Help keep the contents of my fridge safe on Christmas Eve

December 22, 2008 6:24 PM

Christmas dinner filter: If we prepare our turkey on Christmas Eve (wash it, remove giblets, etc.) and place it in a roasting pan, can we keep it in the fridge overnight before roasting on Christmas day without any cross-contamination problems or worries?

Trying to save some time on Christmas morning for the whole present-opening fun, I suggested we prep the dinner bird the night before and then on Christmas morning all we have to do is pull it out of the fridge, shove some onions, herbs and citrus fruits up its bum and pop it in the oven to roast.

My SO was concerned though about the possibility of problems concerned with keeping it in the fridge overnight once we have semi-prepped it. Any comments on whether this is safe to do, or a way to make it safe for the rest of the contents of our fridge?

posted by 543DoublePlay to food & drink (8 comments total)

That's what my mother always did and we are all still alive and kicking. The important things to remember are:

1. take it out of the fridge to warm up for a short while before cooking, so that it cooks through evenly

2. Most important: don't stuff it ahead of time. I seem to recall that the major incidents of food poisoning occurred when stuffing sat in the bird all night absorbing the salmonella juices. But since it sounds like you're not planning on making stuffing that shouldn't be a problem.
posted by Morpeth at 6:32 PM on December 22, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

I don't see any problems with this at all. If you were putting warm stuffing inside and then sticking it in the fridge there is a slim chance you might breed something at the stuffing/bird interface that would not get sufficiently cooked the next day. You do not need to worry about stray bird bacteria floating off into the vegie drawer. Belt and suspenders approach: Put a piece of plastic over it.
posted by pointilist at 6:33 PM on December 22, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I do this every year with our unstuffed Thanksgiving turkey. It hasn't been an issue at all.
posted by jamaro at 6:36 PM on December 22, 2008

Yes.

Even the hyper-cautious FDA would agree here.
posted by IAmBroom at 6:53 PM on December 22, 2008

Just think of it as marinading it without the marinade.

Though you could, as a bonus.
posted by Elysum at 10:00 PM on December 22, 2008

Dry-rub of herbs before you put it in the fridge. Mmmm, extra-seasoned skin.

Food safety-wise, you're pretty much as safe as if you left the turkey in its original packaging. Possibly safer.

You're making the oven heat up a chilled roasting pan, though. Give the bird a little extra time in the oven.
posted by desuetude at 11:32 PM on December 22, 2008

Perfectly safe. Put it on the counter for an hour or so, then roast away.

As an added bonus, the skin should dry out some and it will be extra crispy. You might look into brining it, but only if it isn't pre-brined.
posted by donpardo at 3:55 AM on December 23, 2008

Brine it! Soak it in salt water overnight, with ice in the water to keep it cool. Brining makes a hue difference in turkeys. All you have to do in the morning is rinse it off and cook it. I promise it's very easy. And worth it.
posted by raisingsand at 5:10 AM on December 23, 2008