I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:

I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)

I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
refrigerator.

How should I approach this?


Steve

On Dec 4, 2:30*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>
> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. *(It was in the refrigerator
> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen..)
>
> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. *By my calculation
> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
> refrigerator.
>
> How should I approach this?
>
> Steve

How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
Overnight. See how it is in the morning.

ImStillMags > wrote:

>On Dec 4, 2:30*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:

>> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. *(It was in the refrigerator
>> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>>
>> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
>> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. *By my calculation
>> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>> refrigerator.

>> How should I approach this?

>How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
>Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
>Overnight. See how it is in the morning.

I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
Any specific advice?

We have a laundry room sink, or I could get a tub of some sort.

The other thing I'm considering is letting it thaw at room temp
for say three 2-hour intervals today and tomorrow, refigerating it
the rest of the time.

Steve

On 12/04/2010 02:46 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> On Dec 4, 2:30 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>>> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
>>> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>>>
>>> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
>>> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
>>> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>>> refrigerator.
>
>>> How should I approach this?
>
>> How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
>> Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
>> Overnight. See how it is in the morning.
>
> I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
> this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
> Any specific advice?

My mom does it every year. No one's died yet, and it's MUCH faster than
the fridge method.

Serene


--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On Dec 4, 2:46*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> ImStillMags > wrote:
> >On Dec 4, 2:30 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> >> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
> >> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>
> >> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
> >> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
> >> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
> >> refrigerator.
> >> How should I approach this?
> >How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
> >Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
> >Overnight. * See how it is in the morning.
>
> I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. *Has
> this worked for you in the past? *Has anyone actually done this?
> Any specific advice?
>
> We have a laundry room sink, or I could get a tub of some sort.
>
> The other thing I'm considering is letting it thaw at room temp
> for say three 2-hour intervals today and tomorrow, refigerating it
> the rest of the time.
>
> Steve

We used the water thaw method all the time in the restaurant. It
works great. I trust it more than countertop thawing any day. The
bird will be still quite cold in the water even after it has thawed so
it will still inhibit any bacteria growth.
Just be sure to weight it down so it doesn't float. The laundry sink
should work well.

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>
> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely
> frozen.)
>
> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
> refrigerator.
>
> How should I approach this?
>
>
> Steve


Prior to (U.S.) Thanksgiving I saw Alton Brown on the Food Network doing a
Q&A about turkey. He said the best way to thaw one is to set it in a sink
and let cold water lightly drizzle over it. If you start now it should be
thawed by then!

Jill

"Serene Vannoy" > wrote in message
...
> On 12/04/2010 02:46 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On Dec 4, 2:30 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>>
>>>> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
>>>> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely
>>>> frozen.)
>>>>
>>>> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from
>>>> now
>>>> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my
>>>> calculation
>>>> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>>>> refrigerator.
>>
>>>> How should I approach this?
>>
>>> How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
>>> Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
>>> Overnight. See how it is in the morning.
>>
>> I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
>> this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
>> Any specific advice?
>
> My mom does it every year. No one's died yet, and it's MUCH faster than
> the fridge method.
>
> Serene
>
I use cold water to thaw meats/poultry all the time. It's no big deal.
It's certainly better than letting something sit out on the counter for who
knows how long.

Jill

Serene Vannoy > wrote:

[water method]

>My mom does it every year. No one's died yet, and it's MUCH faster than
>the fridge method.

Thanks.

So based on a chart that says a 17 lb turkey would take 8 hours to
thaw in cold water, or 4 days to thaw in a refrigerator, I
am thinking that 2 days of thawing in refrigerator followed by
4 hours in cold water will work. (Or are turkeys nonlinear?)

I'm not planning to stuff the turkey (never do) so I'm not too
concerned about it cooking completely and safely.


Steve

ImStillMags > wrote:

>We used the water thaw method all the time in the restaurant. It
>works great. I trust it more than countertop thawing any day. The
>bird will be still quite cold in the water even after it has thawed so
>it will still inhibit any bacteria growth.
>Just be sure to weight it down so it doesn't float. The laundry sink
>should work well.

Thanks. This is reassuring.

I guess the only gotcha is there is no way I can keep the bird
frozen until Monday (no freezer space), so I will have to start the
water-thawing from what will be a semi-thawed state.


S.

On Dec 4, 5:30 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
> I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>
> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>
> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
> refrigerator.
>
> How should I approach this?
>
> Steve

Do you have a cooler? If so, put the turkey in there and cover it
with cold water. Add ice cubes if the water isn't real cold out of
the tap and/or you live in or have to stash the turkey in a more-than-
refrigerator-temperature place while it defrosts. (In other words,
keep the water temperature at less than 40 degrees F.)

--
Silvar Beitel

Steve Pope wrote:
> ImStillMags > wrote:
>
>> On Dec 4, 2:30 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>>> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
>>> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>>>
>>> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
>>> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
>>> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>>> refrigerator.
>
>>> How should I approach this?
>
>> How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
>> Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
>> Overnight. See how it is in the morning.
>
> I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
> this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
> Any specific advice?
>
> We have a laundry room sink, or I could get a tub of some sort.
>
> The other thing I'm considering is letting it thaw at room temp
> for say three 2-hour intervals today and tomorrow, refigerating it
> the rest of the time.
>
> Steve


Why do you think it needs to be thawed? Are you going to stuff it?
(that would be a good reason)

I've started just roasting turkeys still frozen. It adds about an
hour to the cooking time.

Bob

Steve Pope wrote:
>
> I'm not planning to stuff the turkey (never do) so I'm not too
> concerned about it cooking completely and safely.

Stand to inherit some money, do you?

zxcvbob > wrote:

>Why do you think it needs to be thawed? Are you going to stuff it?
>(that would be a good reason)

No, not stuffing it.

>I've started just roasting turkeys still frozen. It adds about an
>hour to the cooking time.

I think at minimum it should be thawed enough that I can reach
inside and pull out the giblet package.... but by Monday that
should not be a problem.

Your suggestion would save some effort.


Steve

On Dec 4, 6:09*pm, Mr. Bill > wrote:
> On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 22:46:11 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
>
> Pope) wrote:
> >I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. *Has
> >this worked for you in the past? *Has anyone actually done this?
> >Any specific advice?
>
> As long as you have considered the water method....I would suggest
> brining the turkey. *You won't be disappointed. *


Sorry Steve...didn't mean to mislead you..but I would put the FROZEN
TURKEY

On 12/04/2010 03:09 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> Why do you think it needs to be thawed? Are you going to stuff it?
>> (that would be a good reason)
>
> No, not stuffing it.
>
>> I've started just roasting turkeys still frozen. It adds about an
>> hour to the cooking time.
>
> I think at minimum it should be thawed enough that I can reach
> inside and pull out the giblet package.... but by Monday that
> should not be a problem.
>
> Your suggestion would save some effort.

I think the government site says to just pull the giblets out after it's
cooked enough to allow that.

Serene

--
http://www.momfoodproject.com

On Dec 4, 6:13*pm, "Mr. Bill" > wrote:
> On Dec 4, 6:09*pm, Mr. Bill > wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 22:46:11 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
>

As long as you have considered the water method....I would suggest
brining the turkey. *You won't be disappointed. *

Sorry Steve...didn't mean to mislead you..but I would put the FROZEN
TURKEY in the brine and let it thaw. Should be fine by Monday!!

> We used the water thaw method all the time in the restaurant. * It
> works great. *I trust it more than countertop thawing any day. * The
> bird will be still quite cold in the water even after it has thawed so
> it will still inhibit any bacteria growth.
> Just be sure to weight it down so it doesn't float. * The laundry sink
> should work well.

I use the cold water method myself in my giant stock pot, but I change
the water every two hours or so using cold tap water because after a
couple hours the water gets much colder. Also, I remove the plastic
wrapping from the turkey, which allows it to thaw inside also. It
will float, but I flip it over every half hour or so. This method
takes 8-10 hours to thaw the turkey.

On 12/4/2010 5:46 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> > wrote:
>
>> On Dec 4, 2:30 pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>>> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
>>> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>>>
>>> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
>>> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
>>> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>>> refrigerator.
>
>>> How should I approach this?
>
>> How deep is your kitchen sink.....or do you have a laundry sink?
>> Fill it with cold water and put the turkey in there.
>> Overnight. See how it is in the morning.
>
> I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
> this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
> Any specific advice?
>
> We have a laundry room sink, or I could get a tub of some sort.
>
> The other thing I'm considering is letting it thaw at room temp
> for say three 2-hour intervals today and tomorrow, refigerating it
> the rest of the time.
>
> Steve

I had to do this the week before thanksgiving when I was going to cook a
17 pounder for my son's class. I put it in the bathtub and filled with
cool water until it was submersed (they float). I put it in in the
morning and by evening it was thawed.

--
Currently reading: To Try Men's Souls by Newt Gingrich and William
Forstchen

On 12/4/2010 5:59 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> Serene > wrote:
>
> [water method]
>
>> My mom does it every year. No one's died yet, and it's MUCH faster than
>> the fridge method.
>
> Thanks.
>
> So based on a chart that says a 17 lb turkey would take 8 hours to
> thaw in cold water, or 4 days to thaw in a refrigerator, I
> am thinking that 2 days of thawing in refrigerator followed by
> 4 hours in cold water will work. (Or are turkeys nonlinear?)
>
> I'm not planning to stuff the turkey (never do) so I'm not too
> concerned about it cooking completely and safely.
>
>
> Steve

You should be fine..Those "thaw in fridge" time charts never work
anyway. The one I had for my thanksgiving bird said to put it in the
fridge on saturday to cook on thursday and it was still icy. May depend
on the temp your fridge is set at too.

--
Currently reading: To Try Men's Souls by Newt Gingrich and William
Forstchen

Mr. Bill > wrote:

>On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 22:46:11 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
>Pope) wrote:

>>I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
>>this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
>>Any specific advice?

>As long as you have considered the water method....I would suggest
>brining the turkey. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you, but I am not brining this turkey.

Steve

On 12/4/2010 6:10 PM, Omelet wrote:
> In >,
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>> I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>>
>> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
>> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>>
>> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
>> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
>> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>> refrigerator.
>>
>> How should I approach this?
>>
>>
>> Steve
>
> The cold water in the sink method has worked well for many people.

I wonder where some people got the idea that you can't do it this
way...I've always used cold water....I have better fridge space than I
used to, but still, storing a turkey in the fridge for a week is
inconvenient.

--
Currently reading: To Try Men's Souls by Newt Gingrich and William
Forstchen

Michael O'Connor > wrote:

>I use the cold water method myself in my giant stock pot, but I change
>the water every two hours or so using cold tap water because after a
>couple hours the water gets much colder. Also, I remove the plastic
>wrapping from the turkey, which allows it to thaw inside also. It
>will float, but I flip it over every half hour or so. This method
>takes 8-10 hours to thaw the turkey.

Thanks.

The instructions on the turkey say to leave it in its plastic
during the thawing phase, which can be done up to three days
before roasting. (Other places I have read to do the water-thawing
only right before roasting...)

Steve

Serene Vannoy > wrote:

>On 12/04/2010 03:09 PM, Steve Pope wrote:

>> > wrote:

>>> I've started just roasting turkeys still frozen. It adds about an
>>> hour to the cooking time.

>> I think at minimum it should be thawed enough that I can reach
>> inside and pull out the giblet package.... but by Monday that
>> should not be a problem.

>> Your suggestion would save some effort.

>I think the government site says to just pull the giblets out after it's
>cooked enough to allow that.

I had not realized the cooking from frozen was a government-approved
method, but it turns out it is (link below). Thanks for the pointer.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/...es/index.asp#8

Steve

On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 23:23:58 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>Thank you, but I am not brining this turkey.

Sorry...didn't mean to harsh your buzz.

Silvar Beitel > wrote:

>Do you have a cooler? If so, put the turkey in there and cover it
>with cold water. Add ice cubes if the water isn't real cold out of
>the tap and/or you live in or have to stash the turkey in a more-than-
>refrigerator-temperature place while it defrosts. (In other words,
>keep the water temperature at less than 40 degrees F.)

Thanks.

I may be leaning towards the cook-from-frozen method now that
I know it is approved by the Authorities. It means I won't know
the cooking time very closely, but that is not a big deal in my case.


Steve

On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 22:30:50 +0000 (UTC), (Steve
Pope) wrote:

>I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>
>I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
>case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>
>I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
>it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
>it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
>refrigerator.
>
>How should I approach this?

Every turkey I've ever defrosted needed five full days in the fridge
and still there was icy parts in the cavity and the giblets were
pretty much still solid. I used the water method once, requires too
much attention with changing water. To be perfectly honest 48 hours
is much to little time to defrost a 17 pound turkey... were it me
knowing what I know now I'd leave that turkey in your freezer and buy
a fresh turkey.

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>
> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>
> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
> refrigerator.
>
> How should I approach this?
>
>
> Steve

I'd do it in water, changing frequently. And once you think you can get
your hand inside, flood that with water, too. Good luck.
--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> ImStillMags > wrote:
>
> >On Dec 4, 2:30*pm, (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
> I'm considering the water method, I've just never used it. Has
> this worked for you in the past? Has anyone actually done this?
> Any specific advice?
>
> We have a laundry room sink, or I could get a tub of some sort.


Use the laundry tub sink and fill it with tepid water to start -- the
water will get cold pretty fast -- that's a big ice cube!

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

>Every turkey I've ever defrosted needed five full days in the fridge
>and still there was icy parts in the cavity and the giblets were
>pretty much still solid. I used the water method once, requires too
>much attention with changing water. To be perfectly honest 48 hours
>is much to little time to defrost a 17 pound turkey... were it me
>knowing what I know now I'd leave that turkey in your freezer and buy
>a fresh turkey.

Thanks Shel. To be truthful, I've always in the past made sure I
had a thawed (or fresh) turkey on the day I needed it, so it
is uncharacteristic of me to try doing it this way this time.

It's been out of the freezer too long, plus I have no freezer space
for it. So I'm pretty much committed to cooking it, if not on
Monday then sometime later in the week.


Steve

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

>I'd do it in water, changing frequently. And once you think you can get
>your hand inside, flood that with water, too. Good luck.

But all of the water-method instructions I've seen (including those
printed on this turkey's wrapper) say do not let water contact the
turkey, have it wrapped-up waterproof. Which seems reasonable
to me, you don't want to soak a turkey before roasting it.

Steve

Mr. Bill > wrote:

>On Sat, 4 Dec 2010 23:23:58 +0000 (UTC), (Steve

>>Thank you, but I am not brining this turkey.

>Sorry...didn't mean to harsh your buzz.

Not a problem, I'm just not on the turkey-brining bandwagon.

Pork chops, sure.


Steve

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> >I'd do it in water, changing frequently. And once you think you can get
> >your hand inside, flood that with water, too. Good luck.
>
> But all of the water-method instructions I've seen (including those
> printed on this turkey's wrapper) say do not let water contact the
> turkey, have it wrapped-up waterproof. Which seems reasonable
> to me, you don't want to soak a turkey before roasting it.
>
> Steve

True - by the time I'm running water inside the body cavity, I'm ready
to roast it. I don't like ice crystals inside the cavity when I stick
it in the oven. <shrugs> I think I didn't do the best job writing
above. :-\ (I leave it wrapped while it's in the water.)

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> (Steve Pope) wrote:

>> But all of the water-method instructions I've seen (including those
>> printed on this turkey's wrapper) say do not let water contact the
>> turkey, have it wrapped-up waterproof. Which seems reasonable
>> to me, you don't want to soak a turkey before roasting it.

>True - by the time I'm running water inside the body cavity, I'm ready
>to roast it. I don't like ice crystals inside the cavity when I stick
>it in the oven. <shrugs> I think I didn't do the best job writing
>above. :-\ (I leave it wrapped while it's in the water.)

Gotcha. So this is just rinsing it at the end, not soaking it.

I really think my plan now is cook-from-part-frozen. Seems like
the least effort, and it's likely to work.

Steve

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Gotcha. So this is just rinsing it at the end, not soaking it.

If the frozen turkey is sealed as, I think, nearly all frozen turkeys
are in the US now, anytime they are submerged, they're much quicker to
thaw than anytime they are in the fridge or ambient air. Heat transfer
of water vs air and all that stuff. I'd plop the turkey in a water tub
or sink whenever I was home and put it in the fridge before I left. The
government wants you to change the water frequently. If the wrapped
turkey (no torn wrapping) doesn't leak into the water or vice versa, I'm
puzzled as to why that is other than heat transfer from the turkey to
the water bath. At any rate, frozen, sealed turkeys thaw quite quickly
in a sink full of water. I'll bet I could completely thaw a twenty pound
turkey in twenty four hours in water, but I won't bet much since I
haven't tried it.

> I really think my plan now is cook-from-part-frozen. Seems like
> the least effort, and it's likely to work.

That's probably true. I've never tried it.

leo

"Steve Pope" > wrote in message
...
> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
>>I'd do it in water, changing frequently. And once you think you can get
>>your hand inside, flood that with water, too. Good luck.
>
> But all of the water-method instructions I've seen (including those
> printed on this turkey's wrapper) say do not let water contact the
> turkey, have it wrapped-up waterproof. Which seems reasonable
> to me, you don't want to soak a turkey before roasting it.
>
> Steve

Soaking is no better/worse than brining. I've used the water method for
chickens for years, soaking with no wrapper, with good results. If time
permits, I leave in uncovered in the fridge for an hour or two before
cooking.

In article . 14>,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> Anyway, I put the turkey in a deep tub and fill with cold water,
> placing a weight on the turkey to keep it submerged. It's usually
> thawed within 24 hours or less, depending on the size of the turkey.

I should have said, "I agree with Wayne". I believe you posted this
method much earlier than I did. I use it every year. I'm trying to sell
the point that what we know, works. Apologies.

leo

Leonard Blaisdell > wrote:

> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

>> Anyway, I put the turkey in a deep tub and fill with cold water,
>> placing a weight on the turkey to keep it submerged. It's usually
>> thawed within 24 hours or less, depending on the size of the turkey.

>I should have said, "I agree with Wayne". I believe you posted this
>method much earlier than I did. I use it every year. I'm trying to sell
>the point that what we know, works. Apologies.

Thanks. That's why I asked here. I can look up thawing methods online,
but I only have one shot at this turkey, so I appreciate all the
reports from those who have done this.

Steve

On 12/4/2010 12:30 PM, Steve Pope wrote:
> I'm sure there are many opinions on this but here goes:
>
> I have a 17 lb, presently frozen turkey. (It was in the refrigerator
> case at the grocery store today, but still seems pretty completely frozen.)
>
> I need to cook this turkey Monday, that is pretty much 48 hours from now
> it need to go into the oven ideally completely thawed. By my calculation
> it will not have thawed sufficiently by then if I just leave it in the
> refrigerator.
>
> How should I approach this?
>
>
> Steve

You should forget about the defrosting instructions that come on the
bird and while you're at it, forget about the cooking instructions too.
What most folks don't know is that the stuff printed on the bag only
applies if you're lucky enough to be living in an alternative parallel
universe. It's likely your mom followed the instructions to a "T" and
you know how those turkeys were when you were a kid - dry!

A lot would depend on the ambient temperature of your kitchen. Here in
the tropics, letting it soak overnight in a salt water solution works
fine. Of course, you can't soak a bird pre-injected with a salt
solution. In this case, you'd use just plain water and soak longer. If
your room temperature is below 70 or so degrees, you'd need to soak it
in water longer. I don't bother changing the water cause I'm lazy nor do
I see the rational for that except that you're in a big hurry. I just
stick the turkey in a 5 gallon pail or if I don't have a big pail, will
put the turkey in a 13 gallon kitchen rubbish can liner and fill the bag
with the turkey in the sink.

Most importantly - don't ever follow whatever Alton Brown sez about
defrosting a turkey. I have no idea what he sez about defrosting a
turkey but most likely it involves some newspaper, a brick, and an
electric fan...

In article >,
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
> >> But all of the water-method instructions I've seen (including those
> >> printed on this turkey's wrapper) say do not let water contact the
> >> turkey, have it wrapped-up waterproof. Which seems reasonable
> >> to me, you don't want to soak a turkey before roasting it.
>
> >True - by the time I'm running water inside the body cavity, I'm ready
> >to roast it. I don't like ice crystals inside the cavity when I stick
> >it in the oven. <shrugs> I think I didn't do the best job writing
> >above. :-\ (I leave it wrapped while it's in the water.)
>
> Gotcha. So this is just rinsing it at the end, not soaking it.

Right. FWIW, I have NEVER had a bird thaw in the fridge within the
timing guidelines that Butterball or anyone else recommends. I think
they say something 24 hours for every five pounds of bird. Uh-uh.


> I really think my plan now is cook-from-part-frozen. Seems like
> the least effort, and it's likely to work.
>
> Steve

Please report back on how that worked and how the timing was affected.
I've got a 14-15# bird in my freezer. . . .





--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

On Sun, 05 Dec 2010 07:20:32 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >,
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>>
>> > (Steve Pope) wrote:
>>
>> >> But all of the water-method instructions I've seen (including those
>> >> printed on this turkey's wrapper) say do not let water contact the
>> >> turkey, have it wrapped-up waterproof. Which seems reasonable
>> >> to me, you don't want to soak a turkey before roasting it.
>>
>> >True - by the time I'm running water inside the body cavity, I'm ready
>> >to roast it. I don't like ice crystals inside the cavity when I stick
>> >it in the oven. <shrugs> I think I didn't do the best job writing
>> >above. :-\ (I leave it wrapped while it's in the water.)
>>
>> Gotcha. So this is just rinsing it at the end, not soaking it.
>
>Right. FWIW, I have NEVER had a bird thaw in the fridge within the
>timing guidelines that Butterball or anyone else recommends. I think
>they say something 24 hours for every five pounds of bird. Uh-uh.
>
>
>> I really think my plan now is cook-from-part-frozen. Seems like
>> the least effort, and it's likely to work.
>>
>> Steve
>
>Please report back on how that worked and how the timing was affected.
>I've got a 14-15# bird in my freezer. . . .


My main question is how long until you can get all of the giblets
out.
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)