How long can a thawed turkey stay in the refridgerator before having to be cooked or frozen?

Question

We bought an 18 lb. turkey for Christmas today, the package said "fresh" & it hadn't been frozen yet. This is my first year doing a Christmas turkey, so I am scared that if I freeze it before then, it won't thaw in time (being I have no clue how thawing times work with turkeys!) The package says "sell OR freeze by December 28, 2008" Will it be okay just leaving it in the refridgerator until Christmas Eve morning? (Which is when we'll start marinating it?) Or do I need to freeze it? I'm not trying to get the whole family sick here LOL! There is a 1-800 number on the package (Honeysuckle Farms) but I sat on hold a lot longer than I had wanted to earlier, & ended up hanging up hoping to get a faster response here. Any help is appreciated! THANKS!

Oops, I meant "December 28, 2007" not 2008! Sorry about that.

Thanks for the tips! Gosh I had no idea it would take that long to thaw the thing in the fridge once frozen. Glad I asked! LOL Or else we would have had a half frozen bird trying to cook. :-p

Answer 1

8 days in the refrigerator is kind of pushing it.

I'd recommend freezing it and pull it out Friday, 21 Dec so it has a few days to thaw.

If you're not sure, ask the meat guy at the supermarket you bought it from.

Edit... Since this is your first turkey...
PLEASE, PLEASE remember to pull out the bag of gizzards from inside the turkey.
1. Check in the cavity from the back end of the turkey.
2. Also, check under the neck skin in front of the turkey.

Many people only check in the cavity and forget to check under the neck skin in the front.

You don't want to have a beautifully cooked turkey onlly to have an undercooked bag of stuff ruining things.

Answer 2

It takes 2 full days (48 hours) to thaw a 14 lb bird. If you put the turkey in tepid water, it will thaw much faster, but you must cook it immediately after it's thawed!

Answer 3

Put your turkey in the freezer now!!!
you can slow thaw it by putting it in the refrigerator 2 days before the actuall cooking day and if you want to quick thaw it put it in cold water 24 hours prior to cooking. For 40 years my preference has been the 2 days and I let it sit in cold water for 1 -2 hours before stuffing it. (This gives it a good cleaning . Drain off all the water and pat it dry inside.)
Merry Christmas and happy eating.P.S If hte neck is thawed then you know your bird is ready

Answer 4

You can freeze it and then leave it out to thaw 48 hours before X-mas.
It should be completely thawed in 24 hours, that'll leave you another 24 to marinate and cook. It's safer than leaving it in the refrigerator for a whole week, you never know...

Answer 5

If the package says, "sell OR freeze by December 28, 2008" it should be fine.

However should you decide to freeze it allow roughly 5 hours per pound in the refrigerator.

Answer 6

Try their website - just google Honeysuckle Farms. I don't think I would freeze it thought because it will probably affect the taste. It should be good if the expiration date says that though - I wouldn't worry about it as long as you cook it thoroughly and don't put the stuffing inside it when it's raw, etc.

Answer 7

You can thaw 3 days ahead, and no it won't stay good in your fridge for over a week , so put in your freezer and pull it out 3 days before you plan on cooking it.

Answer 8

since it will thaw good in 48 hours, you also need to let it marinate in spices overnight, you should put it to freeze and take it out on around 21st - but really there wont be no harm keeping it oput