- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Nutrition basics (20)
- Water softeners: How much sodium do they add?
- Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?
- Coffee and health: What does the research say?
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (8)
- Diverticulitis diet: Can certain foods trigger an attack?
- Butter vs. margarine: Which is better for my heart?
- Canola oil: Does it contain toxins?
- see all in Healthy diets
Healthy cooking (10)
- Lentils: How do I cook with them?
- Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
- see all in Healthy cooking
Healthy menus and shopping strategies (6)
- Calories in sushi: What are the low-cal options?
- Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
- Buying beef? A guide to choosing the leanest cuts
- see all in Healthy menus and shopping strategies
Nutritional supplements (15)
- Vitamin water: Better than plain water?
- Ground flaxseed: Better than whole?
- Vitamin C: Can too much be harmful?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
Thanksgiving turkey: Can you cook it frozen?
Every year I have the same Thanksgiving nightmare — I forget to thaw the turkey ahead of time. So just in case this ever really happens, can you safely cook a frozen turkey?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Yes, you can safely cook a frozen turkey. Simply roast it in the oven. Don't grill, smoke, deep-fry or microwave a frozen turkey.
To determine the approximate cooking time, follow this guideline from the Department of Agriculture: Take the recommended cooking time for the thawed turkey — either from the label directions or a timetable for oven roasting whole turkeys — and add 50 percent of that time to the original time. For example, a turkey that should take five hours to roast when thawed will take about 7 hours and 30 minutes to roast when frozen.
Many whole turkeys have a giblet package tucked inside the turkey. Carefully remove the package with tongs or forks when the turkey has sufficiently defrosted in the oven, and cook separately. If the giblets are wrapped in plastic and the plastic bag melts, harmful chemicals may leach from the plastic into the surrounding meat. If you suspect that a plastic bag has melted inside the turkey, don't eat the giblets or the turkey.
Also, remember that roasting time is approximate — so check the turkey often. Insert a food thermometer in the innermost part of the thigh when the turkey has defrosted enough to easily insert one, and roast the turkey to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C).
Next questionFreezing meat: Does it kill harmful bacteria?
- Poultry preparation. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
- Turkey: Alternate routes to the table. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Turkey_Alt_Routes/index.asp. Accessed Aug. 20, 2008.
