Safe time limit on holding a turkey?

[delarosa74868]

Cooking two breasts for two different dinners that are 3 hours apart.  I plan on wrapping one in foil and putting it in an icechest.  How long can I keep it in there?  Should I just put it in the fridge and reheat for second dinner??

 

[bbally]

Long as it is on ice and below 40 degrees you have 5 to 7 days to cook it.

 

[meateater]

If your cooking both at the same time and one will be eaten only 3 hours later go with your plan and foil and wrap in towels and leave in the cooler, it will be fine.

 

[rbranstner]

If your cooking both at the same time and one will be eaten only 3 hours later go with your plan and foil and wrap in towels and leave in the cooler, it will be fine.

I second this. It will stay warm for many many hours in a cooler.

 

[bbally]

If your cooking both at the same time and one will be eaten only 3 hours later go with your plan and foil and wrap in towels and leave in the cooler, it will be fine.

I second this. It will stay warm for many many hours in a cooler.

Read the question wrong... they are correct you can hot hold in a cooler for a long time.

 

[raptor700]

Delarosa has an interesting question, How long could you hold a breast, chicken, or turkey in a cooler until it's unsafe?

 

[mballi3011]

I would aslo agree with everyone else here and say if you pack the cooler with old towels the meat should satyu hot enough to burn your hands for 3-4 hours or so.

 

[bbally]

Delarosa has an interesting question, How long could you hold a breast, chicken, or turkey in a cooler until it's unsafe?

Basically your four hour time limit does not start until any part of the food goes below 140 F.  (Although the new regulations are accepting 135F as a proper holding temperature.)

So until the food goes below the 140 F range you can hold indefinately.  Of course food quality suffers the longer it is held at an elevated temperature, so the real maximum hold time has to do with what it is and what you will accept as eatible for a food texture, moistness, and toughness.