2 years
Confidence votes 22.7K. For best taste, eat your commercially frozen turkey within 6 months. It will be safe to eat for much longer than that since pathogenic bacteria will not grow at proper freezer temperatures-although it may not be as tender and juicy. And this is assuming it has never been defrosted. The quality will also depend on how well the food has been wrapped. Chemical changes-such as rancidity-can also occur over time in the freezer, making the meat inedible. So the turkey could keep well for longer than 6 months or even a year, but there is no point to hanging onto it that long. Alternatively, look on the plastic bag the turkey came in and it will tell you Frozen Turkeys. 1  Allow 1 pound of turkey per person. 2  Keep frozen until you're ready to thaw it. 3  Turkeys can be kept frozen in the freezer indefinitely; however, cook within 1 year for best quality. Fresh Turkeys. 1  Allow 1 pound of turkey per person. 2  Buy your turkey only 1 to 2 days before you plan to cook it. 3  Keep it stored in the refrigerator until you're ready A raw turkey should keep for a year in the freezer. If it is cooked, figure on a month. (To answer the Discussion) Cooked turkey will last 3-4 days in the fridge. For best f … lavor after cooking a turkey, remove the leftover meat from the bones. Allow 5 hours per pound or 3-4 days for a 14-19 pound turkey to defrost.Quick Thawing: Place turkey in its original wrapping in sink and cover with COLD water. Change the water every 1/2 hour to maintain the temperature. As a general rule, you can keep your Frozen Butterball Turkey in the freezer in its original packaging for up to 2 years and it should still be of good quality. Turkeys kept in commercial freezers, like those at grocery stores, may be kept even longer. 1 Storing turkey – make sure to keep your frozen turkey in a deep freeze rather than a frost free refrigerator as freezer burn could result in a dry turkey. 2  In addition, make sure the packaging does not have any tears or holes. 3  Thaw properly – How you thaw your turkey can make a big impact When it comes to quality, the story is different: Over time, all frozen foods will eventually start to go downhill when it comes to texture, flavor and taste. In the case of your whole frozen turkey, you’ll experience the best quality if you eat it within one year, as detailed here. Since you’re right around that one-year mark, you can expect good results if you cook the turkey now.  A. As a general rule, you can keep your Frozen Butterball Turkey in the freezer in its original packaging for up to 2 years and it should still be of good quality. Turkeys kept in commercial freezers, like those at grocery stores, may be kept even longer. Butterball uses a coding system known as the lot code system. 1 Storing turkey – make sure to keep your frozen turkey in a deep freeze rather than a frost free refrigerator as freezer burn could result in a dry turkey. 2  In addition, make sure the packaging does not have any tears or holes. 3  Thaw properly – How you thaw your turkey can make a big impact How long can you keep a 15 lb. turkey in the freezer? If your freezer is really cold  maintaining a temperature right around 0°F  you can keep it for at least a year without any appreciable loss of flavor or texture. How long is it safe to keep a frozen turkey?  Answer: As long as you have kept your freezer cold, you should have no problem using it after a year. Anything beyond one year might be a disappointment in terms of taste. So if anyone has been storing a turkey, now’s the time to use it! For more on how to unthaw and cook a turkey, see our Terrific Turkey Tips. 
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how long can you keep a turkey frozen