Turkey advice if you would be so kind

[Kirstos1]

Hi all, I have a 6.8kg frozen turkey and I was wondering how long it should be in the fridge defrosting for? I have seen widely varying lengths of time online. Also once it's defrosted, how long can it stay in the fridge before I need to cook it? I'm not a meat eater so I'm worried about poisoning folk 😵
Thanks in advance!

NHS guide lines give 10 to 12 hours per kilo for defrosting a turkey in the fridge.
Your turkey is almost seven kilos, so that's between 70 and 84 hours, or three to three and a half days.
I'd be planning on cooking it within about twelve hours of it being completely thawed.

Thank you Adam, that's super helpful

Ada, not Adam sorry

Your best bet is to get a good meat thermometer. There’s a very good electronic one by a company which I can’t remember the name of right now - made in England, I believe and about £20 I think? Takes absolutely all the guesswork out of it as you can just test it and when it’s done you know it’s done.

I’ll check later as we’ve got one and I definitely recommend it!

Remember too that your bird should be taken out of the oven to lose its chill before you cook it.

I’d take it out of the freezer 72 hours before, and then remove it from the fridge an hour or two before I’m going to cook it.

Thanks both, the thermometer is a good shout. I would never hear the end of it if I managed to poison OH 😒

We have a large frozen crown and I will definitely follow the NHS defrost in fridge time advice as this makes sense to me. I have found that they take an absolute age to defrost. My only issue this year is that hubby is a carer and will have to work two short shifts on Christmas day. Therefore we do need to have lunch at 1 PM. I will need to take the Turkey out of the overn and leave wrapped in foil by 11.00 to get other stuff cooked in tge overn space so I am beginning to feel a bit worried about what time I will need to btake it out of the fridge. I will prep it on Christmas eve but it looks like I may have to get up at 4 in the morning to allow it an hour out of the fridge before I cook it. Just not sure hubby will appreciate alarm going off at that time and it is sure to wake the dog.

Does anyone know UF it would be ok to get it out of the fridge at around 10.30 in the evening and then put it in the ivern at around 6 or is this too long! The heating wint be in overnight.

I would leave it out overnight.