It’s turkey time!
A recent Food Standards Agency survey showed that 62% of us will have turkey on the menu this Christmas, out of which 69% of those who choose frozen turkey are thawing it in unsafe places such as the bath, garage and garden shed – putting their family at risk from food poisoning.
When preparing your turkey from frozen, you should:
- Follow the retailer’s recommended defrosting time. The size of your turkey will determine how long it needs to be defrosted for (a large 11kg turkey can take up to two-days to defrost).
- Defrost your turkey in the fridge if possible, or somewhere cool. Cold temperature slows the growth of germs on food and will keep it safe and fresh.
- Cover the turkey while defrosting, leave in the packaging or put it in a container to hold any thawing juices, and place it at the bottom of the fridge to avoid cross-contamination.
- Defrost thoroughly, otherwise your turkey may not cook evenly and harmful bacteria could survive the cooking process.
- Raw turkey should always be put in the bottom of fridge until ready to use. Leaving it on the kitchen counter at room temperature could increase your risk of food poisoning.
