Before you dive into the bird of the hour: timing is everything!

While many prefer the savory sides, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without the centerpiece of the day that is synonymous with the day: the turkey.

Come November, you’re suddenly overcome with the urge to run to the store to grab the bird off the shelf and secure the coveted turkey from the crowd. However, there are important safety guidelines to consider before making a purchase – and according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), “Turkey is the food category consumers ask about most often.”

To help answer your burning questions, PEOPLE spoke with former National Turkey Federation President and CEO Joel Brandenberger – who retired in June 2024 – about some of the most common questions and topics people mention, from defrosting techniques and cooking temperatures to storing leftovers.

For additional insider tips, PEOPLE also reached out to Nicole Johnson, president of Butterball Turkey Talk-Line — who has worked for the company for more than two decades and says Thanksgiving is “our Super Bowl” — to talk about the matter.

For a worry-free holiday, read on for tips on turkey timing leading up to Thanksgiving!

Should I Buy a Fresh or Frozen Turkey for Thanksgiving?

Some people prefer fresh or frozen turkeys, while others have no choice, as it simply comes down to what’s left on the shelves in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Fortunately, Butterball’s Johnson says there’s “no difference” between the two when it comes to taste and food safety.

“The only difference between fresh and frozen is whether you want to defrost it or not. Fresh is just a real convenience, because it has already been defrosted for you,” explains the mother of four, who says she personally enjoys “completely fresh” . because they’re “all about multitasking and making it easier.”

Regardless of whether they buy fresh or frozen, Johnson guarantees consumers that both turkey options are “tender, juicy and delicious!” are. (That is, if you take the right steps in preparing your bird before cooking time!)

When should I buy a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving?

It’s definitely worth coming up with a strategy for buying a fresh turkey, especially considering you’ll have to go to the store in November to get your hands on one. Brandenberger, a former member of the National Turkey Federation, tells PEOPLE it varies depending on whether turkeys are purchased in a store or on a farm.

“If you are purchasing directly from a specialty farm that sells directly to consumers, contact the farm directly for ordering recommendations,” he says. “If you are looking for a specific type or brand of fresh turkey at the grocery store, we recommend that you inquire with the store manager about the reservation process as early as possible.”

“If the turkey is really fresh and has never been frozen, you probably won’t be able to pick up your turkey until the week of Thanksgiving,” Brandenberger adds. However, Johnson says fresh Butterball turkeys typically hit shelves in early November.

She addressed concerns about buying a fresh turkey “too early” in the month, explaining that Butterball specifically has a “longer shelf life due to the chilling process they go through at the factory before leaving.”

Therefore, if you want to claim your turkey in early November, you can do so. However, Johnson advises consumers to consider the best-by date or best-before date on the label before purchasing a fresh turkey.

“We do tell chefs that they can leave the package in the refrigerator and use it safely by Thanksgiving,” she says. “Usually that date will be Thanksgiving Day, but a lot of it will even be the day after because a lot of people want to have a Friendsgiving celebration.”

Johnson even admits that she celebrates the day after Thanksgiving because she answers Turkey Talk-Line calls on the day of the holiday! “It’s really our core value here at Butterball: bringing people together.”

What questions should I ask before buying a fresh turkey straight from the farm?

Brandenberger tells PEOPLE that “it is reasonable to ask about the conditions under which the turkeys were processed” before purchasing a turkey fresh from the farm, such as “whether a state or federal inspector was present.”

However, Brandenberger says research to that extent is “personal preference.” But he also suggests checking directly with the supplier or retailer to see if a consumer has “specific requests or needs.”

To prevent potential foodborne illness after purchasing your turkey and before cooking it, Brandenberger says it is “absolute” to follow the National Turkey Federation’s “four core guidelines for food safety.”

They include: “Cleaning, separating, cooking and chilling.” When it’s finally turkey time, Brandenberger emphasizes that you should “always cook your turkey at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.”

He then emphasizes that chefs check at least three parts of the whole turkey to see if it is done. He recommends “the thickest part of the breast, the inner part of the thigh and the inner part of the wing.”

How do you store a fresh turkey?

You’ve secured your turkey… so what now? Storing your bird in the days leading up to Thanksgiving is just as important as deciding when to buy it.

Johnson suggests keeping fresh turkeys “unopened” and “refrigerated” until the sell-by date on the label, or until the chefs are ready to start cooking! As for refrigerator temperature, she says it “should ideally be between 35 and 40 degrees,” noting that the “lower temperature is preferred.”

Whether the turkey is fresh or frozen, Johnson advises cooks to place a container underneath it “just in case there are little holes in the package.” She explains, “Some of that raw poultry juice can leak into the refrigerator. If you have a container underneath it, that can help catch some of those juices.”

When taking the turkey out of the refrigerator on Thanksgiving Day, Johnson says many people assume they need to wash their turkey as part of the preparation process before cooking it. But she says that is not the case.

One of the benefits of Butterball turkeys in particular is that they’re “already cleaned for you,” Johnson says. “It’s already rubbed in for you.” Although she claims that “additional basting or brining” is possible, she explains that “that’s not necessary” because Butterball “has already done that work for you.”

For those who bought a fresh turkey and their Thanksgiving has been postponed, fear not! Johnson says that “they can cook their turkey ahead of time” if they wish, and then “cut the turkey meat off the bone and refrigerate it or freeze it for longer storage.”

When should I buy a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving?

If you choose to go the frozen turkey route, Johnson recommends buying one “as soon as you see them” on the shelves in November. “That way you have a better chance of getting the size turkey you want,” she says.

Meanwhile, you can buy your turkey months in advance because of its longer shelf life; However, there is a recommended time frame for purchasing turkeys in the week leading up to the holiday, due to the time it takes to thaw.

“You ideally want to buy it now,” Johnson tells PEOPLE of those who haven’t grabbed their frozen bird exactly a week before Thanksgiving. “Or if you don’t want to go through the defrosting process, you can also opt for a fresh turkey.”

“Those turkeys are still tender, juicy and delicious, but they don’t need to be thawed,” she continues. “They go straight from the grocer’s refrigerator to the refrigerator of your own home, so it’s a real convenience.”

When should you start thawing a frozen turkey?

If the turkey is frozen at any point, Brandenberger says, “It’s critical to make sure you have enough time to fully thaw your turkey” and that should always be done “in a refrigerator or cold water.”

“Allow 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds of turkey,” he notes. “For example, if you have a 15-pound turkey, you should let it thaw in the refrigerator for three days.”

Of the top questions Johnson and her team get on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, she tells PEOPLE: “How do I thaw my turkey?” A common question – which Johnson admits “never strays from year to year” – implies an answer that’s easy to remember.

“We are declaring the Thursday before Thanksgiving as National Thaw Your Turkey Day,” she says. “It makes people chuckle, but it’s a really clever way to remind people.”

How do you store a frozen turkey?

When it comes to storing a frozen turkey, it’s not much different from storing a fresh one. Again, Johnson suggests “leaving the package on during the entire thawing process.”

From a food safety perspective, Johnson says a frozen turkey can actually be “safely cooked for quite a number of years” — that is, only if “it’s kept in the original packaging and you haven’t had any major power outages.”

Although you can keep a frozen turkey for years, Johnson says, “It may not be as tender and juicy as when you first bought it.” However, she assures that “you can definitely still cook it safely.”