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Thawing A Big Frozen Bird

Brookwood
We have all heard as well as read the instructions that come with our frozen Butterball, to place frozen bird in the refrigerator to thaw for a couple days before cooking. Well, I have followed these directions year after year (because I suffer from CRS) and always find the dang turkey still frozen almost hard as a rock come Thursday morning!! :evil:

I swear that if I was to leave it in the fridge for a full week it would still not be totally thawed out. Always end up putting them in the sink filled with hot water and hoping I do not delay the Thanksgiving family plans!

For you frozen not fresh turkey afficianotto's, what is your secret to thawing your holiday turkey??
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Comments

16 comments

Date Votes
  • us55840
    Have a 20# butterball bird.
    Took it out of the freezer early yesterday AM and let it sit out all day and all last night. Temps in the house around 71degrees.
    This AM placed it in the refrigerator for now.
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  • Rocky Raab
    Sink or old ice chest with water, but NOT HOT! Cool water only or you risk setting off the nasties in the bird.

    He ain't Italian, and Sal Monella is a terrible dinner guest.
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  • Sam06
    Put it in a cooler in the house or garage if its not too cold. Keep the lid off and check it. It takes a big bird a long time to thaw.
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  • Rocky Raab
    Yup. The directions should say "Start yesterday."
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  • Brookwood
    Rocky Raab wrote:
    Sink or old ice chest with water, but NOT HOT! Cool water only or you risk setting off the nasties in the bird.

    He ain't Italian, and Sal Monella is a terrible dinner guest.

    Thanks for that heads up on the hot vs cold Rocky!! I did get sick on turkey when I was a teenager way back when but I never will forget it! Didn't eat or care for it until I was forty something. Still very far from being a favorite food item!
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  • bambihunter
    I've found the best way to prepare turkey for Thanksgiving is to throw it out and buy a ham. :lol::mrgreen:
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  • cbxjeff
    Rocky Raab has it right. Just don't invite my ex over. That turkey will never thaw. :lol:
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  • Grasshopper
    Just buy FRESH, never FROZEN.
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  • asop
    Just picked up our 28# turkey. Been buying these farm raised from the same people for 25 year now. Wife uses a SS pan from a "steam table" and covers it with foil. Good thing we have a big oven ;)
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  • bullshot
    If you have to put your Turkey in a sink full of water, never use hot water, use cold only. Turkey will thaw just as fast in cold water and hot water promotes and accelerates bacterial growth.
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  • Sam06
    You have to thaw it for a long time. I smoke 2 12-114# birds and I started thawing them on sunday in a cooler on my sunroom. The temps range from 40-65 and in the cooler they will take 3-4 days before they thaw.

    If you do it in the refrigerator its about 5 pound a day.
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  • bustedknee
    Grasshopper wrote:
    Just buy FRESH, never FROZEN.

    ;) Our turkey delivered himself....fresh.
    OshLdQ1.jpg
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  • select-fire
    https://www.thekitchn.com/turkey-tip-buy-160472
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  • jimdeere
    bambihunter wrote:
    I've found the best way to prepare turkey for Thanksgiving is to throw it out and buy a ham. :lol::mrgreen:
    Agree!
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  • austin20
    cbxjeff wrote:
    Rocky Raab has it right. Just don't invite my ex over. That turkey will never thaw. :lol:
    ;) very clever :lol:
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  • 11b6r
    Shot a nice turkey Saturday.


    Food Lion says if I come back they will have me arrested.
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