Most people think about buying their turkey a few days before Thanksgiving, and may even pop it in the freezer when they get home thinking they are being safe.  But, when they get the turkey out the night before it is rock hard.   This is pretty likely to happen even if you put it directly in the refrigerator when you purchase it!  So then you might panic that it won’t be thawed in time and leave it out on the counter overnight or for a day, resulting in hours and hours of possible bacterial growth– YUCK!!

So how do you safely thaw out that turkey?  According to USDA’s handout “Let’s Talk Turkey”, you should allow approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator per 4-5 pounds of turkey.  So that means if you have a big 22 pound turkey, you’d better just plan on it camping out in your fridge for a week if you are going to thaw it out in the safest way possible.

Some other possible safe ways to thaw out that turkey are in cold water and in the microwave.   In cold water, you need to allow 30 minutes per pound and change the water if it gets warm (about every 30 minutes).  You should make sure your sink is clean and sanitized, wrap your turkey securely to make sure it doesn’t get wet through its wrapper, and submerge the turkey in clean, cold tap water.

When attempting to thaw a turkey in the microwave, keep in mind it would need to fit into your microwave!  Your owner’s manual should tell you what size turkey could fit and instructions for thawing in your microwave.  Remove all of the wrapping around the turkey when using the microwave to thaw it, and make sure it is in a dish that will catch all juices (as you should when thawing in the refrigerator).

If you use either the sink or the microwave to thaw your turkey, make sure you cook it right away and never refreeze it raw, even if your plans change.    If everyone bails on your turkey dinner plans, just roast the turkey first and then freeze it!  If you’ve thawed the turkey in the refrigerator, it can be safely refrozen before cooking.

Reminder:  remove the giblets from the turkey cavity after thawing the turkey, and cook them separately from the turkey.

No matter which way you thaw out your turkey, make sure you clean and sanitize your refrigerator, sink, or microwave after thawing out your turkey, so no lingering bacteria stick around.

Fresh pre-stuffed turkeys are not recommended, and only purchase frozen pre-stuffed turkeys if they have the USDA or state mark of inspection on the packaging.

For more information, please contact Kim Miles, County Extension Agent – Family & Consumer Sciences at 325-646-0386 or kamiles@ag.tamu.edu.