Turkey is a lean and tasty protein that can be enjoyed in everything from sandwiches to stir-fries. However, like any meat, turkey is perishable and can go bad if not stored and handled properly. Eating spoiled turkey can cause unpleasant symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Luckily, there are several easy ways to determine if your turkey is still good or if it’s time to toss it. This guide will go over all the signs of spoiled turkey, tips on turkey storage, and how long turkey lasts in the fridge or freezer. Read on to learn everything you need to know how to tell if turkey is bad.
Now that you know how to tell if turkey has gone bad, it’s equally important to understand how to store turkey correctly to extend its shelf life and prevent spoilage in the first place.
Identifying Spoiled Turkey – What To Look For Before It Hits The Trash
Turkey is a delicious and versatile meat that can be used in everything from sandwiches to casseroles. However, like any perishable food, turkey won’t last forever. Knowing how to identify spoiled turkey is important for avoiding foodborne illness. Here are some tips on what to look and smell for to determine if your turkey has gone bad.
Appearance
The first signs of spoiled turkey are often visual Fresh raw turkey has a pinkish color, while cooked turkey is pale white or brown As turkey starts to go bad, the color fades to an unappetizing grayish brown shade. Another red flag is sliminess – fresh turkey feels moist but not overly sticky or tacky. Excessive slime on raw or cooked meat means bacteria are breaking it down. Finally, mold is a sure sign of spoilage. This can appear as fuzzy white, yellow, green, or blue patches.
Smell
An obvious way to identify rancid turkey is by its foul odor. Fresh turkey has a mild smell that is more gamey than offensive. Rotten turkey gives off a strong, unpleasant odor often described as sulfurous ammonia-like, or similar to rotten eggs. This overpowering stench is a clear sign to throw out the meat. With cooked turkey, the spoiled smell may be sweet and sickly – another scent to be wary of.
Texture
In addition to visual and smell clues, the feel or texture of the turkey can indicate spoilage. Fresh meat should have some moisture but shouldn’t be wet or slimy. Turkey that feels sticky, tacky, or excessively moist has been contaminated by bacteria. Cooked turkey that has gone bad can feel quite slimy and soft as well. If the meat doesn’t feel firm to the touch, don’t risk eating it.
Freeze By Dates
Frozen turkey that has been stored for a long time, even if kept solidly frozen, runs the risk of freezer burn or loss of quality. For optimal freshness and texture, turkey that has been frozen for more than 4-6 months is more likely to taste dry or spoiled. Check package freeze by dates and try to use frozen turkey within a year.
Storage Conditions
How you store turkey impacts how quickly it spoils. Keep raw turkey refrigerated at 40°F or below and use within 1-2 days. Cooked turkey also needs refrigeration. Leftovers should be eaten within 3-4 days. Frozen turkey that partially thaws due to a malfunctioning freezer may harbor dangerous bacteria. Know your appliance’s temperature and ensure turkey stays frozen solid until defrosting.
Cooking Spoiled Meat
It is unsafe to cook and eat turkey that smells bad or appears spoiled. Bacteria and toxins cannot be killed by cooking, reheating, or freezing spoiled meat. Proper handling while the turkey is fresh is the only way to prevent foodborne illness. Discard all meat that shows signs of going bad. Don’t rely on appearance alone – rancid odors or textures confirm spoiled turkey that should be thrown away, not cooked or eaten.
Play It Safe
When in doubt about the freshness of turkey, it’s not worth taking chances. Small servings of leftovers that have been refrigerated properly are generally fine to eat within 3 to 5 days. However, turkey that has been left out too long, stored incorrectly, or shows multiple signs of spoilage should always be discarded. The cost of one meal is minor compared to suffering through a foodborne illness. Prevention by proper storage methods, monitoring freezer times, and using fresh turkey soon after purchase can avoid most cases of spoiled turkey. Trust your senses – if turkey smells, looks or feels bad, get rid of it!
- Grayish, dull coloration
- Slime or tacky texture
- Strong, foul odors
- Mold growth
- Weird sweet smell of cooked turkey
- Soft, mushy feel
- Frozen too long past use-by date
- Improper storage conditions
Don’t take risks with suspect turkey. When unsure if your turkey is still fresh and safe to eat, it’s better to just throw it out. With proper handling and storage, you can catch turkey before it goes bad and avoid having to toss it in the trash.
Looking For An Unusual Viscosity
Raw turkey contains myosin proteins that break down over time, causing the pink juices in the packaging to become more viscous and gloopy.
Fresh raw turkey juices will be slightly sticky and glossy. As the turkey ages, those juices will become very thick, pasty, and sticky with a cottage cheese-like consistency. This change in viscosity signals spoilage.
After cooking turkey meat, the juices should be clear with a jiggly, gravy-like texture. Gray, slimy, or ropy juices around cooked turkey indicate it is spoiled.
Can you get food poisoning from bad turkey?
Yes, eating spoiled, undercooked, or contaminated turkey can give you food poisoning. Turkey is prone to harbor salmonella, E. coli, campylobacter, and other bacteria that can cause vomiting, stomach cramps, fever, and diarrhea. Leftovers and raw turkey are the biggest risks.
How to Determine If a Thawed Turkey Has Gone Bad
FAQ
How to know if turkey is spoiled?
What does turkey look like when it goes bad?
How to tell if sliced turkey is bad?