Christmas is the time of year for stuffing yourself with turkey, sprouts and Christmas pudding with loved ones. Most of us will be doing some sort of cooking over the festive season, so to make sure Christmas is enjoyed without a trip to the A&E, here are some tips from Safefood on storing Christmas food and everything you need to know about buying, defrosting and cooking the turkey.

Storing Christmas food

Before the Christmas rush kicks in, give you fridge a clean with some warm soapy water. After giving it a clean, make sure there is enough room on the bottom shelf for when your turkey arrives. Storing it on the bottom shelf stops any drips from getting on other food stored in the fridge. Throw out anything that is past its use-by-date and if you're still stuck for some room, vegetables and drinks (except milk and fruit juices) can be stored in a cool place somewhere else.

What size turkey?

Consider how many people you will be cooking for and whether you want some leftovers for a turkey pie or curry on St Stephen's Day when picking what size turkey you want.

  • 4-6 people = 3-4kg turkey
  • 6-8 people = 4-5kg turkey
  • 8-10 people = 5-6 kg turkey

    • If you're not sure about how many people you will be feeding, or how much turkey you plan on eating, ask your butcher who will be able to advise you on the right size for your Christmas feast.

    Defrosting the turkey

    The safest way to defrost your turkey is to place it on a dish or tray on the bottom shelf of your fridge. Plan ahead as it can take up to three days to fully defrost a frozen 7.5kg/15lb turkey. Allow 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds/1.8-2.2kg. A turkey is fully defrosted when the body is soft, the legs can be moved and there are no ice crystals in the cavity. Once fully defrosted, the turkey cooks the same way as a fresh turkey.

    Preparing the turkey

    Safefood advises not to wash the turkey as it splashes food poisoning bacteria around the kitchen. Proper cooking will kill any germs present. If the turkey does need to be cleaned, wipe it with a disposable kitchen towel and dispose of it along with any packaging in the bin.

    The turkey should be handled as little as possible. After preparing the bird, wash hands thoroughly with warm water and clean down surfaces.

    Cooking the turkey

    Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and cover the turkey with tinfoil during cooking as this helps it to cook more evenly and gives a more “juicy” product. Baste your turkey every hour during cooking and remove the tinfoil for the last half hour to brown the skin. Find turkey cooking times here.

    Checking the turkey is cooked

    To check if an unstuffed turkey is cooked, use a clean fork or skewer to pierce the thickest part of the breat meat, between the leg and breast. Once the juice is clear, there is no pink meat left and the turkey is piping hot all thr way through, it is properly cooked.

    Leftovers

    If there is any turkey left over, cover it and put in the fridge withing two hours of cooking. Once in the fridge, the turkey should be eaten within three days.

    Freezing leftovers

    If freezing leftover turkey, wrap well and make sure it is stored in a suitable container for freezing. Freeze cooked meat for no more than six months.

    Reheating

    If reheating, make sure to only re-heat once and that the turkey is piping hot all the way through.