Defrosting a turkey?

[maslex]

I've seen many timelines on how long to transfer your frozen turkey from the freezer to the fridge before the big day. Does it REALLY defost in time? I've had mine in the fridge since late Fri/early Sat and it's still hard as a rock. I don't see it thawing out much before Thursday? What else can I do. It's an 18lb turkey.

 

[soccerdad72]

It should be thawed by Thursday, but if need be, you can defrost it using the cold water submerge method (see the below article):

https://www.purewow.com/food/how-to-quickly-thaw-a-turkey

 

[AppleDumpling]

I always add an extra day or two to the recommended time (based on weight). When fully defrosted, it is still fine in the refrigerator for a few days. I find the hardest part is removing the bag of giblets (neck, heart, gizzard, etc.) I know some people eat this stuff, but I throw it out. It’s usually encased in a big chunk of ice, so once the inside cavity is empty and rinsed out, it will thaw faster.

 

[LouChris]

I put ours in the Fridge on Sunday. On Wednesday morning we will check it and I will have the hubby who works from home put it in a big pot full of cold water and have cold water drip on it if it is not completely thawed and then pop it back in the fridge as soon as it is thawed. We have done this for years. We only do a turkey breast. Sometimes the giblets package will still be a little frozen but we do not use that.

 

[Micca]

DD informed me that you defrost the turkey in the fridge 24 hours for every 4 pounds. We shall see

 

[Kae]

I put mine in the fridge on Friday & I will put it in an ice water bath tonight after work until I go to bed then back to the fridge, which will move things along. I have to get mine in the brine Wednesday.

 

[easyas123]

I put mine in the fridge on Friday & I will put it in an ice water bath tonight after work until I go to bed then back to the fridge, which will move things along. I have to get mine in the brine Wednesday.

I'm on the same schedule.
I feel like I always underestimate how long it takes to thaw, my turkey math is terrible!

 

[lynxstch]

I've had mine in the fridge since Wednesday, and I noticed this morning that it is thawed completely

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I've seen many timelines on how long to transfer your frozen turkey from the freezer to the fridge before the big day. Does it REALLY defost in time? I've had mine in the fridge since late Fri/early Sat and it's still hard as a rock. I don't see it thawing out much before Thursday? What else can I do. It's an 18lb turkey.

I pulled my 15lb turkey out on Sunday. It'll thaw about 85% by Wednesday, when I'll put it in a bag with the brine, and stick it in the cooler to finish thawing. (Ice in the brine + ice in cooler) I could brine it in the fridge...there's room...but I don't want to risk getting raw turkey juice all over the produce if the bag pops. (sitting on the shelf above produce drawers).

 

[AnnaS]

Ours is 20 pounds. Took it out and put it in the refrigerator Sunday morning.

 

[pweyl36]

I have always defrosted my turkeys in my garage, the monday before Thanksgiving and never had a problem.

 

[bcla]

I bought an 11 lb turkey and checked yesterday. Well - actually I put in a plastic shopping bag thinking that if it leaked it would keep it in, only it kept on dripping out of the refrigerator. I wasn't sure where the liquid was coming from until I traced it to the fridge.

This morning I decided I would just make a soup out of it and have it all week. When I checked it, there was still some ice inside, but I suppose it doesn't matter since I'm cooking it this way. Kind of like a chicken, only it's an 11 lb turkey and my largest pot was barely big enough for it - well I can't actually put the lid on normally as it pop out a little bit. It's cooking right now, although I did eat part of the gizzard and picked off the neck. I did have to turn it over to cook the top, as I don't think the steam was enough and I probably want it to soak. I kind of just threw in whatever I had, including dried thyme, basic, cilantro, oregano, star anise (very underrated), and bay leaves as well as fresh ginger and garlic cloves. I'm not sure how I'm going to take it apart though. I'm hoping that it gets soft enough to just take it apart after a few hours simmering.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I've seen many timelines on how long to transfer your frozen turkey from the freezer to the fridge before the big day. Does it REALLY defost in time? I've had mine in the fridge since late Fri/early Sat and it's still hard as a rock. I don't see it thawing out much before Thursday? What else can I do. It's an 18lb turkey.

Typical advice is 24 hours for every 4 pounds of turkey. I always give it an extra day, and there's usually still ice crystal inside the bird when I prep.

Defrosting a turkey takes a while, and it seems to happen all at once that it starts to soften up.

You could try a cold water bath, to speed things up a bit. Be sure the turkey is completely covered in a plastic bag, and immerse fully in a full sink or pot with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes. This method is 30 minutes per pound to thaw. But you need to cook it immediately using this method.

 

[TippyThomas]

My turkey is still hanging out at my neighbors. He's in for quite a shock soon.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I added a couple of days to the recommended defrost schedule as our spare fridge runs pretty cold. I’ve had too many years where I found the turkey still has ice in the middle, following the recommended schedule. I put our 16+ lb turkey in the fridge last Friday night.

 

[Her Dotness]

DD informed me that you defrost the turkey in the fridge 24 hours for every 4 pounds. We shall see

Yup, that’s about how long our usual 11-12 pounder takes.

Geeminey. don’t trash the giblets. Save to add to simmering the carcass for much better turkey broth. You won’t taste them in the broth; they just boost the flavor noticeably with a bit of sugar added.