It’s time to get that turkey ready for your Thanksgiving Day. You better have had it defrosting for the past couple of days because it’s a little too late to start now; you need about a day in fridge for every five pounds of turkey you want to thaw. Once you have that done Laura Barr with the University of Illinois Extension says that you don’t need to rinse the bird off. That increases the chance of bacteria splashing off the bird on to countertops and other surfaces where you may later set fresh food.

Once you’re done cooking and eating on Thursday the best part can be leftovers, but they should only be kept in the fridge for a few days before discarding them or freezing them to keep them safe.