Looking at turkeys for your holiday meals? Here are some tips to help make your holiday turkey safe and healthy. Turkey is a healthy choice since it is considered a white meat and full of protein! Some tips for keeping it as healthy as possible is to bake it rather than fry it, and use herbs and lemon to season rather than butter and salt. Allow one pound (1 lb.) of turkey per person you are serving.
Thawing turkeys can be tricky but remember to thaw them in one of three ways: in the refrigerator, in cold water or the microwave. Allowing your bird to thaw at room temperature can allow dangerous bacteria to grow. Washing a raw turkey or poultry also spreads bacteria around the kitchen so you can save time and skip washing the bird. To roast the turkey, start with an oven temperature set at least at 325 degrees. Timetable for turkey roasting varies based on size and if the turkey is stuffed or not. The turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees when it is thoroughly cooked. Allow the turkey to stand for 20 minutes before carving.
Turkeys must be kept at a safe temperature during “the big thaw.” While frozen, a turkey is safe indefinitely. However, as soon as it begins to thaw, any bacteria that may have been present before freezing can begin to grow again.
Immediately after grocery store checkout, take the frozen turkey home and store it in the freezer. Frozen turkeys should not be left on the back porch, in the car trunk, in the basement, or any place else where temperatures cannot be constantly monitored.
A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than two hours is not at a safe temperature. Even though the center of the package may still be frozen, the outer layer of the food is in the “Danger Zone” between 40 and 140 °F — at a temperature where food-borne bacteria multiply rapidly.
There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave oven.
Refrigerator thawing
When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator:
• Plan ahead: allow approximately 24 hours for each 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator set at 40 °F or below.
• Place the turkey in a container to prevent the juices from dripping on other foods.
Refrigerator thawing times
Whole turkey:
• Four to 12 pounds — one to three days
• 12 to 16 pounds — three to four days
• 16 to 20 pounds — four to five days
• 20 to 24 pounds — five to six days
A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for one or two days before cooking. Foods thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen without cooking but there may be some loss of quality.
Cold water thawing
Allow about 30 minutes per pound.
First be sure the turkey is in a leak-proof plastic bag to prevent cross-contamination and to prevent the turkey from absorbing water, resulting in a watery product.
Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed.
Cold water thawing times
• Four to 12 pounds — two to six hours
• 12 to 16 pounds — six to eight hours
• 16 to 20 pounds — eight to 10 hours
• 20 to 24 pounds — 10 to 12 hours
A turkey thawed by the cold water method should be cooked immediately. After cooking, meat from the turkey can be refrozen.
Microwave thawing
Follow the microwave oven manufacturer’s instruction when defrosting a turkey. Plan to cook it immediately after thawing because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook during microwaving. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present wouldn’t have been destroyed.
A turkey thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately.
Monique Koerner is the family and community wellness agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.
