![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Thawing a Turkey ...How to Defrost a Turkey: Fast, Slow, Microwave, and Cook Safely From Frozen?Thawing a turkey, or defrosting a turkey is actually not necessary - see how to roast a turkey without defrosting below. But turkeys are usually defrosted before they are cooked to allow giblets to be easily removed, to allow flavors and other preparations such as stuffing to be completed, and to reduce the cooking time. A turkey is usually sold "ready to cook." No butchering and little if any feather removal is necessary. But because the standard is to deliver at least a "chilled," if not a "frozen" product, you will probably want to follow the traditional procedure of defrosting.
Methods for Defrosting a Turkey:If you are planning ahead, and you are getting a frozen turkey you might want to ask your butcher or grocer if they will defrost it for you. Once you have this bird at home, if it hasn't been enhanced, consider brining it. If you already have the frozen product in your freezer, or you just picked up a frozen bird at your grocer, you will need to defrost it before seasoning it. You have choices.
Thawing a Turkey in Ice Cold Water:The next best method of defrosting is to thaw the bird in ice cold water - breast side down. Keep the turkey in its wrapper and place it in a tub or sink full of ice cold water. Change the water every half hour. The general rule is that defrosting takes 5 hours per lb. per 1/2 kg) in the refrigerator or 30 min per lb.(per 1/2 kg) in cold water.
Even though the refrigerator defrosting times listed in the chart above seem long, many people find that at the end of this period the turkey is still not totally defrosted. If you find that your bird is not completely thawed when needed, you can finish defrosting it in cold water before brining, seasoning, or cooking it, or you could begin cooking the almost defrosted bird in the oven and know that it will take longer. Just watch the meat temperature carefully. Do not undercook your turkey!. Microwaving to Defrost a Turkey
How to Roast a Turkey without Defrosting:Cooking a frozen turkey is possible. The drawback to this method is that the bird must remain in the oven longer than normal potentially giving it more time to dry out. But, some cooks have found that because the legs defrost more quickly than the breast they begin cooking sooner. So, the whole turkey gets done closer to the same time. (With a defrosted commercial turkey, the breast cooks faster and reaches temperature before the legs where they attach to the body are done cooking.) This method is ONLY for ROASTING at 325 F. - never grill or deep fry or use the high heat method for a frozen bird. To use this method of cooking while thawing a turkey, simply place the frozen turkey in the oven at 325 degrees F. on a rack over a roasting pan. Take the amount of time the turkey would usually take to cook and add an extra fifty percent. If a turkey was to take four hours if thawed, it will take about six hours if cooked from the frozen state. Remember to remove the giblet packet when the turkey is thawed enough to get it out. This is especially important if the packet is plastic. If a plastic packet deforms or melts, chemicals may leech into the giblets and the surrounding turkey meat. Neither the giblets nor the turkey should be eaten in this case. If the plastic packet is intact the meat should be okay. If the giblet packet is paper there is no harm in leaving the packet in the bird during the cooking process - but you probably want the giblets in advance for making the gravy. One of our readers gave us information on cooking from frozen you can read it here. Return Home |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Home Page
Cooking PerfectionShortcut PathSix Secrets Secret Ingredient Select Thaw Brine Cooking Time Cook Time Metric Recipes Stuffing/Dressing Gravy Carving Debone Turkey Turkey Leftovers Cooking MethodsRoast TurkeyDeep Fried Smoked Turducken Rotisserie Parts And PiecesGrilledGround Turkey Tails EquipmentIndoorOutdoor Added FlavorMarinadeRub BBQ Sauce About The BirdsIf You Raise TurkeysHistory Breeds Facts Quiz MoreWine With TurkeySite Search Site Map Turkey Blog Contact Us Privacy Policy About The Website
Copyright © 2009 - 2015 The Perfect Turkey
Copyright © 2009 - 2015 The Perfect Turkey
Return to top |