Your Thanksgiving turkey timeline: when to thaw, roast and rest

Thanksgiving is Monday, October 12, but plenty of families sit down on the Sunday. Count back from your dinner, not the calendar.

By Tuesday, October 6: order

Send your Thanksgiving pre-order for turkey, ham, pumpkin pie and apple pie. Not sure what size? How much turkey do I need? has the math.

When we call you

We’ll phone to confirm your order and your pickup time. While you have us, ask two things:

• Is my turkey fresh or frozen?
• Is it basted or pre-brined?

The first answer sets your thawing schedule. The second tells you whether to salt it (if it’s already seasoned, don’t).

Fresh bird: keep it cold

A fresh turkey goes straight into a fridge at 4°C (40°F) or colder, in a pan on the bottom shelf to catch drips. Health Canada says to cook fresh poultry within 2 to 3 days of buying it, so line up your pickup with your dinner.

Frozen bird: start early

Thaw it in the fridge, never on the counter. Health Canada’s figure is 24 hours for every 2.5 kg (5 lb):

• 10 lb (4.5 kg): 2 days
• 12 lb (5.4 kg): about 2½ days
• 15 lb (6.8 kg): 3 days
• 20 lb (9.1 kg): 4 days
• 24 lb (10.9 kg): about 5 days

For a Monday dinner, a 15 lb bird goes in the fridge by Friday morning. Leave it in its wrapper, breast side up, in a pan on the bottom shelf. Aim for the thaw to finish the day before you roast, not days before.

Behind schedule? Keep the bird sealed in its wrapper or a leak-proof bag, sink it breast side down in cold water and change the water every 30 minutes. Turkey Farmers of Canada budget about an hour per pound (2 hours per kg) this way, so it’s a rescue plan, not a strategy.

The day before: salt it (optional)

A dry brine seasons the meat and dries the skin so it browns. Pat the bird dry with paper towel, but don’t rinse it: Health Canada says rinsing raw poultry spreads bacteria wherever the water splashes. Rub about 1 tablespoon of coarse kosher salt per 5 lb (2.3 kg) all over and a little under the skin, or half that amount of table salt. Leave it uncovered on a tray in the fridge overnight. Skip this step if the bird is basted or pre-brined.

Roasting times at 325°F (160°C)

Rough ranges for an unstuffed bird. Ovens and birds vary, so start checking an hour before the short end.

• 8 to 10 lb (3.6 to 4.5 kg): 2½ to 3¼ hours
• 10 to 12 lb (4.5 to 5.4 kg): 3 to 3½ hours
• 12 to 16 lb (5.4 to 7.3 kg): 3¼ to 4¼ hours
• 16 to 20 lb (7.3 to 9.1 kg): 3¾ to 4¾ hours
• 20 to 24 lb (9.1 to 10.9 kg): 4¼ to 5¼ hours

A stuffed bird takes 30 to 60 minutes longer. We’d bake the stuffing in its own dish instead: it’s one of Health Canada’s two safe options, the turkey cooks faster, and everyone gets crispy edges. If you do stuff it, stuff it loosely right before it goes in. The stuffing has to reach 74°C (165°F).

How you know it’s done

Use a digital thermometer, not the clock. Check the thickest part of the breast and the inner thigh, without touching bone. Health Canada’s number for a whole bird is 82°C (180°F). If the skin browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil.

Rest it, make the gravy

Rest the turkey 20 to 30 minutes under loose foil. That’s your gravy window. The shortcut: grab Dar’s Famous Turkey Gravy from our deli when you pick up. Bring it to a full boil, stirring, then whisk in a few spoonfuls of skimmed drippings from your pan so it tastes like your bird.

Pies

Pumpkin pie is a custard pie, so it lives in the fridge. Apple pie is happy covered on the counter. Want it warm? Put it in a 325°F (160°C) oven when you sit down to eat and it’s ready by dessert.

After dinner

Get leftovers into the fridge within two hours. Take the meat off the bone and pack it in shallow containers so it cools fast. Health Canada says to eat refrigerated leftovers within 2 to 3 days, or freeze them, and to reheat them to 74°C (165°F).