On 17/12/16 12:44, Tim+ wrote:
john west wrote:
To beat the rush for the supermarket frozen turkeys i want to buy it
some days early and leave it outside in the shed.
I rang Tescos and they said we must cook it within 24 hours of
defrosting. But didn't they used to hang game outside for days some
years ago?

Well yes but the game was handled in a very different way from a processed
supermarket turkey. Given the risks of giving family/friends food
poisoning over the festive season, I really wouldn't risk it.

Much better to pop down to M&S on the 24th where you'll find lots of
greatly discounted fresh turkeys.

Tim


So you don't have freezer space to leave it until the afternoon before,
to commence the defrost?

Don't do what you are proposing:

1) The meat has been frozen - on thawing, the cells are damaged (by ice
crystals) and spoil much faster than fresh meat;

2) The hung game was hung immediately after killing. That turkey was
killed, handled in various ways for an indeterminate time before being
frozen. You don't have all the parameters.

3) Game birds, IIRC, tend to be more like duck - darker meat. White meat
is the worst for food poisoning.

I'm cooking a Waitrose (Heston) turkey crown this year, same as last
year. That can be bought a few days ahead (if you book it online) and
kept in the fridge. It's more compact than a whole bird, cooks quicker
and still looks mostly the part when served. Highly recommended...