# Defrosting the Bird - Help!



## Toots (Nov 17, 2006)

I have a 12 lb turkey frozen solid in my freezer.  I want to roast it on Thursday.  How many days in advance do I have remove it from my freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost?


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## Andy M. (Nov 17, 2006)

No later than Sunday.  You could actually do it today.  It's OK for the turkey to be in the fridge for a day or two after it's thawed.


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## Toots (Nov 17, 2006)

Andy M. said:
			
		

> No later than Sunday. You could actually do it today. It's OK for the turkey to be in the fridge for a day or two after it's thawed.


 
Thanks Andy!  I will take it out on Sat and put it on a tray in my fridge to defrost.  Its been a few years since I did a frozen turkey, I usually order the fresh ones but I couldn't resist a sale at our local grocer earlier this month.  After my rebate, the bird was only $1!


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## Andy M. (Nov 17, 2006)

Studies published in prior years show that you cannot tell the difference between a fresh and a frozen turkey after it's been cooked.  I have cooked both and agree.


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## mish (Nov 17, 2006)

Toots said:
			
		

> I have a 12 lb turkey frozen solid in my freezer. I want to roast it on Thursday. How many days in advance do I have remove it from my freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost?


 
About two to three days in the fridge should do it. Further info:

http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&fr=ybr_sbc&p=defrosting+turkey&u=nirc.cas.psu.edu/pdf/ci_thawturk.pdf&w=defrosting+turkey&d=WX78UZIFNgHH&icp=1&.intl=us


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## Andy M. (Nov 17, 2006)

I must keep my refrigerator very cold because I have never been able to thaw a frozen turkey as fast as the charts indicate.


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## amber (Nov 17, 2006)

Mine is 14 lbs., guess I'll take mine out of the freezer on Saturday also!


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## PytnPlace (Nov 17, 2006)

Two or three days in the fridge barely thaws my turkeys.  I took my 16 lb. out of the freezer today.


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## Gretchen (Nov 17, 2006)

Do not make the mistake of "2-3 days". Start no later than Saturday or Sunday as you plan. Mine is in the fridge now, 24#er that it is. Been there two days and it still won't be thawed by Wednesday.


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## Constance (Nov 17, 2006)

Kim puts ours in a cooler of cold water, and thaws it in his garage. It takes a couple of days that way. He usually brings it in the house the second day, so he can change the water now and then.


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## tobiasknight (Nov 17, 2006)

I'm going to have to concure with Constance and go with the cooler of cold water, or better yet, a nice cold shower.  Literally.  I'd drop it in the shower and let that run for a while.  Then (when you can't stand to let the water run that long) put in in a cooler or something.  The running water will (hopefully) do a good deal to thaw the outer layer while the tub will help get the inner..


Or I'm dead wrong.  I've never thawed one myself and only know the principle.


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## auntdot (Nov 17, 2006)

We decided to get only a ten pounder or so this year (we always get a humongous gobbler  and are eating turkey until Christmas). What we will wind up with when we get to the store we shall see (we both always want to buy far more than we need).

Will buy it tomorrow and let it thaw in the fridge.

Absolutely agree with the posters who say a 16 pound bird or so in the fridge will not thaw in in three days.  Why we are told that they will, I am not sure. Perhaps the folks that tell us that have a fridge warmer than we keep ours (we keep them on the cold side) or maybe it is worry about liability ("I thawed it for four days, your Honor, and m'whole family came down with the most awful disorder, and the kids willl never be the same").

If it thaws early, as Andy said, a day or two in the fridge will not hurt it.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.


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## htc (Nov 18, 2006)

I've already got one bird defrosting in the fridge. We're deep frying two birds this year. One "regular" one and one free range diestel turkey. We're picking up the diestel this weekend. Heard theirs isn't frozen solid so should also be ready by Thursday.


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## sparrowgrass (Nov 18, 2006)

I was going to recommend a cooler, too.  

I don't put any water in, just the bird.  The cooler stays quite cold.  When the bird begins to thaw and get soft, I put in in the fridge to finish.


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