When to Process for Thanksgiving

[phryan]

First time raising turkeys for Thanksgiving, understand that they need time to get through rigor. Does anyone have a preference of processing on Saturday or Sunday?

 

[SIMZ]

There is a lot of room for personal preference here. I feel that Monday or early Tuesday would the ideal time to process the turkey so it had time to rest before cooking on Thursday morning. BUT - I'd also pick a day that works best with my schedule, so that might be Sunday instead.

Saturday is probably fine, especially if you have a dependable cold storage area to keep the meat fresh. Although, I like to use fresh poultry within 3-4 days or freeze it, so I don't risk it starting to spoil

Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy your turkey!