Left turkey out overnight, is it okay?

Options
135

Replies

  • capnrus789
    capnrus789 Posts: 2,732 Member
    Options
    OH NOES!

    It's dog food.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    I'd say it depends how cold it was this morning!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Options
    I would cook and eat it without a second thought.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
    Options
    oh please it's fine, mine will be out all day today then back in the fridge till tomorrow. I've been leaving mine out all night since I started cooking about let's see 25 freaking years ago and we've never ever had a case of food poisoning. People panic now days over things we've been doing for years. I eat the batter with raw egg in it, and lots of people eat raw eggs, unpasteurized and live to tell about it. This has been done for years and years and we've survived.
  • FluroFaye
    FluroFaye Posts: 130
    Options
    We've left out stuff to thaw and leftovers in the kitchen all the time whilst I was growing up. I've had food poisoning once, and that was actually because my cat had it and cross contamination somewhere.

    The turkey will be fine. Cook it well as usual...no problems.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Options
    We leave our turkey to defrost out of the fridge for 12-24 hours, I've done this every year, I'm not dead
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
    Options
    If it was cold in the refrigerator, then everyone would say it is fine.

    If it is still cold on the counter, people freak out.

    Does anyone else logic? If it's still cold, then of course it's just fine. If it got up to room temperature, then definitely no, but it didn't.

    Seriously....

    Tim - I'm actually quite involved in a commercial kitchen environment with supporting education to back up what I said. Yes, human nature tells you if it still feels cold that it's OK.

    Science has proven that when it sits out at room temperature for more than 2 hours it can fester bacteria. I didn't make this up. Sorry. I also said it CAN not that it WILL! You would be surprised to know the food risks that are present when temperature is just a few degrees to high or too low.

    Do whatever you want with the turkey.

    Edited to add reference: http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/bloopers.html

    THIS!! I am a chef - do NOT eat that turkey! Any of you who thaw it on the countertop or in water are lucky as hell you have never gotten sick. My only guess as to why is because you likely overcook your bird as well. The only safe way to thaw something as large as a turkey is in the refrigerator for 2-4 days, then it must cook to a temperature of 165 (after resting for at least 20 minutes). Invest in an instant read thermometer and the time needed to thaw the bird properly.

    Oh there is sooo much more on this, but I'll stop there.

    Please do, it's silly. 25 years of cooking two turkeys a year and thawed overnight in a sink with no water and NO one has ever gotten sick from it. With a minimum of 4 people eating over those 25 years, it's pretty damn good odds it's safe to eat. This is just from one household. I'm sure there are plenty of others who do this and survive, some may have gotten sick but they really didn't cook it to the right temp with stuffing the bird.
  • lucan07
    lucan07 Posts: 509
    Options
    Cook it properly and there will not be a problem!
  • ewarlow
    ewarlow Posts: 71 Member
    Options
    Technically speaking, it is at a higher risk.

    I own/operate two restaurants and a catering company and this is completely unacceptable. Will it make you sick? Probably not, but the chances are much much higher that it will.

    Meat should be thawed in a fridge or under COLD running water and the second option is not ideal either.

    Hope it turns out regardless of what you do.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Options
    We leave our turkey to defrost out of the fridge for 12-24 hours, I've done this every year, I'm not dead

    are you sure you're not dead?? where is the proof??
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
    Options
    OMG I can't believe people here would eat a turkey left at ROOM TEMPERATURE overnight! Please please don't eat it...and if you DO decide to cook it? PLEASE TELL EVERYONE BEFORE *THEY* EAT IT!
  • KeViN_v2pt0
    KeViN_v2pt0 Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    Youll be aiiight

    deep-fried-turkey-gif-fire-8.gif
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Options
    OMG I can't believe people here would eat a turkey left at ROOM TEMPERATURE overnight! Please please don't eat it...and if you DO decide to cook it? PLEASE TELL EVERYONE BEFORE *THEY* EAT IT!

    it's not like they left it out overnight and it's now AT room temperature. it's still cold and probably still frozen on the inside.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
    Options
    OMG I can't believe people here would eat a turkey left at ROOM TEMPERATURE overnight! Please please don't eat it...and if you DO decide to cook it? PLEASE TELL EVERYONE BEFORE *THEY* EAT IT!

    OMG I can't believe you would even consider throwing out a turkey that was frozen when sat out and thawed out and put back in the fridge the next morning. Mine's out right now, been out all day (with the heat on) and I'll put it in the fridge before I go to bed and I'm going to enjoy the heck out of it. The darn turkey is fine to eat. This has been common practice thru out the years of home cooking.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
    Options
    Nope Sorry ya can't convince me to eat poultry left at room temp for that long! Turkey is not that expensive....toss it out and get 'nuther one.
  • ingraha
    ingraha Posts: 99 Member
    Options
    Its fine. Time to cook it.
  • impemberstar
    impemberstar Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    On average, you're going to cook a 20 lb-ish turkey at 325 degrees for 6 - 6.5 hours until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. That should kill anything that may have sprouted while your turkey was thawing.

    Honestly, I think people do freak out about food cleanliness in general. We're living in a 1st world country, our food is literally the cleanest in the world. Also, our bodies have natural defenses against food-born pathogens and bacteria. Put those together and add the fact that all you did was thaw the damn thing, I bet you'll be fine.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Options
    On average, you're going to cook a 20 lb-ish turkey at 325 degrees for 6 - 6.5 hours until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees. That should kill anything that may have sprouted while your turkey was thawing.

    Honestly, I think people do freak out about food cleanliness in general. We're living in a 1st world country, our food is literally the cleanest in the world. Also, our bodies have natural defenses against food-born pathogens and bacteria. Put those together and add the fact that all you did was thaw the damn thing, I bet you'll be fine.

    #1stWorldProblems
  • joybedford
    joybedford Posts: 1,680 Member
    Options
    I have just asked my husband who is a microbiologist and he said it will be fine don't worry. We pay absolutely no attentio to use by or sell by dates either. If it smells fine just eat it.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Options
    OMG I can't believe people here would eat a turkey left at ROOM TEMPERATURE overnight! Please please don't eat it...and if you DO decide to cook it? PLEASE TELL EVERYONE BEFORE *THEY* EAT IT!

    It never even made it close to room temperature.

Categories