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You’ve decided to purchase a frozen turkey for your Thanksgiving Day dinner, now it is time to think about thawing that turkey so it is ready to be prepared. Thawing a turkey is not a difficult task, but it is something that needs to be thought about because it takes time.
So, how do I thaw a turkey? Well, first we want to think safety. We don’t want our Thanksgiving Day turkey to be the host for bacterial growth. Thawing a turkey must be done cold to prevent bacterial growth.
The two safe methods for thawing a turkey are either in the refrigerator, or a cold water bath. The preferred method for thawing a turkey is in the refrigerator. And yes, thawing a turkey in the refrigerator will take more time than a cold water bath.
You can expect it to take approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. So if you picked up yourself a big old 20 pound turkey, it is going to take 4 days to thaw in the refrigerator. Make sure you leave the turkey in its packaging while you thaw it in the refrigerator.
For your quick thawing of a turkey you can use a cold water bath. Cold Water. Never use warm or hot water when thawing your turkey. The turkey will thaw at an approximate rate of 1 pound per 1/2 hour. You need to constantly change the water however. Every 30 minutes drain and add fresh cold water. The cold water bath cuts the thaw time down significantly, but at the cost of constant supervision. Make sure you leave the turkey in its packaging when thawing.
Here are a few other points on thawing a turkey
- Never thaw your turkey on the counter at room temperature. This promotes bacterial growth.
- Microwave thawing is not recommended. Microwaves heat and thaw unevenly. You’re better off doing the refrigerator thaw or cold water bath.
- Frozen, pre-stuffed turkeys should not be thawed before cooking. Follow the directions on the packaging.
Time is probably going to be the biggest factor in determining the method you use to thaw your turkey. Do it safely and thaw your turkey in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath.
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