How long can turkeys keep in the refrigerator2022/7/23 21:23:38

2022-7-23 21:23| 发布者: msmkmm2012| 查看: 78| 评论: 0

摘要: How long can turkeys keep in the refrigerator? Well, if you have a family like ours. But if your family is small, you may want to put it in the refrigerator to use leftovers. So, today, we will answer ...

How long can turkeys keep in the refrigerator? Well, if you have a family like ours. But if your family is small, you may want to put it in the refrigerator to use leftovers. So, today, we will answer all your pressing questions about putting turkey in the refrigerator and freezer. Click Best Reviews Guide to view thousands of product reviews!

Safety Tips for Handling Turkey
How long a turkey can keep in the refrigerator depends on what you do with it, from thawing, storing, baking to reheating. The first and most important thing is to manage your food safely. Always wash your hands when handling any food.

The next step is to keep your plates, utensils and kitchen spotless, because you will use them to cook meat. After cooking, put the food on a clean plate. Do not put raw and cooked poultry on the same plate.

How to buy fresh turkey?
When you decide to cook a dish with turkey, it's best to buy meat at least the day or two before. Now the question is, how long can turkeys be kept in the refrigerator?

You can keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready for cook the meat. Then, you can put it on a pan or tray for up to two days to absorb all the leaked juice in the refrigerator. However, don't buy fresh stuffed turkey, because stuffing can cause harmful bacteria to multiply.

If you decide to prepare on the same day, you can do so.

How long can turkeys keep in the refrigerator?
Turkey in the refrigerator
If you don't plan to cook the turkey in two days, then refrigerate it until you want to thaw it. You can keep your poultry in the freezer for up to one year, but not more than one year.

Once you want to cook with meat, you can do it in three different ways:

You can check your user manual and set the correct power level with your microwave oven according to the minutes per pound. Make sure to remove all the packaging and put it on a microwave safe plate. After thawing, cook the meat immediately. If it is not cooked, don't freeze it again.
You can also put the meat in the original package, put it on a tray and thaw it in the refrigerator, so that you can catch the juice. After thawing, you can put it in the refrigerator for two days. If it is fully thawed in your refrigerator, you can refreeze it.

The last method is to use cold water and wrap it to prevent water from seeping out of the package. Then, immerse the poultry in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. But once it's thawed, cook it immediately, but if you don't plan to cook it, don't freeze it again.
The number of pounds and days of thawing in the refrigerator
You can thaw a turkey weighing 4 to 12 pounds in the refrigerator for 3 days.
For a 12-to 16-pound turkey, you can leave it for four days.
A poultry weighing 16 to 20 pounds can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If your turkey weighs 20 to 24 pounds, you can safely keep it in the refrigerator for up to six days.
The number of pounds and days thawed in cold water
You can put a turkey weighing 4 to 12 pounds in cold water for up to 6 hours.
For turkeys weighing 12 to 16 pounds, you can leave for 8 hours.

A poultry weighing 16 to 20 pounds can be placed in cold water for up to 10 hours.

If your turkey weighs 20 to 24 pounds, you can safely keep it in the water for up to 12 hours.
A useful note is to remove the internal organs after thawing and cook separately.

How to roast your turkey?
roast turkey
It's best to set the oven temperature at no less than 325 degrees Fahrenheit and put it on the shelf of a shallow baking tray. If you want to cook evenly, it's best to cook your stuffing in your casserole. If you leave it indoors, check it with a food thermometer, because its central temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

When cooking meat with stuffing, it is best to loosely fill the cavity before cooking. To check whether the meat is cooked or not, you can measure the thickest part of the inner thigh with a thermometer. The meat should be cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

It is also suitable for breast examination. Again, do it in the thickest place. Although your turkey may have a pop-up temperature indicator, it helps to check the internal temperature of meat and stuffing. After cooking, please let stand for 20 minutes before cutting.

Baking schedule per pound
Four to eight pounds of breasts take three hours.
Eight to twelve pounds may take three hours.
Turkey weighing 2 to 14 pounds takes 3 hours to cook.
4 to 18 pounds for up to 4 hours
8 to 20 pounds for up to 4 hours
20 to 24 pounds for five hours at most
Stuffing turkey depends on the number of pounds and may take 3 to 5 hours.

How long will turkey leftovers be stored?
Don't let your sauce and stuffing sit at room temperature for more than two hours. It will be helpful to use shallow sealed containers to divide leftovers into small portions for freezing or refrigerating. Try to separate the stuffing from the meat, eat it in four days at most, and use up the gravy in two days. If you want to freeze leftovers, you can put them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to six months. Then, you can heat the remaining turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.