 in order to avoid them having to cull birds. This won't affect the way you cook your bird, but will have an impact on how you plan and what you choose to buy. Home freezing Those who like to get ahead by purchasing a little earlier and freezing the bird at home may need to rethink plans this year – not least because the advice on whether or not you can refreeze thawed raw meat is more than a little confusing. The Food Standards Agency offers no definitive answer; it seems only to warn against refreezing food which has not been thawed properly in the fridge, stating: 'We advise foods can't be refrozen if they are accidentally defrosted, unless they are cooked first. If the food has been defrosted it must be cooked before being eaten to be safe.' The general consensus seems to be that if raw poultry has been properly thawed at a controlled temperature, it may be refrozen. This means there's no reason why you can't buy a previously frozen bird and refreeze it, provided you get it into the freezer as soon as possible. My advice, however, is if you want to keep your bird in the freezer, why not just buy it frozen? Buy frozen With the current outbreak causing concerns over availability, there's reassurance in knowing you've got your centrepiece bird safely tucked away. Secondly, and just as importantly, it's cheaper to buy frozen. A 6kg Waitrose essential medium whole turkey with giblets to serve a family of eight and available to pre-order will cost you £39){kind=link}
Rather than a fresh bird, chances are you’ll be buying one that was kept on ice – but that doesn’t mean it won’t be as tasty as ever
Would you serve up a turkey on December 25 that had been killed almost two months earlier? This year you might have to. No, it’s not a new way of “ageing” your bird, more that if you want a turkey this Christmas, you’re likely to have to buy one that has been frozen and then defrosted.
Last week the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs altered legislation to allow farmers to start slaughtering birds early and freeze them (before defrosting them in time for Christmas sales, and selling the meat as fresh) in order to avoid them having to cull birds. This won’t affect the way you cook your bird, but will have an impact on how you plan and what you choose to buy.
Those who like to get ahead by purchasing a little earlier and freezing the bird at home may need to rethink plans this year – not least because the advice on whether or not you can refreeze thawed raw meat is more than a little confusing.
The Food Standards Agency offers no definitive answer; it seems only to warn against refreezing food which has not been thawed properly in the fridge, stating: “We advise foods can’t be refrozen if they are accidentally defrosted, unless they are cooked first. If the food has been defrosted it must be cooked before being eaten to be safe.”