Thawing your turkey

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Posted: 11/21/2012 9:15:50 PM EDT

So, since it's 1:07am here and I am in the process of thawing out my frozen turkey for tomorrow, I thought it would be interesting to see how many of us rigidly follow the nancy-boy food safety guidelines for thawing out our turkeys and how many of us are manly men that laugh in the face of silly bacteria..

I'm firmly in the latter camp. Every single year my family has taken the frozen turkey and left it on the counter overnight at room temp to thaw. I'm 41 now and not once in all those years has anyone gotten sick on Thanksgiving from anything other than eating too much tasty turkey. Yet just about anything you read about it makes it sound like certain death to do what we do. Are we just crazy Florida crackers with iron stomachs or is this more common than it is presented to be?

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:18:06 PM EDT

[#1]

Been in the refrigerator for 4 days, took it out and put it in the sink yesterday morning.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:18:43 PM EDT

[#2]

I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:19:45 PM EDT

[#3]

Thawing your turkey is for pansies. I drop mine in the hot oil while still frozen.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:20:11 PM EDT

[#4]

Bathing in cold water.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:23:37 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Thawing your turkey is for pansies. I drop mine in the hot oil while still frozen.

Especially fun when you fill the pot right to the rim with oil beforehand..

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:25:22 PM EDT

[#6]

Pull out the plastic baggy inside of it before you stick it in the oven, unless you like plastic flavored turkey.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:31:33 PM EDT

[#7]

Mine has been sitting in the attached garage for a little over a day or so.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:43:31 PM EDT

[#8]

Not sure about turkey but my mom would always thaw meat in the sink with some warmish water running over it.

The turkey probably just sat in the sink maybe in some water.

Pretty sure but not certtain some meat company got sued , so now they recommend the frig.

Last year it took ours 4 days to thaw like that. It was still a little frozen even after that.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:44:24 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Not sure about turkey but my mom would always thaw meat in the sink with some warmish water running over it.

The turkey probably just sat in the sink maybe in some water.

Pretty sure but not certtain some meat company got sued , so now they recommend the frig.

Last year it took ours 4 days to thaw like that. It was still a little frozen even after that.

Yeah, don't fucking do that.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:48:12 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Not sure about turkey but my mom would always thaw meat in the sink with some warmish water running over it.

The turkey probably just sat in the sink maybe in some water.

Pretty sure but not certtain some meat company got sued , so now they recommend the frig.

Last year it took ours 4 days to thaw like that. It was still a little frozen even after that.

Yeah, don't fucking do that.

Why? Never had any ill effects from it.

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:51:34 PM EDT

[#11]

Why the fuck aren't you people thawing it with enough to BRINE it (completely thawed for best penetration) for 24-hours before cooking?

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:53:44 PM EDT

[#12]

mine sat in the sink for a lil over 50 hours before it moved ot the fridge

Posted: 11/21/2012 9:57:40 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Why the fuck aren't you people thawing it with enough to BRINE it (completely thawed for best penetration) for 24-hours before cooking?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9omBFdK-Ws

I love Alton Brown, but this is the only thing I disagree with him on. Processed poultry has enough salt injected into it.

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:04:52 PM EDT

[#14]

Immerse it in cold water in the sink and keep the water running the whole time is the proper way..

obviously make sure the water can also slowly leak

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:06:37 PM EDT

[#15]

Always buy fresh,no thawing necessary,also seems to more moist

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:09:16 PM EDT

[#16]

If you dump your still frozen turkey in your boiling deep fryer, the ice will flash to vapor and launch your turkey, now trailing flaming oil, through the air like a Hamas rocket. Works best if you use a turkey that is close in size to the ID of the fryer.

Yes, it really works and no, you should not try this at home.

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:21:51 PM EDT

[#17]

All 40 birds have been thawing in the walk-in for a bit over a week, going in the ovens in two hours.

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:41:25 PM EDT

[#18]

I've had really bad food poisoning before... turkey is thawing in the fridge.

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:43:11 PM EDT

[#19]

yes please do thaw the turkey.

Posted: 11/21/2012 10:48:28 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

this is correct way to do it

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:03:23 PM EDT

[#21]

Sitting in the spare bathroom tub in a 5 gal bucket with cool water barely trickling over it. Thats how it was thawed anyway, now its sitting in the brine.

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:05:35 PM EDT

[#22]

I put mine in the root cellar for a couple of days, then in the fridge for a couple.
We'll see...

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:08:25 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:

All 40 birds have been thawing in the walk-in for a bit over a week, going in the ovens in two hours.

LOL, 40 birds.

Military, prison, restaurant, soup kitchen?

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:08:30 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

this is correct way to do it

No, no its not. In the fridge would be the correct answer. Second best would be under running water. Sitting on the counter would be the wrong answer.....everytime.

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:12:31 PM EDT

[#25]

Restaurant. Also have 210 lbs of stuffing made, 26 gallons of gravy, 260 lbs peeled potatoes, 60 lbs cranberry and citrus relish...fun times.

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:16:30 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

Restaurant. Also have 210 lbs of stuffing made, 26 gallons of gravy, 260 lbs peeled potatoes, 60 lbs cranberry and citrus relish...fun times.

LOL!

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:25:37 PM EDT

[#27]

get a live turkey you pansies.

no need for thawing

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:38:34 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

this is correct way to do it

No, no its not. In the fridge would be the correct answer. Second best would be under running water. Sitting on the counter would be the wrong answer.....everytime.

No, the frige is not the best way to thaw. Water has better properties for thawing.

Posted: 11/21/2012 11:56:35 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

this is correct way to do it

No, no its not. In the fridge would be the correct answer. Second best would be under running water. Sitting on the counter would be the wrong answer.....everytime.

No, the frige is not the best way to thaw. Water has better properties for thawing Quickly

FIFY and I still stand by the garage method

Posted: 11/22/2012 12:27:52 AM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

this is correct way to do it

No, no its not. In the fridge would be the correct answer. Second best would be under running water. Sitting on the counter would be the wrong answer.....everytime.

No, the frige is not the best way to thaw. Water has better properties for thawing Quickly

FIFY and I still stand by the garage method

not even quickly.....it's probably the most efficient way a regular homeowner can thaw something out

Posted: 11/22/2012 5:37:13 AM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I have a huge pot I put it in, then fill it with cool water. Never had any issues.

this is correct way to do it

No, no its not. In the fridge would be the correct answer. Second best would be under running water. Sitting on the counter would be the wrong answer.....everytime.

Yet, we've been thawing birds on the counter for my entire life (I'm 41) and my grandparents did it the same way before I was born. Now, I'm not saying everyone should do this, I just think the risk in doing so is WAY overstated. However, in your shoes, in a commercial environment, yeah it is definitely the wrong answer.

Posted: 11/22/2012 5:39:55 AM EDT

[#32]

17 lb frozen turkey in the sink with cold water over night.
I just took it out this morning and tossed it in the fridge till it goes in the oven at noon.

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