How do you defrost your turkey...

[karensi]

in the refrigerator (which takes a few days) or out on the counter, which takes, I don't know, a shorter time.

I used to always defrost the turkey on the counter, then read somewhere that it's better to defrost it in the fridge .
If that's the case, then I have to take the turkey from the freezer tomorow morning and put it in the fridge.

What do you guys do...counter or refridgerator?


Thanks,

Karen

 

[Art 1]

My wife buys them fresh.

 

[Kae]

I do the fridge but if Iam in a pinch I do cold water in the sink.

Kae

 

[jlima]

Fridge. Might take 2 - 3 days.

Just buy fresh, and you don't have to deal with it.

Or go to Marie Callendar's and buy a turkey already cooked!

 

[Handbag Lady]

I tell him I have a headache.

 

[karensi]

Seems most people defrost it in the refridgerator, so that's what I'll do


Not sure why, but for some reason it's suppossed to be better


Thanks,

Karen

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

I always buy fresh, if you have to defrost you should do it in the frig or cool H20, never should it be defrosted on a counter.

 

[wdwmom2]

I always defrost mine in the fridge. But it takes longer than is recommended. My turkeys have never been defrosted in 2-3 days. More like 5 days and even then there is still some ice in the cavity. I place the turkey in cool water to finish thawing it out.

Never defrost on the counter. This allows the harmful bacteria to grow. I'm sure their are people that do this and nothing bad happens, but to me it's not worth the chance of getting food poisoning!!

 

[Tantor]

I always defrost mine in the fridge. But it takes longer than is recommended. My turkeys have never been defrosted in 2-3 days. More like 5 days and even then there is still some ice in the cavity. I place the turkey in cool water to finish thawing it out.

Never defrost on the counter. This allows the harmful bacteria to grow. I'm sure their are people that do this and nothing bad happens, but to me it's not worth the chance of getting food poisoning!!

This is what i do too. I don't risk putting it on the counter to thaw........

 

[golfgal]

I always defrost mine in the fridge. But it takes longer than is recommended. My turkeys have never been defrosted in 2-3 days. More like 5 days and even then there is still some ice in the cavity. I place the turkey in cool water to finish thawing it out.

Never defrost on the counter. This allows the harmful bacteria to grow. I'm sure their are people that do this and nothing bad happens, but to me it's not worth the chance of getting food poisoning!!

See, this is the part that make no sense to me, it is ok to defrost for 5 days in the fridge, meaning the outside of your turkey could be thawed out for 4 or so days with the very real possibility that bacteria can grow in those 4 days but leaving it out overnight on the counter, for say 12 hours, is bad . Rapid defrost on the counter or in the sink is FAR safer than in the fridge for a week. It takes at least 24 hours for bacteria to grow.

I have always done mine in the sink and have never had a problem.

 

[powellrj]

I do a little of both. Mine did a little counter time yesterday and went back in the fridge and may do a little counter time tomorrow if it still seems frozen. I always check them everyday. I have never had one thaw in the fridge in 2 or 3 days. A few years ago I stuck one in the fridge and didn't check on it and it was still semi frozen thanksgiving morning. I now check mine daily and will sit it on the counter for an hour or two if it isn't thawing fast enough. I always try to allow 5 days.

 

[malibuconlee]

I do the fridge but if Iam in a pinch I do cold water in the sink.

Kae

That's what we do too. Our Thanksgiving turkeys weren't defrosting fast enough so I ended up doing the cold water in the sink trick for them. Worked like a charm.

 

[legalsea]

I sit on mine like a chicken on an egg.

Oddly, my family usually foresakes the turkey and loads up on mashed potatoes, etc.

Now, time for the Turkey Dance:

 

[wdwmom2]

See, this is the part that make no sense to me, it is ok to defrost for 5 days in the fridge, meaning the outside of your turkey could be thawed out for 4 or so days with the very real possibility that bacteria can grow in those 4 days but leaving it out overnight on the counter, for say 12 hours, is bad . Rapid defrost on the counter or in the sink is FAR safer than in the fridge for a week. It takes at least 24 hours for bacteria to grow.

I have always done mine in the sink and have never had a problem.

Nothing wrong with the sink method, it just doesn't work for me as I need my side by side sinks while the turkey is defrosting, AND, I have cats!! I would have to stand by my sink all day long! Nuff said. I do defrost items in my sink, just nothing as large and timeconsuming as a turkey.

But 5 days defrosting in a fridge is fine. You just want to cook it as soon as it is defrosted and not let it lay in the fridge for day afterward.
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_FoodSafety_2009-04pr.pdf

http://www.hoptechno.com/book15.htm

 

[karensi]

See, this is the part that make no sense to me, it is ok to defrost for 5 days in the fridge, meaning the outside of your turkey could be thawed out for 4 or so days with the very real possibility that bacteria can grow in those 4 days but leaving it out overnight on the counter, for say 12 hours, is bad . Rapid defrost on the counter or in the sink is FAR safer than in the fridge for a week. It takes at least 24 hours for bacteria to grow.

I have always done mine in the sink and have never had a problem.

This is what I have always thought...makes sense to me. I always defrosted mine on the kitchen counter,but most people say it's better to defrost in the fridge so thats what I'm doing this year. I just put mine in the fridge this morning and we're having it on Saturday (that's when our family will get together).
I think I'll do the fridge to counter and back in fridge method that a PP mentioned.
I'm just not sure that even after 4 days in the fridge it will be defrosted

Hope everyone enjoys their holidays and all the food that goes with them!


Karen

 

[ma2jr]

I agree just buy fresh