The Best Ways To Store Trader Joe's Brined Half Turkey

Trader Joe's brined half turkey is perfect for when you're feeding a small group and want to avoid the hassle of cooking an entire uncooked turkey (another Trader Joe's secret you'll wish you knew sooner). The seasonal bone-in turkey is fully cooked for your convenience, making it super simple to prepare in a short amount of time. If you buy the half bird days or even weeks before you plan on eating it, you might wonder about the best way to store it so it stays fresh. Take a peek at the price label on the turkey — it will have a "freeze by" date, which means it'll stay good in the refrigerator until that date. 

The date might be a couple of weeks from when you purchase it, but don't let that scare you. The salt in the brine acts as a preservative to keep it fresher for longer, so it will stay good as long as it's kept in the packaging unopened and stored in the refrigerator. If you plan on using it after the "freeze by" date, put it in the freezer and let it thaw for a day or two in the refrigerator before eating. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that you can store cooked turkey in the freezer for up to three to four months. While it will stay safe to eat long after that, the taste quality and texture will lessen over time. 

Trader Joe's fall items, like its brined half turkey, are ideal for taking some of the stress out of the holidays. In addition to being fully cooked, the bird has been brined in salt, black pepper, sugar, and garlic herb butter. After being marinated and seared, the turkey is cooked sous vide style, which helps it retain its juiciness. 

Sous vide involves slowly cooking food in a temperature-controlled water bath, resulting in tender meat that retains its moisture (this is ideal for moistening turkey that overcooks easily). To try this approach at home, you'll need a sous vide cooker to maintain the precise temperature of the water, like the Inkbird Sous Vide Machine. You'll also need to vacuum seal your food — consider a vacuum sealer like the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer. 

According to Redditors discussing whether or not to freeze their TJ's half turkey (only if you don't plan to use it by the "freeze by" date), not only is it quick to heat up (about 40 minutes), it tastes "delicious" and is "worth the price tag." One Redditor shared, "I was surprised how juicy the turkey was after baking. Probably because of the brine." Another asked if the skin crisped up, to which a user responded, "Yes! I put it in the pellet grill at 375 for around 2 hours and it came out relatively crispy! You could also probably broil it for a minute or two and get better even results."