How Long Should I thaw Out This Turkey?

Get a NESCO cooker and wash, salt, pepper, butter under skin and stick it in with some broth, perfectly cooked.  We will be doing just that too, and ours is thawed.  It does take a while, you might have to put it in cold water tonight in sink and it'll thaw.  You'll be fine.

Lizette,

Barbara and Matt have given great advice - I use the water as well.  One great big piece of advice......find a good meat thermometer and do not serve that turkey - no matter how hungry anyone is until the temperature on the thermometers reads for poultry.   (Those things that they say will pop up out of the turkey usually pop up before or after the turkey is done).

After I stuff my turkey, I rub my turkey down with butter and cover with spices including paprika and place it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 450 degrees (not covered with tinfoil) before I cook it at 325 degrees covered in tin foil (as directed by most recipes) until the thermometer reads 180 degrees.  This sears the turkey and keeps the turkey meat very moist (and I don't worry about the butter since we dont' eat the skin).  I keep chicken stock on hand to be able to use to baste the turkey every 1/2 hour because no juice comes out of a turkey that has been seared properly. 

Don't forget to let the turkey stand for at least 20 minutes before you start cutting it....and don't forget to put something in the pan that allows you to lift the turkey from the pan - they usually provide string that works for this with the turkey - if not -buy it at the grocery store.  Good luck and may God bless.....first turkeys are like first babies.......

(Have a ham on hand just in case....don't laugh.....one day when I am bold I will write the story of the first time I cooked a turkey.....when I was pregnant over 21 years ago.)

Lizette - No problem.  Even if you don't go for the actual method of cooking I strongly suggest you go with the brining process.  Its a bit of work, but you will be amazed at the difference.  I spent years eating dry turkey and thinking that was normal.  Not anymore.  Also the comments about a good thermometer (not that stupid pop up thing they put in them...its good for one thing...throwing in the trash) and letting it rest before carving are key.  I also suggest carved off the entire breats in one chunk, then slicing it.  It always looks perfect when you do it that way (sharp knife is a must).  Hope all these ideas are helping you.  Looks like you'll have to report back to a lot of people!

I love making turkey dinners....I love everything about it, making it and eating it!  Enjoy, it will be fabulous!

Ok I called the Turkey hotline at Thanksgiving. See I always buy a fresh one the day before and put it in the frig, take it out that morning and no worries.

Not this year....I went cheap.

I bought a frozen one.

I put it in the frig on Monday, frozen.To thaw according to directions.

On Thursday morning of Thanksgiving, I got up, unwraped it and put it in cold water in the sink at about 6:30 AM.

By 10:30 it was STILL freaking frozen....................yikes...................

I called the turkey hotline.

H E L P !!

They ( she ) told me to run HOT water over it.

Now that defied, everything I have ever been told. But, being the turkey experts I did it.

Got the innerds out, and cooked.

Thanksgiving dinner was not at 2:00 which it traditionally is but 5:00.

Never again..............did you hear me say...

NEVER.

I will go back to fresh...................

That's my story and I'm stickin too it.

Missy - I don't need the points either.  Haha.  I have never bought a fresh turkey...perhaps because I am cheap.  I guess if you're in a rush, hot water would do the trick, but of course you want to be sure that its not for a long time and that you cook the turkey fully to make sure you kill the nasties.  Of course, my mom thawed meat on the counter throughout my childhood and I didn't die.  I've eaten under cooked meats and I still thaw things on the counter (even in TX).  I'm a firm believer that we've become way too safe with germs which helps feed the germs mutations.  I never used sanitizer as a kid and touched lots of dirty things, but I'm still alive.  I don't use anti-bacterial anything for the most part (once in awhile if its the soap on sale).  Pork is my favorite subject as we were taught as kids that undercooked pork would be the death of us all, but the fact is so much of what our parent's worried about with prok has been eliminated from the pigs themselves, that they are actually relatively safe, even when undercooked.  I still don't eat a lot of rare pork, but its possible to do so these days.

Liz,

A watched pot never boils and a poked Turkey never thaws so take it and place it in cold water for aboutthree or four hours to help it along.  OH, leave it in the wrapper too.

I do hope that you were talking about the bird and not the market.

Merry Christmas ma'am!!

Liz,

Be so glad you Mom is going to be there,.......

If you drip the water from the tap over the turkey it creates a friction that helps to thaw the turkey! I saw that ont he Food Network. Good Luck and Happy Holidays!!

Lizette, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I do most of the cooking for my kids, and I am more of an Off the Cuff type of guy.  so I am always defrosting something for dinner.  Fill the sink with water and drop it in... Water is great at transfering temperature and it will defrost quickly. 

Have a Happy!

Rob

You are a brave woman.    I have never done a turkey either, and still won't this year.   Maybe later!

Have a wonderful Christmas Day,  and See you and Chanel soon to ring in 2009!

Merry Christmas Lizzette.  The turkey should be thawed out by now.  If it isn't use the cold water method.  Put the turkey in a big pot and cover with cold water.  Make sure you check the neck and the cavity and pull the innards out.  Good Luck!

Lizettte,

I imagine you got that resolved by now. I want to wish you a great holiday season. I enjoy your blogs.

I think people overthink cooking a turkey, it really isn't difficult.  I tried something different that I had read.  I cooked my turkey upside down.  Supposed to keep the breast moist, and it worked.  Of course, it wouldn't have been pretty on a platter.  But the meat, removed from the bone and then put on the serving platter, was very moist and juicy!  Yum!

Ya know, the bad thing about a Turkey Breast is that you have no innards or turkey legs.

I've found that the easiets way to get a well cooked turkey dinner is to marry a great cook.

At least, that's how I handled that mess.

All I have to do is carve and eat!

I hope your dinner came out okay with mommy?