Left turkey out overnight, is it okay?

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245

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  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
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    it's fine.
    cook it, eat it, enjoy it.
  • naticksdonna
    naticksdonna Posts: 192 Member
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    Seriously, if it was still cold, I think you're good to go.. Just make sure you cook it thoroughly. Have you ever wondered how much that meat you buy at the grocer's has been played with in warm temps and then re-frozen?? My grandfather had a turkey farm way back when and we didn't have the refrigeration and freezing capabilities that around today - we didn't lose a customer to food poisoning!
  • kathyjolove
    kathyjolove Posts: 1 Member
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    Was certified by the health department in food service in a prior life (career) and the earlier post is right, 2 hrs is the golden rule... that being said, odds are pretty good that if you cook it thouroughly it will kill whatever may have grown on it...
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    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....

    This. I would definitely use it.
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
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    it's fine.
    cook it, eat it, enjoy it.
  • 87monkey
    87monkey Posts: 83 Member
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    we leave ours out every year (in a tub of cold water), never got sick from it. I am pretty sure you don't plan on eating it raw so you will be fine :)
  • amyx593
    amyx593 Posts: 211 Member
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    No worries! I left my 13-pounder out overnight on purpose. Was still icy cold but not AS frozen in the morning.

    I know you're not supposed to leave things on the counter to thaw, but I do it all the time (only overnight for the frozen turkey) and I have never been sick.
  • dbanks80
    dbanks80 Posts: 3,685 Member
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    Even if it was semi-frozen and it is still cold today then it is no problem. I leave my turkey out overnight to thaw every year and never had a problem.
  • Runningcircuits
    Runningcircuits Posts: 182
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    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.
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
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    I would eat it
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    It'll be fine ... You're going to cook it anyway ...
  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
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    I'd eat it. I'd even *OH THE HORROR* feed it to my kid.

    I will say that cooking it PROPERLY at this point is pretty important though . . . but that goes without saying.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    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.

    You are correct. I have been leaving turkey, beef, chicken out on my counter throughout my entire life as did my mother and her mother and every time we have ever cooked meat, we have overcooked it. That seems very plausible.

    :insertsarcasm:
  • SCV34
    SCV34 Posts: 2,048 Member
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    Hope this helps. I was curious myself, so I did a little bit of research on the topic.
    Safely Thawing Turkey


    If you purchased a frozen turkey, leaving it out at room temperature is a potentially dangerous way to defrost it. There are three methods for thawing a turkey safely. The first method is to leave the turkey in the refrigerator until it is completely defrosted. This method takes the most planning, as you must make sure to allow ample time for the turkey to thaw out before you cook it. In general, allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.

    Another way to thaw a turkey is using cold water. This method is quicker than refrigerator thawing, but requires more care. Submerge the entire wrapped turkey in cold water. To make sure that the turkey does not get up to room temperature, change the water every half hour. When thawing turkey with cold water, you must cook the turkey immediately after it defrosts.

    The final method of thawing a turkey safely is the microwave oven. Remove any wrappings and place the turkey on a microwave safe dish. Use the defrost setting on your microwave, programming in the turkey's weight. Once the turkey is thawed, cook immediately
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    just make sure you get it in the fridge. NO stuffing, and make sure the internal temperature is +165deg F use a thermometer away from any bones checking in the breast or thighs
  • KeViN_v2pt0
    KeViN_v2pt0 Posts: 375 Member
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    http://www.butterball.com/how-tos/thaw-a-turkey

    Frozen Whole Turkeys and Frozen Whole Turkey Breasts need to be thawed before cooking. For the best results, follow one of these methods:
    Refrigerator Thawing

    Thaw breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge.
    Allow at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 lbs.

    Cold Water Thawing

    Thaw breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely.
    Change water every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled.
    Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per lb.


    You should be fine.

    Also, if you cook it properly you have nothing to worry about.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    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.

    I went to culinary school too ... I would eat it ... She's not serving people in a restaurant, i.e. people who could sue her (which is one of the reasons the food safety rules are so strict, that any you don't know who will be walking through your doors and what medical issues they may have, with family members, you most likely know these things ... Some of them make sense and should be practiced in the home kitchen, like avoiding cross-contamination and keeping meat on the bottom of the fridge, away from foods that you'll be serving raw ... hand-washing, etc.) ...

    Just make sure you cook the turkey all the way through, t0 165 degrees F ... As long as no one in your family is severly immunocompromised, you will be fine ... Ran this one past my mom (an RN) as well ... A former culinary professional (now turned fitness professional) and an RN say you'll be fine ... If the turkey wasn't still cold, I'd say no, but it was still cold, and probably sozen in the middle, as I doubt the temperature in you house above 75 degrees ..

    ETA: Also, my hunter family members and friends will kill a deer and let it sit there all day until they are done hunting, then sit even longer on the drive home to string it up ... Meat left out WAY past the 4 hour refrigeration time window ... None of use have died from food-borne illness, nor have gotten sick ... And I usually cook that venison by just searing the outside, leaving it nice and bloody-rare in the middle ...
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I would purchase a thermometer they arent that pricy, and technically we should be using it for all meat.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    I would eat it, Just make sure it is cooked to internal temp of 165 and you will be just fine... Best of Luck
  • lngrunert
    lngrunert Posts: 204 Member
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    My mother defrosted meat on the counter my entire childhood and adolescence, and no one in my family ever got sick from eating it. And I've eaten my steak bloody rare since I was about ten years old, so I know she wasn't overcooking those.

    I don't defrost meat that way myself, but only because I don't usually freeze meat. I don't do my shopping far enough in advance for it to be necessary.

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