How early do you start to defrost a turkey?

[Spinning]

I plan to buy a around a 22 pound turkey. I know you are suppose to defrost it in the fridge. When do I need to put it in there?

 

[pumba]

out of the freezer on Saturday.....so tomorrow it will go on the top shelf of my fridge...and by thursday am or as some do......wednesday night they cook it.....it will be ready for me.........I am anxious for the bird and the stuffing......yummy

 

[Spinning]

so if I buy one today I need to make room in my freezer? Or will it be ok to put it in the fridge? and let it start thawing

 

[hercamore]

You're buying a big turkey. I'd just put it in the frig today. Top shelf.


herc.

 

[WendyZ]

Can I ask why on the top shelf?

 

[bananiem]

I have had such horrid luck defrosting them that I only buy fresh now. I have to HOPE they still have one the size I want when I get to the store Monday or Tuesday.
I defrosted them in the fridge for several days but they were always still frozen inside. I only get 12-14 pound turkeys so I thought a few days would do it. Maybe my fridge is too cold. It's such a waste of time to do the "warm water in the sink and change it every half an hour" defrosting. Not like I'm not trying to do anything else that day!

 

[Angel717]

According to the Butterball website, you should allow one day for every 4 pounds of turkey.

http://www.butterball.com/en/main_canvas.jsp?includePage=faq_1.jsp&t=Turkey FAQs&s0=faqs&s1=

Hope that helps!

 

[shelbyjosh]

I hate to tell Butterball, but they are wrong! I have a 17# bird and I put it in the fridge on Wed. and it will take every bit of 8 days to thaw that baby out! So BB would tell me 4 days?? NOT! Why do so many people say top shelf? Mine is on the bottom. Does that make a difference?

 

[piratesmate]

I'm guessing they say top shelf because cold air drops - making the top shelf the warmest area....or maybe more precisely the bottom would be colder so it would take longer.

That's probably leftover advice from the days of "ice boxes" & the ones without good airflow. Mine goes on the bottom because I'd have to rearrange the shelves to put it up top. It's easy enough to do, but there's always so much stuff in the 'frig it would take forever!

shelbyjosh - Mine always takes longer than Butterball says, too....but I keep my 'frig set lower than most people do.