3 weeks ago
How to safely thaw a stiff turkey successful nan refrigerator aliases pinch acold h2o successful clip for Thanksgiving.
Prep2 hours to 72 hours
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For nan immense mostly of us, nan turkey we bargain for Thanksgiving and different holidays will beryllium stiff erstwhile we bring it home. And bully golly, is that turkey stiff solid. Many of america person heard stories astir nan turkey still being frozen connected Thanksgiving greeting (although you tin really cook it frozen!), but don’t worry. With a small know-how, you tin easy debar that business (and header pinch it if you find yourself successful it). Here’s really to thaw a turkey and still beryllium on-schedule for cooking nan turkey for your vacation meal.
How to Thaw a Frozen Turkey
There are 2 methods for thawing a stiff turkey: successful nan refrigerator aliases pinch acold water. The safest measurement to thaw a turkey is successful nan refrigerator, pinch a thawing clip of 24 hours for each 5 pounds of turkey. Another measurement of thawing turkey is pinch a acold water, which requires a thawing clip of 30 minutes for each 1 lb of turkey.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Stylist: Brett Regot
Method 1: How to Thaw a Turkey successful nan Refrigerator
Thawing your turkey successful nan fridge is by acold nan safest and easiest method — it’s totally hands-off — but it takes nan longest and requires a fewer days of prep. Here’s really to do it efficiently:
- Place nan turkey (in its original packaging) connected a roasting rack successful a roasting pan. The rack helps to elevate nan turkey and supply circulation connected each sides for moreover thawing, but isn’t strictly basal if you don’t person 1 aliases are utilizing a different pan. But beryllium judge to spot nan turkey successful immoderate benignant of cookware to drawback immoderate juices that whitethorn drip from nan turkey’s packaging arsenic it thaws (which tin perchance cross-contaminate different nutrient successful your fridge).
- Transfer nan turkey to nan refrigerator. Make judge location is thing rubbing aliases leaning against nan turkey. Do not spot thing other successful nan cookware pinch nan turkey; juices whitethorn leak from nan turkey arsenic it thaws and tin contaminate thing other successful nan pan.
- Thaw nan turkey wholly successful nan fridge. Total thawing clip will dangle connected nan size of your turkey; mention to nan floor plan beneath and let astir 24 hours for each 5 pounds of turkey. If you person time, springiness yourself a time aliases 2 arsenic a buffer conscionable successful lawsuit your turkey takes longer to thaw than expected. Thawed turkeys tin beryllium kept for up to 2 days successful nan refrigerator, truthful it’s amended to err connected nan broadside of allowing much clip than less.
A statement connected brining: If you’re readying to brine your turkey, either successful a brine solution aliases pinch a dry-brine, you tin commencement this while it’s still partially frozen.
Method 2: How to Thaw a Turkey successful Cold Water
If you’re moving short connected time, you tin velocity up nan thawing process pinch nan acold h2o method: Simply submerge nan stiff turkey, still successful its packaging, successful acold pat water, allowing astir 30 minutes for each lb of turkey. Here’s really to do it.
- Place your turkey successful a ample integrative bag. The packaging connected your turkey isn’t needfully waterproof. To forestall nan turkey from getting waterlogged during this quick-thaw process, put it successful a ample integrative container to protect it.
- Place nan turkey successful a ample cookware aliases bucket. Make judge nan turkey fits wrong nan cookware and tin beryllium afloat submerged.
- Fill nan cookware pinch acold water. Do not usage lukewarm aliases basking h2o to velocity thawing — this puts nan turkey wrong nan “danger zone” of 40°F to 140°F for longer than is safe, and your consequence of nutrient poisoning increases drastically. Weigh nan turkey down pinch a cookware aliases different dense cookware if it floats.
- Change retired nan h2o each 30 minutes. As notes above, estimate astir 30 minutes for each lb of turkey and usage nan floor plan beneath for timing. A turkey thawed successful acold h2o should beryllium cooked immediately. If you find that your turkey is still partially stiff connected Thanksgiving Day, travel this guideline connected how to navigator a stiff turkey — yes, it’s possible!
How Long to Thaw a Turkey
Method 1: How Long to Thaw a Turkey successful nan Refrigerator
- 4- to 12-pound turkey: 1 to 3 days
- 12- to 16-pound turkey: 3 to 4 days
- 16- to 20-pound turkey: 4 to 5 days
- 20- to 24-pound turkey: 5 to 6 days
Method 2: How Long to Thaw a Turkey successful Cold Water
- 4- to 12-pound turkey: 2 to 6 hours
- 12- to 16-pound turkey: 6 to 8 hours
- 16- to 20-pound turkey: 8 to 10 hours
- 20- to 24-pound turkey: 10 to 12 hours
How to Tell When Your Turkey Is Thawed
- Check nan bosom meat: When thawed, nan bosom nutrient should consciousness pliable and springy.
- Check nan legs: When thawed, nan legs and wings should move loosely successful their sockets.
- Check nan inside: The wrong should beryllium free of crystal crystals and you should beryllium capable to easy region nan packet of giblets.
Why You Shouldn’t Thaw a Turkey connected nan Countertop
You should never time off your turkey connected nan antagonistic to thaw, aliases effort thawing your turkey successful lukewarm water, aliases heating it pinch a hairsbreadth dryer, aliases immoderate different shortcuts, per nan USDA. All of these methods bring nan turkey’s somesthesia to nan “danger zone” of 40°F to 140°F, which drastically increases your consequence of nutrient poisoning.
How to safely thaw a stiff turkey successful nan refrigerator aliases pinch acold h2o successful clip for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
- 1
frozen turkey, immoderate size
Equipment
Refrigerator thawing: Roasting cookware pinch rack aliases different cookware ample capable to clasp nan turkey
Quick thawing: Large integrative bag, for illustration a garbage container aliases extra-large zip-top bag
Quick thawing: Large cookware aliases bucket
How to Thaw a Turkey successful nan Refrigerator:
Place nan turkey connected a roasting rack successful a roasting pan. This will drawback immoderate juices that whitethorn leak from nan turkey’s packaging arsenic it thaws. The rack helps to elevate nan turkey and supply circulation connected each sides for moreover thawing, but isn’t strictly basal if you don’t person 1 aliases are utilizing a different pan.
Transfer nan turkey to nan refrigerator. Make judge location is thing rubbing aliases leaning against nan turkey. Do not spot thing other successful nan cookware pinch nan turkey; juices whitethorn leak from nan turkey arsenic it thaws and tin contaminate thing other successful nan pan.
Thaw nan turkey wholly successful nan fridge. Total thawing clip will dangle connected nan size of your turkey; mention to nan floor plan successful this post. If you person time, springiness yourself a time aliases 2 arsenic a buffer conscionable successful lawsuit your turkey takes longer to thaw than expected. Thawed turkeys tin beryllium kept for up to 2 days successful nan refrigerator.
How to Thaw a Turkey successful Cold Water:
Place your turkey successful a ample integrative bag. The packaging connected your turkey isn’t needfully waterproof. To forestall nan turkey from getting waterlogged during this quick-thaw process, put it successful a ample integrative container to protect it.
Place nan turkey successful a ample cookware aliases bucket. Make judge nan turkey fits wrong nan cookware and tin beryllium afloat submerged.
Fill nan cookware pinch acold water. Do not usage lukewarm aliases basking h2o to velocity thawing — this puts nan turkey wrong nan “danger zone” (40°F to 140°F) for longer than is safe, and your consequence of nutrient poisoning increases drastically. Weigh nan turkey down pinch a cookware aliases different dense cookware if it floats.
Weight nan turkey down pinch a cookware aliases different dense cookware if it floats. Change nan h2o each 30 minutes. Continue until nan turkey is thawed. Refer to nan floor plan successful this post.
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