Defrosting turkey

[wordnerd411]

This isn't seasonal but hopefully someone can help me.

I've been roasting turkey as a way to have a handy low-fat protein to grab for sandwiches and so forth.

I've carefully followed the instructions for defrosting in the Thanksgiving section but both times the turkey was not defrosted in the time suggested.  The second time today I made sure to use deep enough cold water to cover it, except it kept floating.

Should I try and weigh the turkey down with something so it stays submerged in the water?  Or should I just allow an extra couple of hours defrosting time?  Both turkeys weighed about 12 pounds so should have defrosted in 6 hours using the cold water method.

[GG]

Yes, you can weigh down the turkey and you can you can also allow longer times for the turkey to defrost. Turkeys in some grocery stores (outside the Thanksgiving season) are often kept in deep freezers before they are moved out to the general freezer section, which may account for the longer defrost time.

Defrosting for longer periods in the refrigerator (overnight) is also okay as long as you cook the turkey soon after the defrosting is completed.

[Sunshine08]

this was very helpful for me as well thanks

[globalflavors]

It was floating? How strange... Maybe it wasn't heavy enough? I agree you can wrap rocks in foil then place it on top of a plate or lid to keep the turkey from floating.

[spiceisnice]

Another tip is to change the cold water every 30 minutes. Since your turkey is frozen it's making the cold water even colder which takes longer to defrost.

[siberian]

Another question, can I thaw a 20# turkey in the fridg from Sunday to Thursday night? Will be out of town till Thursday evening. Will be roasting the bird Friday. Is this safe?

[GG]

Yes, you can thaw a 20 lb turkey in the refrigerator. It will take around three days depending on the refrigerator temperature and the original temperature of the frozen turkey. The turkey will keep in the fridge up to one week.

For more information about thawing and cooking a turkey see the Perfect Turkey Cookbook.

[Gourmet144]

Yes, you can weigh down the turkey and you can you can also allow longer times for the turkey to defrost. Turkeys in some grocery stores (outside the Thanksgiving season) are often kept in deep freezers before they are moved out to the general freezer section, which may account for the longer defrost time.

Defrosting for longer periods in the refrigerator (overnight) is also okay as long as you cook the turkey soon after the defrosting is completed.

Great tip, thank you for sharing!

[Gourmet144]

I have to say this was very helpful. Thank you for sharing.