How to Freeze Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
So much turkey! I don't know why I think buying the biggest turkey I can find is a great idea year after year, but for some silly reason, I do. This year I ended up buying FORTY pounds of turkey.
FORTY. POUNDS.
In my house, Thanksgiving is usually a really small affair but this year, I had ten people for dinner and clearly, I overestimated how much turkey everyone would want to eat. I didn't want to not have enough turkey and I didn't want to have too much.
Did I mention I bought FORTY pounds of turkey? So yeah, even after sending each of my guests home with to-go bags filled with turkey, I've still got so much leftover that I don't even want to look at it anymore.
My dose of Thanksgiving turkey usually holds my turkey cravings at bay for a few months, but without fail, late spring/early summer rolls around and I find myself wanting it again, but making the house all hot by cooking a full bird doesn't sound appetizing.
If you've got leftover turkey as I do, there's a simple way for you to save it for later- like in the spring when the craving for turkey strikes. Put whatever turkey you've got leftover into individual freezer bags with a bit of turkey broth and then place into a freezer ziplock bag and pop it into the freezer. You don't have to do the extra step of putting the bag into a Tupperware container unless you really want to make sure to hold freezer burn at bay.
The turkey that you freeze will last for a couple of months (you really should try to eat it within around five months). But there's a big catch to making sure you properly store and freeze your leftover Thanksgiving turkey. You need to make sure that you add some sort of broth (1/3 to ½ cup) to each bag of meat because freezing tends to dry out the turkey. The broth will help it keep moist and will act as a baste when the meat is thawing. If you want your turkey to last even longer, do what I did and invest in a FoodSaver. Seriously, the best kitchen investment I've made in years.
When you're ready to re-live Thanksgiving in the spring or summer, just pull out a bag of turkey and let it defrost in the fridge. Then heat, and eat!