How long does frozen ground turkey last in the freezer

How to tell if ground turkey is bad? It is a common question of many people who cook ground turkey regularly.

Ground turkey is the main ingredient to make delicious burgers and many other tasty dishes. Besides that, ground turkey is good for your health because of its nutrition. 

But, if you like this kind of meat, you should know more about how to store it and check to ensure it is fresh before cooking.

That is why I am here with you. In this post, I am glad to help you extend your knowledge of ground turkey.

Check them now!

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What Do You Need To Do To Defrost Ground Turkey?

To avoid the signs of spoiled ground turkey, defrosting the meat is a necessary process to make your dish ideally. Based on my experience, I have some practical methods for you.

You can prepare frozen ground turkey by letting it overnight in the fridge and using it the next day. However, don’t forget to leave the frozen meat on a spacious and guaranteed leak-proof defrosting tray to prevent the water from melted turkey from spilling all over your fridge.

Another quick way for you is to defrost it in a cold water bowl. The process might take 1-2 hours. Plus, remember to change the water every 30 minutes to ensure it is still cool.

If you are going to cook ground turkey immediately, using a microwave is not a bad option at that moment. You can use the defrost mode on the microwave but cook ground turkey right away after taking it from the microwave.

I do not recommend you to prefer the microwave option due to the high heat. As you know, at the time ground meat starts to warm, bacteria can multiply.

This is time to know how to defrost ground turkey for many delicious foods.

Watch this video: How To Defrost Ground Turkey

Common Notices While Cooking Turkey Meat

There are many ground turkey recipes to enjoy and show your creativity to your family members and friends. But, cooking a ground turkey is not a simple task because you need to focus on the temperature, cooking time etc.

Handling The Meat

With ground turkey, you should not handle the meat too much while preparing for any dish. Over-handling will make the meat become drier and hard to make a finished product.

Therefore, I recommend you just give a soft touch to mix the meat thoroughly with seasonings after oiling your hands.

Cooking Temperature

Some people like to serve ground beef at a medium level, but this level can not apply to ground turkey. It means ground turkey can be eaten once it is totally cooked. Therefore, you must know the signs of thoroughly cooked turkey by heart to avoid undercooking the meat.

You must cook them until they reach the temperature of 165°F inside. If you do not have a thermometer, the alternative option is to check the color of the meat. Look for the brownish color thoroughly for the best cooking meat.

Cooking Time

Besides temperature, cooking time is the factor that you need to focus on. Due to the low-fat content, it becomes dry and lacks taste if overcooked.

As mentioned, you should check out the temperature of ground turkey after a few minutes. When it reaches 165°F with a beautiful brown color, begin to complete your cooking process.

FAQs

To help you know clearly about the signs of spoiled turkey, I am willing to answer some questions that I received from many people. Take a look to see what problem you often meet and how to solve it.

What should ground turkey taste like?

Turkey after grinding has a chewy texture with a bit of salty taste. The pink color of the meat is an outstanding sign to identify the fresh meat.

However, it becomes dry, has less fat content, and a pale taste while cooking so you should add spices to enhance the flavor.

What happens if I eat spoiled ground turkey?

You have to suffer from bad symptoms like stomach aches, diarrhea or food poisoning, etc. It affects your daily activities and works a lot.

Is it necessary to cover ground turkey in the fridge?

Of course, yes. Covering ground turkey is not only the way to keep it fresh but also to protect other kinds of food in your fridge.

As you can see, if you just put the uncovered meat in the refrigerator, other foods, especially undercooked food, will circulate the air and negatively affect your meat. This phenomenon also occurs between cooked and uncooked food.

I stored my ground turkey in a sealed bag, but the bag was puffed up. What happens?

A puffed package is a sign of bacteria’s appearance. These bacteria “eat” the contents and produce gas inside the bag. However, the gas can not be released from the sealed package. That is why you can see this phenomenon.

You can use it normally if there is no other sign, such as a bad smell, texture, or color.

Is it okay to eat ground turkey after the expiry day?

Actually, it is not recommended. Sometimes, you can forget the day you buy or forget to cook the ground turkey. If you store it and cook it properly, it is still alright, but only after 1-2 days according to the expiry day on the label.

Thanks to the information above, I think you know how to tell if ground turkey is bad and other techniques to cook and store turkey correctly.

Ground turkey is easily affected by temperature and air exposure. Therefore, ensure that you store it as instructed, or it will go bad in no time.

I hope my post brings valuable knowledge that you can apply in your kitchen. Last but not least, don’t be shy to let me know your cooking experience or any memory of ground turkey.

I can’t wait to see your ideas in the comment section!

How To Tell If Ground Turkey Is Bad

References

  1. Medicalnewstoday.com. 2021. Turkey: Nutrition, benefits, and diet.
  2. Healthline. 2021. turkey: Nutrition, Calories, Benefits, and More.

Table of Contents

  • How Do I Know Whether Ground Turkey Is Bad?
  • What Is The Truth About Ground Turkey?
  • How To Realize The Signs Of Spoiled Ground Turkey
  • Why Does Ground Turkey Go Bad? 
  • How To Store Ground Turkey Properly
  • What Do You Need To Do To Defrost Ground Turkey?
  • Common Notices While Cooking Turkey Meat
  • FAQs
  • Extra Information Of Ground Turkey Preservation
  • References

How can you tell if frozen ground turkey is bad?

The best way to tell if turkey is still good is smell and texture. As StillTasty.com points out, if the turkey has a sour odor and/or a slimy texture, it's probably not good anymore — no matter what the date on the package says.

Can frozen ground turkey go bad?

How long does raw ground turkey last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 3 to 4 months, but will remain safe beyond that time. The freezer time shown is for best quality only - ground turkey that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.

Is a turkey still good if frozen for 2 years?

Frozen Turkey Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

Can ground meat go bad in the freezer?

Ground beef can be frozen indefinitely, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. However, it is recommended to use ground beef within four months of freezing, as the quality of the meat will begin to deteriorate over time. Ground beef that has been frozen for too long may not be as flavorful.