What is the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey?

Answer 1

put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge and let it defrost itself over two days

Answer 2

I do this: The day before cooking the turkey, I left it in the low rack of the refrigerator, next morning I put it in a container with all its plastic cover in fresh water and let stand until soft, then I open the inside pull the plastic bag with the lever and menudences and wash it well, until completely soft, that works for me for years. For cooked turkey just leave it in the low rack of the ref. the day before and then cook it according to directions of the package.

Answer 3

Thaw frozen turkey in refrigerator





Blacksburg, Va.-- Whether you are planning your first holiday dinner or you're a turkey-cooking veteran, food safety precautions should be paramount when preparing your turkey feast.

Planning and preparation are keys to pulling off this special meal, especially when having to safely thaw a frozen turkey. Although a turkey is often much larger than other frozen items and will require a longer time to thaw, handling it for safe thawing is the same as for any other frozen food. Safe thawing means preventing conditions where dangerous bacteria can thrive.

The best option for thawing a turkey is to do so in a refrigerator, because it keeps the turkey below the temperature of 40 degrees F, so you don't promote the growth of bacteria, said Susan Sumner, head of Virginia Tech's Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Keep the turkey in its original wrapper and put it in a shallow pan. The pan will prevent drippings from contaminating other food. Place the turkey in the refrigerator where the temperature should be below 40 degrees F. Do not remove the turkey until it has completely thawed. Approximately 24 hours is needed for each five pounds of turkey so allow about 48 hours or two days to thaw a 10-pound turkey.

If you run out of time, another defrosting method may fit your schedule; however, Sumner said that the refrigerator method is preferred. Again, leave the turkey in its original wrapper and cover it with cold water. Replace the water every 30 minutes in order to keep the turkey cold. This method will take about 30 minutes per pound of turkey; thus, five hours will be needed for a 10-pound turkey.

Remove the giblets and neck. They are usually in one or two bags inside the turkey - check both cavities. Allow the turkey to thaw before trying to remove the giblets.

Regardless of the defrosting method used, the turkey should be cooked immediately after the thawing is done. If you are unable to cook the turkey right away, keep the thawed bird in the refrigerator but for no longer than two days.

To roast a turkey, place it on a flat wire rack, breast-side up, in a shallow roasting pan about 2 inches deep. Position the wings underneath the shoulders of the bird. A half-cup of water may be added to the bottom of the pan.

Place the turkey in a 325 degrees F oven and cook until the internal temperature of the bird registers 180 degrees F to 185 degrees F on a meat thermometer. To check the temperature, place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh so it is in the center of the thigh, but not touching the bone. The only way to judge if a turkey is completely cooked and safe to serve is by its internal temperature.

Food safety experts do not recommend putting stuffing in the turkey cavity. Instead, cook it in a separate dish. They recommend cooking it separately because it is difficult to get the temperature of stuffing inside the turkey up to the 180 degrees F-185 degrees F temperature needed to destroy the microorganisms that might cause food-borne illness.

Some of the Salmonella outbreaks with turkey are really because of undercooked stuffing, Sumner said.

If you are roasting a turkey breast only, place the meat thermometer inside the thickest part of the breast. The internal temperature should reach 180 degrees F. In both cases, be sure to keep the oven at or above 325 degrees F because low temperatures create conditions in which bacteria may develop.

Placing aluminum foil loosely over the turkey will prevent it from over-browning or drying out and help reduce oven mess. To allow the turkey to brown, uncover it either at the beginning or end of the cooking time. Either method is acceptable.

If giblets were accidentally left inside the turkey during roasting, they are probably safe to eat unless the packaging containing the giblets has changed or melted in any way during cooking. If the packaging has changed or melted inside the turkey, dispose of the turkey because harmful chemicals from the packaging may have penetrated the surrounding meat.

After roasting is done, let the turkey stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

Virginia Cooperative Extension provides the research-based educational resources of the land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to individuals, families, groups and organizations especially in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, community viability, and 4-H youth development. It operates through a network of on-campus and local Extension educators who provide leadership for programs that bring the resources to help all the citizens of the Commonwealth.

Contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office for more information about food safety.

For more information, contact your local Virginia Cooperative Extension agent.

Answer 4

The first poster is correct, but to thaw properly, make sure your refrigerator isn't too cold. I always keep mine on the coldest possible setting, which makes thawing large chunks of meat ineffective.

Answer 5

bath tub full of cold water