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It happens to the best of us. We get so caught up in the planning of a grand Thanksgiving feast fit for a Pilgrim king -- we've got spreadsheets, project plans, timetables, shopping lists, guest lists, lists of lists -- that we forget one of the most basic things about the preparation.We forget to thaw the frozen turkey.
Hey, don't worry. It's not your fault that you were running around like a turkey with its head cut off, and we'll only make fun of you until three years from now, but all is not lost. You don't have to worry about whether you can safely cook a frozen turkey because the answer is "Yes" according to food safety experts at the Mayo Clinic (and trust me, I trust the Mayo Clinic).
The full explanation is on the Mayo Clinic's website, but I'll summarize for those of you panicked folks here.
What you CAN do:
- You can safely roast a frozen turkey; it just takes longer (duh).The USDA recommends that you add 50% of the normal cooking time for a thawed turkey to the total cooking time. Of course, we all know that cooking time is a very bad way to roast a turkey, so use a trusty thermometer and make sure that sexy inner thigh reaches a hot 165 degrees F.
- If the turkey was frozen, that little paper packets of creepy turkey innards was probably stuck inside the body cavity under a glacier's thickness of ice. Don't worry about it when you first start roasting the frozen turkey, but make sure to jiggle it out of there as soon as the turkey has defrosted enough in the oven.
What you CAN'T do:
- Roast only. You cannot grill, smoke, deep-fry or microwave (wait, who the hell microwaves their turkey?!) frozen turkey.
- If the creepy turkey innards were in a plastic bag and you foolishly didn't get them out in time and the plastic has melted all over the inside of the turkey, you're done. You can't eat that turkey that might have plastic chemical-y stuff all up inside it. You're also banned from ever making Thanksgiving turkey again because Mayo just gave you a second chance and you blew it with the plastic giblet bag.
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11-15-2007 @1:31PM melissa.agnew said... My mother had this device for our old microwave that she would use on roasts and birds. It was like this want that you stuck in the meat, and then plugged the other end into some hole inside the microwave. Apparently it "pre-cooked" it or helped it defrost faster. So yes, you can sorta cook a turkey in a microwave, but not really.
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11-18-2007 @2:41PM Louis Ralf said... Turkeys (and any other freezer items) can be rapidly defrosted by soaking them in a large pan of warm water for about an hour prior to roasting.
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11-18-2007 @2:47PM Motormouth said... Actually, it's a bad idea to soak frozen items in warm water -- a few hours submerged in cold water is a much safer way to go about it. Warm water can encourage uneven defrosting and very dangerous bacteria.
I knew that ServSafe course would pay off one day...
--
http://motormouth.blogharbor.com/blog
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11-18-2007 @3:02PM lenny said... howe long before thanksgiving (days) should the turkey defrost? 25lb.
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11-18-2007 @3:14PM Gail said... To defrost a turkey, 5 lbs per day in the refrigerator. So a 25 lb turkey would take 5 days. You can also defrost in a tub of cold water; keep the turkey wrapped and submerged. Check it every few hours.
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11-18-2007 @3:14PM Valisha said... You should take your turkey out TODAY and place it in the fridge.
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11-18-2007 @3:30PM janet bradshaw said... I take my frozen turkey, put it in a cooking bag at 11pm on Thanksgiving Eve, cook it at 200 degrees all night, and when I get up in the AM, take out the giblets bag and neck, baste a little, return to oven and let it continue to slow cook until 11 to 11:30AM. Then, take out, let set for 30 minutes, slice, and it is delicious as it it has cooked in it's own juices and it it devine. Never had a problem with it yet. Done this for years.
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11-18-2007 @3:36PM J. Shell said... If you put off getting your turkey until the last minute and you won't have time to thaw one out, try asking your butcher if he has any fresh turkeys left. First of all, they taste better than frozen ones, and second, they haven't been frozen. The downside is they are more expensive than frozen birds. Using a Reynolds Cooking Bag is a terrific way to keep things clean, and have a nice juicy turkey. You throw a tablespoon of flour in the bag and shake it, then you put the turkey (stuffed or non-stuffed) in the bag. I cook it slower (lower temp about 240 deg.) than they say and for a longer time because its more tender and it stays moist. (About third of an hour per pound) When its done you take the turkey out and put it on your platter, and all the juice is there in the bag to make gravy. Strain the fat out, put a couple of tablespoons of corn starch in a half cup of water, stir it up, then stir it into the turkey broth. Great gravy in a snap. If you do this for two or more years in a row, pretty soon you can do Thanksgiving in your sleep.
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11-18-2007 @3:43PM Nancy said... Always buy fresh, even thought it costs extra. The last time, I bought a frozen turkey, thawed it out and it was freezer burnt. The supermarket could have frozen it, then defrosted and frozen again. You never know how safe frozen turkeys are.
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11-18-2007 @3:48PM Dianne said... I have the opposite problem. I bought my turkey and put it in the refrigerator and checked on it today and it's almost thawed! Will it be okay in the fridge until turkey day?
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11-18-2007 @3:52PM wayne said... frozen turkey is alot easier to cook u get more juice plus it easier to slice too
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11-19-2007 @1:13PM Judy said... This is an easy question. Set out three pots of room temp water. Drop the turkey, in the plastic, in the first pot. Change to the second pot after 30 minutes. Keep rotating pots every 30 minutes, all with clean room temp water. As soon as you can get the giblet bag out of the interior of the turkey. Your turkey should defrost in about 2 hours. This happened to me and I called my Aunt and she told me what to do....so thanks, Aunt Frances!!
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11-18-2007 @4:20PM Ann said... Nobody in their right mind would/could forget to defrost a turkey if they're having everyone to their house for dinner - even a "new" cook. Didn't any of you ladies stick with your mom in the kitchen to learn meal preparations and timing? Timing is everything, probably the hardest part - getting hot foods done and to the table at the same time, plus getting the homemade rolls in so they're done just right, too.
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11-18-2007 @4:25PM Mike said... I think a very important safety warning was left out of this article. The reason for not dropping a frozen turkey in an oil fryer? Hot oil and ice will cause a violent reaction, most likely a big oil spill and if the fryer has an open flame, you get a big fire, FAST!
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11-18-2007 @4:22PM DAB said... Another good way to defrost a frozen turkey is to brine the turkey. Brine the turkey by soaking in cold ice water with Kosher Salt for a few hours (you can defrost a turkey in about 2 hours) This is also a good way to get a real moist turkey. After brining rinish and cook turkey.
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11-18-2007 @4:33PM Mike said... The brining is a great idea whether the turkey is frozen or not. You can also add sugar to the brine, use half as much sugar as salt. It is also great to stuff the cavity of the bird with your favorite herbs. Really makes the house smell great, too!
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11-18-2007 @4:31PM Carol said... How long can you have a turkey in the freezer before cooking? I've had one in the freezer since Easter! Should I ditch it, or is it still safe to cook? And before you ask, yes I purchased another turkey yesterday...just in case.
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11-18-2007 @4:33PM Mike said... A great way to speed up the cooking of the turkey, and help keep the breasts juicy. These times are for a 15lb bird, completely thawed and uncovered. Oven @ 350.
Cook the bird breast side down for approx. 45 mins.
Turn the bird 90 degrees, (on its side) for 25 mins.
Turn the bird on its other side for 25 mins.
Turn the bird breast up, cover with foil for 30 mins.
Remove the foil and cook another 15-25 mins to brown.
Enjoy!
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11-18-2007 @4:40PM Mike said... Carol,
You can keep a turkey in the freezer for a long time
if:
The packaging has absolutely no holes in it. If there are any holes you will get freezer burn. It
the freezer burn is limited to the very tips of the
drumsticks, no problem. If there is freezer burn on the legs or breasts, you might want to cook it as dog or cat food. If you don't use the giblets for gravy, your dog or cat will love those, too!
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11-18-2007 @4:42PM Mike said... Melissa,
That wand your mother used in the microwave was a
thermometer. As was mentioned earlier, alway use a thermometer and don't trust time. You don't want to undercook or overcook.
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