How Long Can Ground Turkey Stay In The Fridge?
The ground turkey stays fresh for 2-3 days if stored properly in the refrigerator. However, if you plan on using it past that time frame, then you should freeze it instead. Frozen ground turkey doesn’t spoil as quickly as ground raw turkey does, so you’ll still have plenty of time to cook it and enjoy it later.
Freshly processed meat has a lighter pink color and no funky smell or aroma. You can tell whether the meat is fresh by checking its appearance. If it looks dry and dull, then it’s probably not fresh. Also, if there is any mold present, throw it away.
How Do I Know Whether Ground Turkey Is Bad?
Cooked ground turkey is delicious, nutritious, and versatile. However, if you’ve ever left it out for too long, you’ll know that it can spoil very easily. You should never eat spoiled food, especially meat. So, if you find yourself wondering whether your ground turkey recipe is bad, there are several ways to tell.
- Smelling it is probably the easiest method. If it smells bad, throw it away. If it doesn’t smell bad, keep it in the fridge until you decide otherwise.
- Another way to test its freshness is to touch it. If it feels soft, it’s safe to eat. If it feels hard, toss it.
- Finally, look at the color. If it looks grayish, it may be rotten. If it looks white, it’s fine.
What Is The Truth About Ground Turkey?
You may not realize it, but ground turkey is actually healthier than regular chicken breast meat. It doesn’t taste quite as good though, so if you’re trying to eat healthily, you might want to try switching to raw ground turkey instead of chicken breast meat.
Signs Of Spoiled Ground Turkey
There are several signs that indicate that your ground turkey is no longer safe to eat. Some of those signs include:
1. Smell
Ground turkey doesn’t usually have a strong bad smell, but if it does, it’s probably spoiled. You’ll notice a bad odor right away, so don’t waste your time trying to figure out whether or not it’s safe to eat. Throw it away and start over.
You may think that ground turkey isn’t very appetizing, but it actually tastes great. However, once you’ve eaten it, you might experience some stomach issues. These include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, cramps, and gas.
So, if you find yourself eating ground turkey and experiencing any of those symptoms, stop eating it immediately and call your doctor.
2. Texture
Ground turkey is a leaner cut of meat that is great for cooking. However, it does tend to spoil faster than other types of meat. If you notice any signs of spoilage, including slime, then you should throw out the product and replace it with a new one.
You can easily detect spoiled ground turkey by touching it. If it has a sticky and slimy texture, then it’s probably spoiled. If there is no slime, then it may still be safe to eat.
However, if you see any signs of spoilage such as a foul odor, then you should toss it out and purchase a new one.
3. Color
Ground turkey is usually sold in supermarkets in packages that come in various sizes. You’ll notice that there are two types of packages: those that are mostly white and those that are mostly pink. These packages indicate whether the ground turkey was fresh or spoiled.
You can tell if the ground turkey is spoiled by its color. If it turns from little pink to grey or dull, then it’s probably spoiled. However, if it stays pink, then it’s still okay to eat.
To avoid buying spoiled ground turkeys, look for the ones with the longest expiration dates. Those will be of the highest quality.
Why Does Ground Turkey Go Bad?
Ground turkey spoils faster than usual because it’s exposed to oxygen and bacteria. As long as you keep it refrigerated, it should last longer than most meats. However, if you leave it out at room temperature, it will spoil sooner. The below-mentioned factors describe why bad ground turkey spoils faster:
1. Expiry Date
Ground turkey goes bad quickly if left at room temperature. You should never leave it sitting out at room temperature for longer than two hours. If you do, it will produce a sour smell and become unappetizing.
You can freeze ground turkey for up to four months. However, you must defrost it slowly in order to avoid bacterial growth. Defrosting a frozen batch of ground meat in the microwave is the fastest method. Alternatively, you can thaw it in cold water.
To prevent bacteria from growing, you should only cook ground turkey within its expiration date. If you have purchased it and it is still within its expiry date, you should use it as soon as you can. Don’t let it sit out at room temperature for too long.
2. Temperature
Ground turkey needs to stay at a certain temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent harmful bacteria from developing. You can find out how long ground turkey stays fresh by checking its expiration date.
Ground turkey is a lean ground meat product that is very perishable. You shouldn’t store it at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. At those high temperatures, the growth rate of harmful bacteria increases dramatically.
Keep in mind that the life of ground turkey does not last forever. Once it goes bad, it becomes unsafe to eat. So, make sure to buy only the freshest ground turkey available and keep the temperature of ground turkey optimum.
3. Air Exposure
To get the healthy benefits of ground turkey to need to stay fresh if you want to eat it. However, once it goes bad, it becomes unsafe to consume. You’ll notice that the color changes from white to dark brown.
You shouldn’t let your ground turkey sit out in the open for very long. Instead, store it in a sealed container. Also, keep it away from heat sources, like ovens and microwaves. These appliances can cause the meat to dry out and become stale.
Keep any type of ground turkey refrigerated until you are ready to cook it. Then, remove it from the fridge and place it on a cutting board.
Cut off the excess fat and trim the edges of the fresh ground meat. After that, cut the meat into pieces and season it with salt and pepper.
Once you’ve seasoned your ground turkey, you can either grill it or pan-fry it. Either way, you’ll enjoy eating it.
Conclusion
Ground turkey should stay fresh for at least five days in the refrigerator. However, avoid using it past its sell-by date. Write the decent shelf life date on the bag so you’ll remember when you used it. Store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
You’ll find that fresh ground turkey stays fresher longer than frozen meat, Store freshly ground turkey in the refrigerator at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and 4 degrees Celsius. Avoid putting it outside the kitchen if it isn’t cooked within one hour.