If you are here you already know you can cook a frozen turkey.
You just plan on cooking for about 50% more time than it takes to cook a thawed turkey of the same size, and keep an eye on the internal temp with an instant read or remote thermometer.
I do it all the time. The turkey comes out great without all of the effort, fuss, and germiness of thawing.
But there is the problem of the bag that the giblets and/or gravy comes in.
From experience, I know the process of trying to get that thing out of a partially cooked/partially frozen turkey is absolutely insane. The turkey is hot, as is some of the bag, but the back end of the bag is still frozen to the turkey on the inside.
Trying to get that bag out ends up with a big, frustrating mess – and you’re lucky if you don’t burn yourself in the process.
So… what about just leaving the bag in?
Consumer Press contacted a number of major turkey brands and asked about the melting temperature of the bags and whether it’s safe or not to just leave them in.
The good news?
Some of the biggest brands wrap their turkey giblets in paper that’s safe when cooked inside the turkey.
Butterball is one of these.
“Our giblets come in a cook proof bag. If you accidently (sic) leave them in while cooking, the turkey isn’t ruined” according to Butterball’s FAQ.
Cargill turkeys, which include Honeysuckle White, Shadybrook Farms, and Honest Turkey brands, also have their giblets in a cook safe paper bag.
“We advise removing it before roasting the turkey, but if the turkey is accidentally cooked with the bag inside, there is no concern regarding food safety” said a Cargill spokesman.
The bad news?
Target (Good & Gather), Publix, Hormel (Jennie O), Norbest, and Kroger media contacts did not respond to our requests for information about the giblet and/or gravy bags included in their turkeys.
Without the help of these companies, researching the melting point of potential plastics that may be used for their bags becomes problematic.
There are many different types of plastics that could potentially be used.
You would expect that any responsible food producers would consider the possibility that whatever they put inside a turkey might get cooked along with the turkey.
The general feeling amongst the online cooking forums I read is that it should be safe as long as the turkey is not overcooked (target temperature 170°F for breast meat, 180°F for dark meat).
However, the USDA has the final word on this.
They say – “If giblets were packed in a plastic bag, and the bag has been altered or melted by the cooking process, do not use the giblets or the poultry because harmful chemicals may have leached into the surrounding meat. If the plastic bag was not altered, the giblets and poultry should be safe to use as long as the meat is fully cooked.”
How will you be dealing with the bag when you cook your frozen turkey?
Please leave your thoughts and tips in our comments section!
