In the midst of preparing all the other Thanksgiving recipes, you may forget to remove the giblets from your turkey, but these are usually safe to eat if they have survived the baking process with the plastic bag intact. If the bag is melted, don't eat the giblets or use them in Thanksgiving recipes as there may be toxins released into the food from the melting plastic. To avoid this problem, double check the turkey cavity before you thaw the turkey in the fridge; put the bag in a separate container to thaw.

Thanksgiving recipes such as giblet gravy may require a bit of special prep before you cook the turkey, so removing the giblets to thaw early can help you get your other Thanksgiving ideas off to a good start. Don't remove the giblets if you must quick-thaw using cold water, as you should keep the packaging intact until the thawing process is finished. If you prefer to dispose of the giblets altogether, you can find plenty of excellent Thanksgiving recipes including a great giblet-free mushroom turkey gravy.

Next: Alternative Turkey Thawing

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