Help me settle a huge row about turkey

[elevenswan]

Turkey was picked up at 11 this morning. Fresh not frozen. One half of the family says it should be left out (warmish house) all today and overnight so it comes down to room temperature and so that the stuffing expands properly. Other half says you're not supposed to leave raw turkey out of the fridge for more than 2 hours and leaving it out overnight could give you food poisoning.

Who's right? I'm very firmly on team food poisoning but they're accusing me of being dramatic and say I'm catastrophising due to my anxiety. They say 'we've never had food poisoning before', I say that's cos you've been bloody lucky!

I wouldn't leave it out in a warm house, it seems very unnecessary and unhygienic to me!
If cooked thoroughly I'm not sure if it would still cause food poisoning by why take the risk! Keep it in the fridge!

I'm on team food poisoning. Of course you put raw meat on the fridge!

You are right.

And the NHS agrees with you
www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Healthychristmas/Pages/cooking-turkey.aspx

No fridge and out for an hour before oven.

Fresh I would definitely put in the fridge.

Growing up we had to keep ours in the bath as nowhere else, we never got food poisoning but it's certainly not something I'd choose to do!

I collected our goose this morning, far too large for the fridge so it's in the shed. Cold enough, and safe from Mr Fox.

I wouldn't keep it in the kitchen overnight (unless you have an extremely cold kitchen).

Left out all day?

Can you chop her off a leg to fester?

When we collected our goose this morning they had a big sign up saying not to rely on leaving the bird in the garage overnight because the weather is mild. So they're on team botulism too.
Goosey is in the wine fridge in the garage.

Oh, I was just about to post the same question. My kitchen is freezing but I think i'll just get mine out early in the morning.

Would they usually leave meat out for over 24 hours? I think not.
Tell them if they want to spend Boxing Day shitting through the eye of a needle then by all means.
(In addition I think it's really mean they've used your anxiety as an argument against you)

I agree with everyone - the fridge!

Definitely the fridge, but take it out an hour before you plan to start cooking, so that it comes to room temperature and the cooking times will be accurate.

in the fridge but get up early and take it out to allow it to come to room temp before cooking

I'm on team food poisoning here, plus the spaniel has unreliable character around the temptation of turkey!

Elevenswan - you are most definitely not catastrophizing. You can never be too careful about the possibility of food poisoning (Agree with Kittenrush that your family are being mean to you in that regard).

After reading HerodZack's post I panicked and went to check the temperature of our shed. I feel it is cold enough, and the goose came in a semi-insulated box, so feel happy. (Depends where in the country you are as to how cold your outbuildings may be). I still most definitely wouldn't leave it in the kitchen, though.

I sometimes leave mine in my conservatory overnight but it's too mild today, mines in the fridge.

I knew I was right!

We would put it in the garage/shed but it's only 4deg here.

Evans sorry to have made you panic! A shed is probably a safer bet than the garage

Mine is still frozen, I've left it on the side in the kitchen to defrost tonight...food poisoning odds?

Team food poisoning here!

I got my frozen one out last night and put it on the utility room side. No heating and it's fairly cold in there.
But worried about it tonight but it's extremely cold to the touch, as old as the chicken in the fridge, so out it stays.

Plus there's no room in the fridge anyway.

*as cold as

I looked at our temp 9.5c Turkey now in fridge and veggies evicted into garage.