How to store turkey
Best place: the fridge. USDA gives turkey a fridge time (1 to 2 days, from the package date) and no pantry time, so it belongs in the fridge as soon as you get home. The freezer gives 12 months.
No guideline
1 to 2 days
from the package date
12 months
best quality within
USDA notes for turkey
- pre-packaged, luncheon/deli meat: Freezing not recommended.
How to tell turkey has gone bad
- Spoiled raw turkey has an off odour and a sticky, tacky or slimy surface. If it has any of these, do not cook it.
- Raw poultry colour varies from bluish-white to yellow and that range is normal. A colour change only matters when the smell or the surface has changed too.
- Cooked turkey and leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze what you will not eat by then.
- Deli turkey: once the pack is open, use it within 3 to 5 days, and throw it out if it turns slimy or smells sour.
Sources: The Color of Meat and Poultry (USDA FSIS); Turkey Basics: Handling Cooked Dinners (USDA FSIS). The times on this page are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep raw poultry in the coldest part of the fridge on a tray to catch any drips, and cook or freeze it within a day or two of purchase. Freeze in its original packaging or an airtight bag if you cannot use it in time. Thaw in the fridge or in cold water, never on the counter.
How to store other poultry: fresh
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.