In the buildup to Christmas, Tesco has relayed an urgent message to customers who've purchased one of its turkeys for the festive period. The supermarket giant has offered a timely tip for those battling to squeeze all their holiday provisions into overstuffed freezers.
With December 25 fast approaching, most households will have secured their turkeys and trimmings, currently occupying considerable freezer space. Yet, some might still need to venture out for the Christmas Day feast's star attraction: the turkey.
As people jostle to accommodate their Yuletide fare, Tesco has conveyed that its frozen turkeys can be safely tucked away in the refrigerator come December 22. Specifically, Tesco's Frozen Large Basted Whole Turkey Bird, weighing between 5.3-6.9kg, requires thawing for at least 53-69 hours prior to cooking, which translates to about three days.
The standard principle is a defrosting duration of 10 hours per kg of turkey weight. Importantly, Gary Ellis, the director of occupational health and safety specialist CE Safety, spoke about the safest turkey defrosting methods to prevent food poisoning as families gather.
In past comments to the Express, Mr Ellis: "It's vital to follow instructions carefully around defrosting a turkey as the consequences of incorrectly defrosting meat can be very serious, with the huge risk of food poisoning," reports the Express.
Mr Ellis, a food safety expert, has given crucial advice on defrosting turkeys safely. "Although it takes a long time, the safest and easiest way to defrost a turkey is by putting it in the bottom of the fridge so that it doesn't spread any bacteria to other foods."
He also warned against room temperature thawing: "Do not leave your turkey on the side to defrost at room temperature. This is because the outside of the turkey will thaw faster than the inside, and rise in the 'danger zone' (above 4.4°C) where bacteria can very quickly multiply."
Ellis emphasised the need for regular temperature checks with a food thermometer and advised placing the turkey on a deep tray to avoid cross-contamination.
He concluded with a tip for those looking to speed up the process: "It's much more important to ensure your turkey is defrosted thoroughly rather than quickly, but if you want to try and speed the process up, remove the giblets and neck as soon as possible."