My neighbor got confused an thawed her turkey a week early, can she re-freeze her turkey or should she cook it

Question

My neighbor wants to know if she can refreeze her turkey

Answer 1

Definitely cook the bird. She can carve it and freeze the cooked meat and then thaw it for turkey day. Refreezing raw meat isn't a good idea for two reasons. One is safety. Unless the meat was thawed under very controlled circumstances the bacteria naturally present in poultry will multiply RAPIDLY. Second is that freezing in a regular freezer is a higher temperature that a commercial freezing operation. Slow freezing times mean larger ice crystals in the cells and more cellular damage. In other words, it can make the meat MUSHY.

Answer 2

She should cook it. I was taught that you should never, ever refreeze thawed meat.

I did find this though on the 'net...
" There are two concerns with refreezing meat. The first is safety. If the meat has thawed in a refrigerator, then it’s okay to refreeze. In terms of other methods, make sure it doesn’t sit in the “danger zone”—40°F–140°F (4°C–60°C)—for more than two hours. And if it’s been thawed by other methods, cook it before refreezing. This is the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service’s position. If you do refreeze, the sooner you do it, the better.
The second concern is about the meat’s quality. When you think of how meat fibers change on a cellular level, freezing not only affects the solids in meat cells but also turns the liquid within the cells into frozen crystals. As you can imagine, these sharp, angular crystals can shear a delicate cell wall rather quickly. Then as the meat thaws, the contents of the cells seep out, creating that familiar puddle of juices. This leaves the thawed meat fibers more prone to drying out as they cook.

Freezing food as fast as possible minimizes the loss of liquid, because when ice crystals form quickly, they remain very tiny. If the process of freezing and thawing is repeated, however, greater moisture losses occur and the quality of the meat lessens."

I would still cook it over refreezing it though if it were me...

Answer 3

no don't refreeze it -
options are
1) get a new turkey and maybe find a shelter that can use the one now
2) cook it and freeze it in pieces and you can eat it throughout the year

but for thanksgiving i think there is nothing she can do to make that bird be fresh and whole and good for dinner unless she wants it cut up in advance and just re-warm it like leftovers

Answer 4

Cook it now and either serve it or cut it up and freeze it for later use and go out and buy a fresh turkey for T-Day.

Answer 5

Your neighbor should cook the Turkey and then she can freeze it, until she's ready for it. Cover with aluminum foil(heavy) and a freezer bag.

Answer 6

hi there..please tell your neighbor not to refreeze the bird...tell her to go ahead and cook it the way she planned too.after she is done cooking go ahead and clean the bird and place into freezable containers and freeze it. i know that this isn't what she wants to do but its the safest way to go..i think that the Butterball company has a web site and a toll free phone number you can call, i think that they do this every year...I'm sorry but i don't have either right now..good luck

Answer 7

absolutely cook it, you should never refreeze.... here's a recipe that's yummy for her.. (also yummy when you add stuffing)

Turkey Cranberry Wreath
2 pkg. (235g each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. honey Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
2 C. cooked turkey, chopped
1/2 C. celery, sliced
3 T. fresh parsley, snipped
1/2 C. dried cranberries
4 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (1cup)
1/4 C. walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 egg, separated

1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. With wide ends of triangles toward the center, arrange 8 triangles in a circle on Large Round Stone. Corners of wide ends will touch and points will extend 1 inch beyond of Baking Stone. Arrange remaining 8 triangles in center, matching ends. Seal seams using Dough and Pizza Roller. (Points will overlap in center; do not seal.)
2.Measure mayonnaise, mustard and black pepper into Classic Batter Bowl. Grate cheese into Batter Bowl using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Mix filling using Min 'N Scraper. Using Medium Scoop, scoop filling over seams of dough forming a circle. Coarsely chop walnuts using Food Chopper; sprinkle over filling.
3.Beginning in center, lift one dough triangle across mixture. Continue alternating with outer triangle, slightly overlapping to form wreath. Tuck last end under first.
4.Separate egg over Small Batter Bowl using Egg Separator. Beat egg white lightly; brush over dough using Pastry Brush. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut and serve using Slice 'N Serve. Yields 10 servings.

Answer 8

NO but she can cook it and freeze the meat

Answer 9

Cook it.