We’ve flown past Halloween and heading towards Thanksgiving and that big dinner. The turkey seems to be the biggest concern for many folks. Here are some thoughts and ideas to get you thinking and planning ahead.

Year-old frozen turkey.
Is there a turkey in your freezer? Perhaps you got it as a gift last Christmas or at a great price after Thanksgiving last year. You just didn’t get around to cooking it throughout the year. So, you wonder. Is it safe to use for Thanksgiving dinner this year?

In general, the answer is YES.

There are a couple of caveats. Was the bird solidly frozen the whole time? The temperature in the freezer needs to have been constant during the year and the wrappings should be intact. Did you have any major power outages during this past year where the turkey could have thawed partially or completely? Since it takes several days for a turkey to thaw this is probably unlikely, but the safety key is that the bird was kept below 40 degrees the whole time the power was off.

A turkey kept for a year in a freezer will be SAFE to eat. But (always a disclaimer) it might have some quality loss. This could be a texture change or an off-flavor. You might not want to risk it on the big day. So, it might be a good idea to buy a new turkey for the holiday and use the stored bird for a family meal earlier in the month. Since obviously if there’s a year-old turkey in your freezer, you don’t cook a turkey very often, it’ll also be a good “run through” meal before the holiday.

Getting that frozen turkey out of the freezer will free up some space for leftovers or perhaps another turkey that you’ll get on sale this year.

Get the equipment you need.

This is a good time to find your food thermometer. If you haven’t used it in a while and it’s been rolling around in the utensil drawer, it may need to be calibrated. Put it in a glass of ice water and see if it is accurate. No sense in using it if it’s wrong.

If you don’t have one, treat yourself to a digital instant-read meat thermometer. It’s also a great time to get refrigerator and freezer thermometers. Refrigerators should be below 41 degrees F and your freezer at zero.

Make room for the turkey.

Clean out the fridge. Do you have space in your refrigerator to hold a turkey? Take some time now, early in the month to get that refrigerator cleaned out. If thawing a frozen turkey, you’ll need to keep it at least 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you order a fresh bird, you’ll still need to keep it below 40 degrees. If you’re brining a turkey, this too needs to be done in the refrigerator.

To thaw or not to thaw.

Perhaps you don’t have room in the refrigerator to thaw the bird. Or you really just don’t have the time to worry about this long thawing time. That’s OK. A turkey can be cooked directly from the frozen state. In fact, some of the big turkey companies are now selling frozen turkeys that they don’t want you to thaw before cooking. They offer simple instructions on how to unwrap and put them directly in the oven. These birds have no necks or giblets frozen on the inside to worry about. You can cook any turkey from the frozen state, but it takes about 50% more time.

Taking time early this month may save you more time, effort and worry later.

Homegrown Holiday Food Safety Videos

• Buying and Thawing Your Thanksgiving Turkey
• Why NOT to Wash Your Thanksgiving Turkey
• Should I Pre-cook My Turkey Stuffing
• How To Safely Brine Your Thanksgiving Turkey
• The Safest Way to Fry a Turkey
• Tips for Timing Your Thanksgiving Turkey
• Safely Storing Your Holiday Meal Leftovers

Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be reached at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-2610 or by email at clsyracu@ncsu.edu