Fresh or Frozen Turkey..Stuffed or Unstuffed?

[MamaBee]

Thanksgiving is Thursday..Eek! I’m cooking for a very small group this year..but we all like white meat..so I usually have to get a large bird...A turkey breast doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving...I make a 20lb bird for five people...My husband likes left overs...
I’m not a fan of turkey so I only make it once a year on Thanksgiving..I stopped stuffing the bird after making a fresh turkey one year that I could tell must have been partially frozen...When it was time to cook it it still had ice crystals inside...I let it soak for a bit and then dried it out and stuffed the bird. Hours later the leg was running clear juices...The thermometer in the thigh said it was done...I called everyone to the table...Horror of all horrors was when I scooped out the stuffing and it was bloody after the outside was perfectly done...I wouldn’t let anyone eat it..We ate the sides...It was a terrible experience. Funny part was..my husband’s secretary asked him how his turkey was when he went to work the next day..and he told her what happened. I was so mad..out of character...and recreated the whole dinner a few days later..insisting he tell everyone at work how great the turkey was...haha..
Now it’s Sunday...I need a 20lb turkey...I don’t think I have time to defrost that big of bird and cook it by Thursday...I’m at my other house and won’t be back to Pa until evening..It would have to start defrosting by tonight which isn’t enough time. Is is safe to go buy the sell by dates on the fresh turkeys and keep it in my fridge until I cook it on Thursday? I cook everything but turkey has always stumped me...Any suggestions would be appreciated...I’m still going to cook the turkey unstuffed because I have turkey stuffing PTSD..

 

[stracci2000]

A quicker way to thaw a frozen turkey is to completely submerge it in cold water for a few days.
Assuming this turkey is sealed in plastic, you can put it into a big deep bucket/tub and completely cover it with cold water. This may take several days, but not a whole week. Keep checking it and it will thaw faster this way than just letting it rest in the fridge.
The water will get super cold, and the bird will stay very cold the whole time, but will thaw in time for Thursday.

 

[lissyflo]

I’d buy a fresh one and keep it in the fridge - it’ll be absolutely fine as long as you cook it before the use-by date. Defrosting poultry makes me nervous so I’d always rather cook it from fresh, with an hour or two at room temp before it goes in the oven so it relaxes a bit.

And you’re absolutely right to cook the stuffing separately from the bird - filling the cavity changes how it heats, so it’s really hard to get the stuffing cooked through without completely drying out the bird.

 

[Elizabeth35]

Do fresh so you know it's thawed and you also have time to brine it.
I use Ina Garten's Accidental Turkey recipe and it's the best I have come up with (other than using the turkey fryer).
I cook any poultry at 425-450 degrees. The faster it cooks, the moister it will be. I will never do a turkey at 325 again.
And I'm with you on stuffing the bird. Nobody at my house will eat the soggy stuffing. They all prefer oven-baked dressing that is more crunchy.

 

[junebug17]

@Mamabean, I really think you should be ok with a fresh turkey in the fridge as long as you go by the date. I always do fresh...frozen takes forever to defrost and it's just a pain. I never know it it's fully defrosted. And I agree on not stuffing the turkey; again, less stress and oven-baked tastes fine.

 

[rainydaze]

I have always roasted a fresh turkey. I get mine from a local farm on Tuesday and set it to brine that night. It sits in the brine, in my fridge, until Thursday morning. The brine has lots of (kosher) salt which helps with preservation, moisture, and flavor.

I also make the stuffing separately. Roasting the turkey is more predictable and reliable, and the same with the stuffing.

A drizzle of gravy over the stuffing made from the turkey drippings can add the turkey flavor if one desires.

Good luck and happy Thanksgiving @Mamabean !

 

[cmd2014]

I tend to do frozen, but only if I have a week to defrost in the fridge. Otherwise I do fresh. I don’t stuff - if you do you need the center of the stuffing to reach 165 degrees to be safe - by which time the turkey will be seriously overcooked. Otherwise turkey is easy. High temp or low, brined, dry brined, unbrined, flipped, foiled, or bare, just don’t cook the breast beyond 160 and the thighs 175 and it will be good. It’s the sides IMO that make or break a thanksgiving dinner.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

A quicker way to thaw a frozen turkey is to completely submerge it in cold water for a few days.
Assuming this turkey is sealed in plastic, you can put it into a big deep bucket/tub and completely cover it with cold water. This may take several days, but not a whole week. Keep checking it and it will thaw faster this way than just letting it rest in the fridge.
The water will get super cold, and the bird will stay very cold the whole time, but will thaw in time for Thursday.

just thinking about Christmas and the turkey in my freezer
do you think that's safe to do in the summer ?(im in New Zealand) because it sounds alot eaiser than taking up all that room in the fridge

 

[pearlsngems]

I buy a fresh turkey and butterfly it, removing the backbone (and using it for soup) and breaking the breastbone so that the two halves of the breast lie flat. I cut the legs and wings off and arrange them alongside the butterflied breast. Cooking time is much reduced as there is no body cavity.

I'm not sure you could do this with a very large bird, though...I get no larger than 12 lb. birds, and the 21" rectangular foil pan I use is nearly as wide as my oven.

I double the pans for strength. I use these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P87BRMD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[stracci2000]

just thinking about Christmas and the turkey in my freezer
do you think that's safe to do in the summer ?(im in New Zealand) because it sounds alot eaiser than taking up all that room in the fridge

Well, in the heat of summer, it may not stay as cold as it should. The water needs to stay at about 40 degrees or 5 degrees celsius. You need to keep a close eye on it. The turkey acts like a giant ice cube in the water. The water stays super cold the entire time, and you can feel it starting to soften a bit after the first day. You are not breaking any food safety rules, because the bird stays cold the whole time.
But I might not want to try this in hot weather.

 

[MamaBee]

I have always roasted a fresh turkey. I get mine from a local farm on Tuesday and set it to brine that night. It sits in the brine, in my fridge, until Thursday morning. The brine has lots of (kosher) salt which helps with preservation, moisture, and flavor.

I also make the stuffing separately. Roasting the turkey is more predictable and reliable, and the same with the stuffing.

A drizzle of gravy over the stuffing made from the turkey drippings can add the turkey flavor if one desires.

Good luck and happy Thanksgiving @Mamabean !

Happy Thanksgiving to you too @rainydaze!

 

[MamaBee]

Thank you @stracci2000 @lizzyflo @Elizabeth35 @junebug17 @rainydaze @cmd2014 @Daisys and Diamonds @pearlsngems! I just got home from Maryland...I’m heading out to get my fresh turkey..feeling better about cooking it..Haha! Here's to no turkey disasters for any of us!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Well, in the heat of summer, it may not stay as cold as it should. The water needs to stay at about 40 degrees or 5 degrees celsius. You need to keep a close eye on it. The turkey acts like a giant ice cube in the water. The water stays super cold the entire time, and you can feel it starting to soften a bit after the first day. You are not breaking any food safety rules, because the bird stays cold the whole time.
But I might not want to try this in hot weather.

thank you
im going to tuck this method safely away in the back of my mind because it might just be an option

have woundetful thanksgiving and i look foreard to hearing all about it

 

[MamaBee]

I bought my fresh turkey..It took two stores to find the right size..but it’s done!
I make my stuffing in the pan..but I take the cooked juices and put it in a fat separator...I pour just the juices over the top of the dressing and mix lightly. I bake it until it gets some browning on top. It tastes very much like it was cooked in the bird..but without being soggy. My husband loves it like this.
Thank you everyone!
Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Arcadian]

When I actually cooked Thanksgiving day dinner, I would submerge the turkey in brine. In a big ass cooler....lol I'd put ice in it but I'd soak the bird for 72 hours on the deck. (it was always cold enough for that in Massachusetts! Always thawd and always tasted good. And no matter size bird I got, there was NEVER leftovers.

People were sad when I stopped but as I got older I had to stop. I was crippling myself for a single day (I would start cooking a week out!)

The great thing is being in Florida, all my friends go out for turkey day! We always leave the server a fantastic tip.

 

[partgypsy]

Mamabean solved her problem but for anyone else reading, it should not take several days if you thaw in cold water. Just remember to replace the water every 30 minutes. "Thaw time in cold water requires about 30 minutes per pound in cold water, refreshed every 30 minutes." So a 20 lb turkey should take 10 hours. A long time, but not several days.

I know because I am a cheapskate and get the frozen turkeys, and then realize I need to thaw it!
Ditto on, it is not food safe to cook the stuffing in the turkey cavity. I do like Mamabeans suggestion of basting in the turkey juices so they are extra moist and flavorful. Even though I only eat the combination a couple times a year, LOVE turkey + stuffing!.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

ive never seen a fresh turkey in the shops here ...maybe a thawed one but not fresh
very ocasionally some fresh mince or breast
my mum would only ever buy frozen poultry because of food poisioning fears of fresh chicken

i see people on tv getting turkey sandwiches and i think you guys must have turkey avsilable all year round

ive only once seen sliced turkey at the supermarket deli not at Christmas

we can usually find those not so great preboned -( preformed more like) small boxed turkey roasts in the back of the supermarket freezer but i always think they must be leftover from Christmas
but an actual real turkey is Christmas only

 

[lambskin]

Thanksgiving is Thursday..Eek! I’m cooking for a very small group this year..but we all like white meat..so I usually have to get a large bird...A turkey breast doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving...I make a 20lb bird for five people...My husband likes left overs...
I’m not a fan of turkey so I only make it once a year on Thanksgiving..I stopped stuffing the bird after making a fresh turkey one year that I could tell must have been partially frozen...When it was time to cook it it still had ice crystals inside...I let it soak for a bit and then dried it out and stuffed the bird. Hours later the leg was running clear juices...The thermometer in the thigh said it was done...I called everyone to the table...Horror of all horrors was when I scooped out the stuffing and it was bloody after the outside was perfectly done...I wouldn’t let anyone eat it..We ate the sides...It was a terrible experience. Funny part was..my husband’s secretary asked him how his turkey was when he went to work the next day..and he told her what happened. I was so mad..out of character...and recreated the whole dinner a few days later..insisting he tell everyone at work how great the turkey was...haha..
Now it’s Sunday...I need a 20lb turkey...I don’t think I have time to defrost that big of bird and cook it by Thursday...I’m at my other house and won’t be back to Pa until evening..It would have to start defrosting by tonight which isn’t enough time. Is is safe to go buy the sell by dates on the fresh turkeys and keep it in my fridge until I cook it on Thursday? I cook everything but turkey has always stumped me...Any suggestions would be appreciated...I’m still going to cook the turkey unstuffed because I have turkey stuffing PTSD..

If you all like white meat, cook a smaller bird and a whole breast. This way you get some dark meat leftovers and the whole turkey tradition. Plus two pans to deglaze for homemade gravy. I stuff our bird. But I make the stuffing a little on the dry side (I toast my own bread cubes) with larger bread cubes. Everyone prefers the stuffed stuffing rather than the extra stuffing cooked in a separate pan.Ooooohhhh I am getting hungry!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i hope you guys will shear stuffing secretes and photos because i love stuffing but have never made it as a side dish - only inside a chicken

our turkey goes into the webber so im not sure how stuffing would go.
mum made pretty bland stuffing and dry turkey - there were no meat juices left to run clear !
actually that's a bit unkind
she made lovelly thick tasty gravy and the turkey was smothered in bacon and the skin and drum sticks were yum and she got up at the crack of dawn and slaved away for hours in the heat
i mean its summer and its all well and good having salad and bbq food but you still need to boil new potatos and mum used to always do a Christmas pudding
our house smelt delicouse on Christmas morning because its also summer so the house is full of flowers from the garden and she would have boxes of fresh fruit - the first of the peaches and apricots and Christmas cherries and tomatos (i love tomatos) and strawberries
our fridge would be overflowing with berries plus the mint for the new spuds

anyway sorry im getting ahead of myself, its only thanksgiving

my aunty made delicouse stuffing - i actually wounder now if it was from a box but it had lots of herbs in it
anyway i never remember any worry about undercooked birds back then
but turkey was always dry
of course that was the 70s (....and 80s and 90s)

oh @lambskin im now so hungry thinking about it all too !

what about the side dishes you guys do ?
the sweet potatos with the marshmallow, pumpkin pie and green beans

do you guys have ideas for leftover turkey
we ate it for about 3 days almost 3 meals a day when it was just mum, dad, my sister and i
i remember turkey and cheese toasted sandwhich on day 3 and being releaved to get a lighter meal finally