how big or how small your turkey, it’s time to take it out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. Small turkeys that thaw in 3 to 4 days still can be safely held in the refrigerator if kept in the original wrapper and at a refrigerator temperature of 40ºF or lower.
“I’ve got a flock of ‘bingo’ turkeys in my freezer. I’m just lucky—I win every time I go. I’ve got one turkey that’s been there longer than a year. I’m not sure we shouldn’t have a birthday party or a coming-out party when I go to thaw him. Since he’s been in the freezer longer than the others, will he take longer to thaw?”
No matter how long your turkey has been in the freezer, it will take no longer to thaw than the times listed in the guide at the right.
“I don’t know how much my turkey weighs. It’s been in the freezer and the tag is gone. How long do I thaw it?”
There’s no complex mathematical formula for estimating the time required to thaw a turkey. However, you’ll need to weigh the bird on a bathroom scale in order to determine how many days it will need to thaw in the refrigerator (according to the guide at the right).
Follow the convenient guide below to thaw your turkey safely in the refrigerator. (The day you place it in the refrigerator doesn’t count. For example, if you plan to cook your turkey on Sunday and it has to thaw for 2 to 3 days, start thawing it on Wednesday or Thursday.) Be sure to place a tray underneath the turkey to collect any juices that seep through the wrapping.
Quick-Thaw McDraw: Cold Water
“I’ve never been a successful turkey person and I have to thaw my turkey in the bathtub. The turkey is floating in my tub now. I have a scuba belt that I could harness onto it to hold it down under water if that would help.”
Here’s a quick-thaw method. Partially fill the sink with cold water. Place the turkey breast-side-down in the water so that it’s like an iceberg, with the largest part submerged. The turkey itself will float, so don’t worry—it need not be fully submerged. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that you change the water every 30 minutes. The thawing time is easy to calculate: just divide the weight by two, and that’s the number of hours needed to thaw the turkey in cold water.
“Talking to you is like talking to my therapist. I know I’ll feel better afterward—and, better still, you won’t send me a bill! But I still feel insecure about knowing if my turkey is thawed.”
“I’m not sure if I’m going to make the list of Top 10 Boo-Boos, but my turkey is not entirely thawed. It’s been in the refrigerator for 4 days and it’s still not thawed.”
If, when you remove the wrapper, you find that the turkey has not thawed completely, you could run cold water through the cavity to melt any ice crystals that may have formed, or you could just begin to cook the turkey. If you do begin to cook it, the turkey should not be stuffed, and it will take longer to cook than usual. Either way, when cooking the turkey be sure to use a meat thermometer in order to determine when the correct end temperature is reached.
Cold-Water Quick-Thaw Guide
•Leave the wrapper on the turkey.
•Divide the weight by two to determine the number of hours needed to thaw it in cold water.
•Change the water every 30 minutes.
•Place the turkey breast-side-down in the water. The turkey will float!
•Sanitize the sink when finished.
A young man called to ask, “Can I thaw this thing in an electric blanket?”
The day before Thanksgiving, a wonderful middle-aged woman called and emphatically stated, “I know how to cook and you’re not dealing with an idiot, but I have an 18-pound turkey—when do I start to thaw it?”
Running short on time? Electric blankets are not recommended. It’s best to thaw your turkey in cold water . . . even if you’re not an idiot!
Other factors that can affect thawing time
•glass shelves in the refrigerator: these restrict the flow of air, which is needed to thaw the turkey
•the temperature setting of your refrigerator
•the amount of use the refrigerator
•gets: if you have a house full of kids constantly opening and closing the refrigerator door, the rate of thawing will be sped up; conversely, if the turkey is placed in an extra fridge that you rarely use, there will be no warm air admitted from outside and thawing will take longer
“My grocer said it would only take 3 days to thaw this 20-pound turkey. Is that right?”
Check the thawing guide. Whom are you going to trust, someone who’s thawed scores of turkeys or a person who’s probably never cooked a turkey in his life? A solid block of frozen meat takes a long time to thaw. Give yourself extra time to make certain the process is complete.
Some common-sense rules
•Do not thaw at room temperature, as this will cause bacterial growth to increase on the surface of the turkey before the inside is fully thawed.
•Allow ample time for the turkey to thaw in the refrigerator; use the thawing guide.
Urban legend?
Scientists at NASA have developed a gun built specifically to launch dead turkeys at the windshields of airliners, military jets, and the space shuttle, all traveling at maximum velocity. The idea is to simulate the frequent incidence of collisions with airborne fowl to test the strength of the windshields.
British engineers heard about the gun and were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high-speed trains.
