COLUMBIA, S.C. — Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has some important tips for thawing and cooking your turkey, as well as keeping your leftovers safe.
According to the USDA, you need to allow about 24 hours for every four to five pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. If you have a smaller turkey, you may need just one to three days. If you have a turkey that is 20 pounds or larger, you may need as much as a week for it to thaw completely in the refrigerator.
The USDA does say that if you started thawing your turkey a little early, it is safe to keep in the refrigerator for one to two days.
If you are running behind, you can still defrost your turkey in a cold water bath. For a smaller turkey, this can take two to six hours. A larger turkey could take 10 to 12 hours. The USDA suggests you keep your turkey in its original packaging, and change out the water every 30 minutes until thawed.
If you thaw your turkey using the cold water bath method, you must start cooking the turkey immediately.
If you don't get a chance to thaw your turkey, the USDA says it is safe to cook a completely frozen turkey, but it will take 50 percent longer to fully cook. A turkey is safe to eat when it reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees.
When saving your cooked turkey and other Thanksgiving leftovers, the USDA says you will need to throw away any foods that is left out at room temperature for over two hours. Leftovers put in the fridge can last three to four days. Any frozen leftovers can last two to six months.
For information on safe methods for cooking a turkey, you can reach out to the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854).