(NEXSTAR) — The calendars have only just flipped over to November, but you may already be counting down the days to Thanksgiving. (It’s on its second-latest date possible this year.) If you’re cooking the turkey this year, that day may be especially important, influencing when you buy the bird and how soon you start thawing it.
Thankfully, you have some time before your turkey has to thaw. But is it too soon to get your turkey?
Food safety experts say that will depend on the storage method for your bird.
If you’re purchasing a fresh, not frozen, turkey, the Minnesota Department of Health says you should wait until about a day or two before you’re cooking it. During that time, the turkey should remain in the refrigerator, ideally on a tray or pan to contain any juices.
When it comes to frozen turkey, there’s hardly a wrong time to buy one (as long as you leave time to thaw). A turkey can stay in the freezer “indefinitely,” according to the health department, but it’s best to cook it within a year.
That also means you could buy a turkey after Thanksgiving and keep it in the freezer until next Thanksgiving, if you’re really thinking ahead.
When it comes time to thaw, it’s important to keep your bird at a safe temperature, the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service emphasizes. There are three ways deemed safe for turkey thawing, but we’ll get a less-than-ideal method out of the way: leaving it on your counter for an extended period of time.
“A package of frozen meat or poultry left thawing on the counter more than 2 hours is not at a safe temperature,” the FSIS explains. Sure, parts of the turkey may still be frozen, but the outer layer will most likely have entered the “Danger Zone” — between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit — where foodborne bacteria can multiply quickly.
Instead, the FSIS suggests thawing your bird in the refrigerator, cold water, or a microwave oven. How large your turkey is will impact how soon you need to start thawing.
Forgot to thaw? Your Thanksgiving isn’t entirely ruined: According to the FSIS, frozen turkeys can still be cooked, they just take at least 50% longer than a thawed bird. But just in case, here are some restaurant chains that said they’ll be open for Thanksgiving.
