Is the turkey ruined?

[P-heasant]

My father in law said he would hang the turkeys and clean them but it’s been 2 days and he got called out for work

There is still blood on the skin and a few pins that need removing. I was planning on eviscerating them tomorrow but I have just seen how they look and feel they may be spoilt? Instead of hanging in the basement he put them in an old refrigerator that’s off with ice
Will they still be ok?

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

I am no expert. I’ve only butchered poultry once and it wasn’t enjoyable. But I know in my personal opinion I would not eat that. Someone more knowledgeable might know more though. Just my two cents.

 

[P-heasant]

Yeah, he says should be fine but I’m abit unsure. But thanks

 

[CrazyChicken Lady]

Upon second thought definitely don’t eat it. People remove the guts ( it hasn’t been gutted correct?) immediately for a reason. The bacteria from the intestines have been seeping into the meat. After 2 days? It’s no good. For your safety please don’t eat it

 

[R2elk]

My father in law said he would hang the turkeys and clean them but it’s been 2 days and he got called out for work

There is still blood on the skin and a few pins that need removing. I was planning on eviscerating them tomorrow but I have just seen how they look and feel they may be spoilt? Instead of hanging in the basement he put them in an old refrigerator that’s off with ice
Will they still be ok?

It is the custom in some other countries to let the fowl hang with the entrails in.

Personally I remove the entrails as soon as I am done plucking them except for those that are hunted. In that case I remove the entrails immediately and remove the feathers later.

Cooking should kill any bacteria, etc. that leaving the entrails in causes.

It's a matter of culture and taste.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

They look dry and if they were not degutted i wouldnt eat it and Ive eaten allot weird stuff but thats id even pass on lol

 

[P-heasant]

Yeah, one of his buddies is the local turkey salesman and said to leave it all inside for a week and eviscerate on Xmas eve, I personally don’t feel comfortable doing that and want to eviscerate. Im torn between what to do!! If it was all rested and gutted same day I wouldn’t mind but it’s the hanging and leaving stuff inside it which is troubling me.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Cooking will kill any bacteria that might have made its way into the meat

 

[Bo Garrett]

Having an extensive knowledge of poultry processing what you are doing now is called New York dressed poultry, this was the common method a century ago when refrigeration was not common, it gives the carcass a distinctive flavor due to not being eviscerated immediately. Cooking will kill pathogenic bacteria such as salmonella and campylobacter but will not remove any toxins they may have produced if the carcasses were not properly chilled to 40 degrees or less within approximately 6 hours or so.
It is always best to eviscerate immediately, place in slush ice to chill and leave them there to age for several hours to days, ensuring that water is drained and replaced as well as ice. Carcasses should be scalded and feathers removed as soon as bleed out has finished because the longer the carcasses sit the harder it is to remove the feathers. Most pathogenic bacteria associated with poultry are pathogen mediated, meaning you have to ingest the bacteria then they produce the toxins once inside your digestive system, other pathogenic bacteria, such as 0157H7 E-coli, are toxin mediated, meaning they produce the toxins on the oxygenated surfaces of the meat and will make you sick almost immediately because you are eating poison. 0157H7 is not inherent to poultry so you are safe there but salmonella and campylobacter are present in poultry. I would recommend not using these for human consumption.

Merry Christmas,

Bo