How to thaw a 23 pound frozen turkey in 1 day.?

Question

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and our turkey is FROZEn solid! How can we defrost it less than 24 hours? Oh, and I don't want salmanella either!

No- Thanksgiving is tomorrow for me b/c I am living overseas and the time difference makes it tomorrow for me.

Answer 1

YOU PUT IT IN COLD WATER FOR 30 MINUTES FOR EVERY POUND

Answer 2

Cooking Turkey From the Frozen State
From Linda Larsen,
Your Guide to Busy Cooks.

This week I'm honored to pass along an article from a study conducted by O. Peter Snyder, Jr., Ph.D. about a new way to cook your Thanksgiving turkey: put it in the oven frozen solid. Dr. Snyder is the president of the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Cooking Turkey From the Frozen State

Introduction

A common problem on Thanksgiving is waking up on Thanksgiving morning and realizing that the turkey has not been thawed, and there is not enough time to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in flowing water at 70ºF, which takes hours.

However, there is a very simple solution – cook the entire turkey from the frozen state. The FDA Food Code allows this, and turkey hotlines suggest it. The following is a HACCP-based procedure for cooking a 12-to-13-lb. frozen turkey.

Method

Start 5 to 5 1/2 hours before you want to serve the cooked turkey. Set the oven temperature at 325ºF. It is much better that the turkey be done 30 minutes before mealtime than to rush and serve an undercooked turkey. Remove the wrapping from the turkey and put the turkey on a rack on a pan that has been covered with foil to make cleaning easy (Fig. 1). You can also cook the turkey in a covered roasting pan if you have one.

Put the turkey in the oven (Fig. 2). Do not worry about the bag with the heart, liver, etc. in the neck cavity or the neck in the center of the turkey. They can be removed during cooking, after the turkey thaws. There will be Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter jejuni on the turkey. However, because it is frozen, there isno drip, and transfer to hands or counter is not a significant risk.

Cooking the turkey on a shallow pan on a rack assures even cooking. Cooking in a pan with sides shields the bottom of the turkey from heat, and the cooking on the bottom will be non-uniform.

In the first 2 to 2 1/2 hours, the legs and thighs get up to approximately 100ºF. The breast, about 1 inch into the flesh, is still at the soft ice point, about 25ºF. At this point, begin to monitor breast temperature with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer as it thaws. You may also use a dial roast thermometer. Insert it into the breast, because it is the slowest cooking part.

After about 3 1/2 hours, the legs and thighs will be around 150 to 160ºF, and the breast, about 40 to 50ºF. The bag of heart, liver, etc. and the neck can be removed at this time, to be made into stock, if desired (Fig. 3). At 4 1/2 to 5 hours, the turkey is nicely cooked. Check the temperature. The leg and thigh should be tender and at a temperature of 175 to 185ºF, while the breast will be moist at a temperature of 160 to 170ºF. The pop-up timer (if there is one) should have popped. Cooking turkeys to these temperatures is adequate to assure the reduction of Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni to a safe level. (Fig. 4).

Discussion and Conclusion

This is an excellent way to cook turkey. Actually, cooking a turkey from the frozen state has benefits over cooking a thawed turkey. Cooking can be done in a roasting pan, but it is unnecessary. If one thaws a turkey in a home refrigerator, there is a significant risk of raw juice with pathogens at high levels getting on refrigerator surfaces, other foods in the refrigerator, countertops, and sink, thus creating a hazard and a need for extensive cleaning and sanitizing. The second benefit is that, because the breast has greater mass, it takes longer to thaw. Therefore, the thigh and leg are well cooked and tender, while the breast is not overcooked and dried out. The breast will cook to a juicy 160-to-165ºF endpoint without difficulty.

Summary

Cooking turkey from the frozen state produces an excellent, juicy, tender, and safe product. There is no need to remember to thaw the turkey four days ahead of time, and cooking a frozen turkey minimizes risk of pathogen cross-contamination from juices from the raw bird.

To assure a quality and safe turkey, monitor the final temperature with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer, and always wash your hands before touching and handling the cooked turkey.

Reference: FDA. 2005. Food Code. U.S. Public Health Service, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Washington, D.C. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc05-toc.html.

I think this is an excellent way to cook a turkey for the holidays or any time. As Dr. Snyder states in the article, there won't be any danger of cross contamination from dripping juices and the result is superb because of the physics of the turkey.

I did ask him about stuffing the turkey. He said that when the giblet bag is removed (Figure 3), the turkey can be stuffed. You may need to wear silicone gloves to protect your hands because they turkey will be hot. As always, don't overstuff the turkey and be sure to remove all of the stuffing when the bird is done. Take the temperature inside the middle of the stuffing: it should b e 165 degrees F. And think about heating up the stuffing before putting it in the turkey according to the directions in the Stuffing Science article for more safety.

Leslie wrote and asked me about using this method to cook larger turkeys, 19-20 pound birds. Dr. Snyder says, "the old data from the USDA would say add 2 hours more at most, so 5 hours becomes 7 hours. Do have a way of hot holding ready, in case it gets done a little ahead of schedule. It is okay to hold hot so long as it is above 130F. If it goes below 130F, then one still has a very safe 4 hours before there is any risk at all."

Answer 3

Hair Dryer, George Foreman Grill, Barbecue, Hot Tub, Sweat Room...all work!

Answer 4

To quicken the thawing process, submerse it in a large pot full of room temp. water (23 pound-er...you may want to use a cooler or ice chest). Change out water frequently (every hour).

For a bird that size it may not thaw fully in time. If you resort to the microwave, I would do it right before the bird goes in the oven. Additionally, for a bird that size, I would do the stuffing outside of the bird (the empty cavity should accelerate cooking time).

Good luck

Answer 5

Keep it submersed in hot/warm tap water as long as necessary to defrost and thaw. Should be able to do that in one day and no risk of salmonella either as I have done it many times.

Answer 6

It is unhealthy to refreeze a raw bird. Roast it now (or however you want to cook it). Carve it and freeze or refrigerate cooked meat. You could serve it on Thursday, if you like or keep it in reserve for such items as turkey sandwiches and soups.

Answer 7

put turkey in sink or large tub, fill with luke warm water, when water cools empty and fill again. do this twice in 1 hour, or as often as you can. keep water warm not hot. your turkey should be ready in about 12 hours.

Answer 8

I heard one time that you could put it in the dishwasher through a wash cycle - never tried it but I'll never forget hearing that.
BTW - Thanksgiving is Thursday.

Answer 9

take the turkey and put it on your computer. then download 5,000 trojans and let the computer deal with the consequences. wait until the computer gets really hot and all the ice will melt right off.

Answer 10

Fill your sink with warm water a few times.