Preparing for Thanksgiving

I am starting to prepare for Thanksgiving shopping and was wondering how far in advance I can buy my turkey. This is my first Thanksgiving cooking for my family and I am concerned that I won’t get a big enough turkey if I wait too long to buy one.

If you are looking to purchase a fresh turkey, it should be fine to get one as early as Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. If you are willing to purchase a frozen bird then you can shop much earlier. The government division for food safety suggests that it will likely take one day per five pounds of frozen turkey for thawing time. A twenty pound bird will likely take around four days to thaw in a refrigerator at 40 degrees. After it is thawed, it will still be good for another 2 days, as long as it is refrigerated. If you simply cannot find a bird that is large enough for your family, adding a turkey breast will provide a lot of additional meat and is much easier to cook.