What is the best way to thaw a frozen turkey?
The most fool proof method of defrosting a turkey is to thaw it in the refrigerator. The key to this method is to plan ahead and allow approximately 24 hours for every four to five pounds of bird weight for thawing in the refrigerator. This method is the safest and will result in the best finished product. Place the bird, in the original wrapping, on a shallow baking sheet in the refrigerator. The following chart provides good guidelines for thawing times. Refrigerator Turkey Thawing Time (40° F) Turkey Weight Days to Allow for Thawing Turkey 8 to 12 pounds 2 to 2.5 days 12 to 16 pounds 2.5 to 4 days 16 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days 20 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days The most important thing to remember is NEVER to thaw the turkey at room temperature. If time is more critical, refer to the following link for additional instructions about safely thawing the turkey. http://www.eatturkey.com/consumer/cookinfo/turthaw.html Other factors also affect this general thawing formula: a. The internal tempera
