been in contact with any raw food (especially raw turkey) before preparing foods. Keep food safety in mind before preparing any turkey and remember to wash hands thoroughly, with soap and hot water, then rinse before beginning any food preparation.
#TURKEY ROASTING TIMETABLE FULL#
The USDA warns that harmful bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached a safe temperature, possibly resulting in food-borne illness.The Poultry and Egg Division, with the help of the National Turkey Federation (NTF), can help make your turkey cooking experience easier with a full array of tips to ensure quality and safety from purchasing, to cooking, to storing, to preparing leftovers, using thermometers, and all the steps in between.

Do not remove the turkey from the oven until the stuffing reaches 165☏. Check the temperature of both the stuffing and the turkey. Mix wet and dry stuffing ingredients just before spooning it loosely into the turkey cavity, and roast the turkey immediately. The center of the dressing inside the bird (or in a separate baking dish) must reach a temperature of 165☏ for food safety. Use the meat thermometer to check the temperature of the dressing. You don’t want the moisture to drain out.įor a stuffed turkey, the roasting time may vary up to 30 minutes, depending upon the bird and the oven. Don’t forget to let the bird rest at least 30 minutes before carving to allow the juices to re-absorb into the flesh. Roast the turkey until the meat thermometer reaches 165☏. For an unstuffed turkey, place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, taking care that it does not touch any bone. Stuffed turkeys will take anywhere between one-half hour and one hour longer. While actual cooking times vary, generally allow 18 minutes per pound for unstuffed turkeys. Roasting times are approximate for fresh turkeys cooked at 350☏. These times will help you decide on the proper cooking time for your size turkey.
