Defrosting a turkey-can someone explain why...

golfgal

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I am trying to figure out why defrosting a turkey in the fridge is a good idea vs sticking it in some water overnight. Say I have a 20 lb turkey (which I do). I will probably have to put that stinker in the fridge on Sunday at the latest to have it ready for Thursday. So, if the top of the turkey starts to defrost on Sunday/Monday, it sits defrosted for 4 days or so. How is that better then putting it in water before I go to bed the night before and having it ready in the morning? It takes about 24 hours for bacteria to grow so wouldn't it be better to defrost overnight?

What am I missing here?

Mainly, I don't have a big enough fridge to hold a 20 lb turkey and all the food I need for company this week :lmao::lmao:.
 
Bacteria can grow plenty in under 24 hours.
You don't want your turkey (or any suspect meats/foods) out of the safe zone for more than 2 hours.
In fact when you thaw in water you are supposed to change the water out several times over the course of thawing so it's always fresh and cold.
It is always safer to thaw under refrigerated conditions.
Look at any food safety website for more information.
 
Its safe to thaw a turkey in the fridge because the outside of the bird is kept at a safe cool temperature while the inside of the bird is still thawing. If you thaw in the sink the outside will get thawed out first and eventually become warm while the inside is still frozen. By the time the inside is thawed out the outside has been warm for so long that tons of bacteria has started growing on it increasing the risks that you will get food poisoning when you eat it. If you can ensure the water in the sink is always very cool this will keep the bacteria from growing as fast but it's still not as safe as thawing in the fridge. I find it takes at least 2 days for a turkey to thaw in the fridge. More time if its an especially big bird.

The rule for food safety is meat is unsafe to eat after 4 hours. Its unknown how long meat has been out during processing so most food safety experts will recommend throwing out anything after 2 hours
 
In the fridge, the temperature is controlled, in water it isn't. When thawing in water, the safest method is to change the water every 30 minutes in order to keep the surface cool.

Which sounds better to you?
 
According to the link below, it would take 10-12 hours to thaw a turkey in cold water.

In Cold Water
Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound
4 to 12 pounds 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds 10 to 12 hours

Wrap your turkey securely, making sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping. Submerge your wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. Do not refreeze.


http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/lets_talk_turkey/index.asp
 
I am trying to figure out why defrosting a turkey in the fridge is a good idea vs sticking it in some water overnight. Say I have a 20 lb turkey (which I do). I will probably have to put that stinker in the fridge on Sunday at the latest to have it ready for Thursday. So, if the top of the turkey starts to defrost on Sunday/Monday, it sits defrosted for 4 days or so. How is that better then putting it in water before I go to bed the night before and having it ready in the morning? It takes about 24 hours for bacteria to grow so wouldn't it be better to defrost overnight?

What am I missing here?

Mainly, I don't have a big enough fridge to hold a 20 lb turkey and all the food I need for company this week :lmao::lmao:.

To put plainly you need to defrost the turkey in 40 degrees and no higher.

Bacteria grow after 40 degrees.

You can do water but the water temp needs to maintain 40 degrees. Overnight the water temp will raise. That is why you are supposed to change the water every 30mins if you are doing a quick water defrost. You use cold water.
 
Have you considered brining the turkey rather than just soaking it in water? The salt helps with preservation. We always do it in our big cooler. If you've never done this, I suggest that you google Alton Brown's recipe.
 
I'm a rebel looking for a tummy ache I guess... I always do mine in the sink... right now we have one in the fridge but they never defrost in time... I need to go pick up one more fresh one as well...
 
Have you considered brining the turkey rather than just soaking it in water? The salt helps with preservation. We always do it in our big cooler. If you've never done this, I suggest that you google Alton Brown's recipe.

I am considering brining this year-do you start with a frozen turkey?

I'm a rebel looking for a tummy ache I guess... I always do mine in the sink... right now we have one in the fridge but they never defrost in time... I need to go pick up one more fresh one as well...

I always defrost my meat on the kitchen counter, my mom did the same. I have never had an issue with this. In the past I have taken turkeys out of the freezer and put them into the fridge for the recommended time only to find them still mostly frozen the morning of Thanksgiving so I stick them in the sink to thaw them. I just figured I would skip the first step :lmao:.
 
Have you considered brining the turkey rather than just soaking it in water? The salt helps with preservation. We always do it in our big cooler. If you've never done this, I suggest that you google Alton Brown's recipe.

Yep, this is what I do, too, since my fridge is really tiny. I put the bird in the cooler filled with brine the night before I need to cook it. I figure the salt in the water will prevent bacteria from growing and you end up with a nice, juicy bird!


Edited to add: I don't use Alton's recipe. I just use 1 c. of kosher salt in my cooler and throw the frozen bird into it (still wrapped up since it's usually still pretty frozen).
 
Yep, this is what I do, too, since my fridge is really tiny. I put the bird in the cooler filled with brine the night before I need to cook it. I figure the salt in the water will prevent bacteria from growing and you end up with a nice, juicy bird!


Edited to add: I don't use Alton's recipe. I just use 1 c. of kosher salt in my cooler and throw the frozen bird into it (still wrapped up since it's usually still pretty frozen).

So, have you ever died from food poisoning doing this :lmao::lmao:



I copied Alton Brown's recipe to post here:

Good Eats Roast Turkey
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, also featured in Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:7 hr 0 minCook Time:2 hr 30 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
10 to 12 servings

Ingredients
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water
For the aromatics:

1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil
Directions
Click here to see how it's done.

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.
 
I am considering brining this year-do you start with a frozen turkey?



I always defrost my meat on the kitchen counter, my mom did the same. I have never had an issue with this. In the past I have taken turkeys out of the freezer and put them into the fridge for the recommended time only to find them still mostly frozen the morning of Thanksgiving so I stick them in the sink to thaw them. I just figured I would skip the first step :lmao:.
My husband is the chief brine-er . . . I'm just the assistant, but I think he partially thaws it so it'll come out of the bag /so he can remove the giblets, etc.

Then he puts it into the brine.

Two hints:

He lines the cooler with a garbage bag. This means he needs less liquid, and the cooler needs less scrubbing.

Alton Brown's recipe is a little expensive. We water down the vegetable stock.
 
My husband is the chief brine-er . . . I'm just the assistant, but I think he partially thaws it so it'll come out of the bag /so he can remove the giblets, etc.

Then he puts it into the brine.

Two hints:

He lines the cooler with a garbage bag. This means he needs less liquid, and the cooler needs less scrubbing.

Alton Brown's recipe is a little expensive. We water down the vegetable stock.

I've read that you should not use garbage bags, because they are not "food grade" and that the salt will leech out PCB's.
 
So, have you ever died from food poisoning doing this :lmao::lmao:

Still alive to tell the tale ;)

The cooler (and the frozen bird) keep the water really cold. I would hazard to guess that it's pretty close to zero (deg. C). Between the cold temp and the salt, I really don't worry about food poisoning.
 
I'm a rebel looking for a tummy ache I guess... I always do mine in the sink... right now we have one in the fridge but they never defrost in time... I need to go pick up one more fresh one as well...

I guess I am too. I always defrost mine in the sink and we're all still
alive. :rolleyes1
 
Its safe to thaw a turkey in the fridge because the outside of the bird is kept at a safe cool temperature while the inside of the bird is still thawing. If you thaw in the sink the outside will get thawed out first and eventually become warm while the inside is still frozen. By the time the inside is thawed out the outside has been warm for so long that tons of bacteria has started growing on it increasing the risks that you will get food poisoning when you eat it. If you can ensure the water in the sink is always very cool this will keep the bacteria from growing as fast but it's still not as safe as thawing in the fridge. I find it takes at least 2 days for a turkey to thaw in the fridge. More time if its an especially big bird.

The rule for food safety is meat is unsafe to eat after 4 hours. Its unknown how long meat has been out during processing so most food safety experts will recommend throwing out anything after 2 hours

:thumbsup2 Controlled temperature vs uncontrolled. In an uncontrolled and warmer situation you can end up with a lot of bacteria and become very sick after eating the turkey.

It's great others leave them out and haven't gotten sick..but you know..it only takes one time and you could have children and elderly family members hospitalized because they are so ill. It only takes 1 time for the entire family to get really sick from it.

I can never understand why things like this are so hard for people..is it somehow impossible to thaw it properly? It's not like that date of Thanksgiving isn't known and one can't plan to do it the right and safe way.
 
I'm a rebel looking for a tummy ache I guess... I always do mine in the sink... right now we have one in the fridge but they never defrost in time... I need to go pick up one more fresh one as well...

A rebel here also and been thawing birds on counter and refrigerator for 30+ years with never any problems. Having leftover turkey tonight that tastes just as good as when I cooked it 1-1/2 weeks ago. Been doing this for 30+ years also.
 
Yep, this is what I do, too, since my fridge is really tiny. I put the bird in the cooler filled with brine the night before I need to cook it. I figure the salt in the water will prevent bacteria from growing and you end up with a nice, juicy bird!


Edited to add: I don't use Alton's recipe. I just use 1 c. of kosher salt in my cooler and throw the frozen bird into it (still wrapped up since it's usually still pretty frozen).

Can I ask why Kosher salt? :confused3 what is the difference between Kosher and Table? I guess there is always google... :rotfl:
 












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