AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Turkey should be fully defrosted in the fridge, not on the kitchen bench, before cooking.

Plan ahead
a large frozen turkey can take up to 3 days to defrost in the fridge
the turkey needs to defrost in a dish large enough to hold the liquid from thawing
if a significant amount of defrosting has occurred between buying it and getting it home, the turkey should not be put back in the freezer. Instead it needs to be fully defrosted and cooked properly. The cooked meat can then be frozen.
if it's not possible to defrost a turkey at home, buy fresh or ask the butcher to defrost it in their cool room


Check the fridge
5°C or below is the temperature the fridge needs to be to stop bacteria growing
putting more than usual in a fridge can push up its temperature. Blocking cold air vents and more frequent opening and closing of the door can also raise the temperature.
things like soft drinks can be safely kept cold in an ice-filled sink or esky


Make space
don't allow any other food in the fridge to touch the defrosting turkey
leave it in the plastic wrap while thawing
try and place the thawing turkey in a dish on the bottom shelf of the fridge so nothing drips onto foods below
if the dish fills, tip the liquid out carefully, ensuring nothing splashes onto other foods or utensils. If it does, sanitise the area by mixing 1 teaspoon of bleach in 3 cups of water.
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Scrub up
wash hands thoroughly before handling the turkey, especially after nose blowing or going to the toilet
wash hands thoroughly after handling the raw turkey
avoid preparing food if sick with something like a cold, diarrhoea or nausea
take extra care with hygiene if there's pets in the kitchen
make sure to use separate cutting boards, knives and other kitchenware to prepare the turkey
use clean sponges and tea towels; dry wooden kitchenware in the sun if possible
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Testing if defrosted
a turkey is defrosted if it's possible to put a skewer or fork right through to the bone of the thickest parts such as the thigh or breast tissue


Speeding up defrosting
the recommended maximum amount of time that a thawing or thawed turkey can be left at room temperature is 2 hours
removing giblets can speed up defrosting
running cold tap water into the cavity of an almost defrosted turkey can finish the thawing process off. Care is needed though to ensure the raw juices do not splash onto other foods, kitchenware or bench tops.
defrosting programs on microwaves can be used when the turkey is almost fully thawed. Follow the manufacturer's instructions as defrosting a turkey in a microwave can sometimes produce uneven results. The turkey needs to be cooked immediately it is removed from the microwave.
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Stuffing
some recipes for stuffing can be prepared in advance, frozen, then thawed
stuffing must be left to the day of cooking. Leave the task until just before the turkey is ready to put in the oven
try not to overstuff the cavity


Cooking
if it hasn’t been done, remove the plastic bag containing the giblets
follow the cooking instructions from the butcher or on the packaging
pre-heat the oven to the required temperature before putting the turkey in it
the oven will need to be around 160°C or 170°C
allow a cooking time of approximately 45 minutes per kilo; so a 4 kilogram turkey will take around 3 hours
do not try to cook the turkey at a lower temperature for longer, eg overnight. This will encourage bacteria to grow.
if a meat thermometer is used, the thickest part of the turkey will need to be at least 75°C


Testing if cooked
cooked turkey meat is white
clear juices – not pink- will run from a properly cooked turkey. Test by placing a skewer through to the bone in the thickest parts such as the thigh or breast tissue.
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Serving
a cooked turkey straight from the oven needs to be eaten within 2 hours of cooking or put in the fridge


Leftovers
turkey is best stored in small containers in the fridge
leftovers need to be consumed within 3 days
reheated turkey needs to be steaming hot – at least 75°C - before it can be eaten
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Please remember...
Keep it cold
Keep it clean
Keep it hot
...and check the label


Ensuring food is safe and correctly labelled is the role of the NSW Food Authority.

For more information please call the Food Authority on 1300 552 406 or email contact@foodauthority.nsw.gov.au.

mmmmm turkey sandwich yum hot turkey sandwich even better

OMGOODNESS!!!
I hope you dont mean OUR Turkey Sandwich!!!!!!
we love him we do!!!
but then you may not know the story of OUR 'Turkey Sandwich'

seriously tho
only thing that needs to be covered now is
cooking time is same for store bought or home grown and 'chopped' birds

westerngardens - thank you for posting this

Hi Westerngardens, Welcome, very practical advice, thanks. We don't prepare our own Turkey but if we ever do we know where to look



Thanks
P.A

My version of PREPARING A TURKEY FOR EATING:

Get turkey's food ready, tell turkey that you are about to feed him so that he is properly prepared. Wait until he is looking and then pour his food into his dish!!!!!!

Deb

nice one!!

I must admit I do like a "Turkey Sandwich"
Cheers Drew Smith

We brought a turkey to feed up and eat that was 4 years ago and he is now part of the family and couldn't imagine eating him.

I think thats the common result from "lets buy a turkey - fatten him up - and eat him and xmas" we fall in love with them 5 mins after they get home


Raf

Not mine Raf, I eat the blighters, fatten em up and eat em up

Bourke

I couldn't do that, I get way too attached to all my babies to ever eat them