Turkey is one of the most important dishes in Thanksgiving and Christmas. People usually buy it in bulk before the rush days, and they freeze it so that the turkey retains freshness. If you are one of them, you might be worried about how to defrost the frozen turkey without making it go bad. This article will provide you all the possible methods to defrost the turkey, so you would have to keep reading it.
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How Long Does It Take to Defrost Turkey?
The period of defrosting of turkey varies with temperature. The higher the temperature is, the faster the turkey will thaw. If you keep the uncooked frozen turkey inside the refrigerator for thawing, it will take 12 to 14 hours per pound to defrost. In short, you can keep the turkey in the refrigerator overnight.
On the other hand, if you keep the frozen turkey in a cool room, that will take less time. Outside the fridge and refrigerator, it will take up to 4 to 5 hours to thaw completely. And at room temperature, the turkey will take the lowest time to thaw. You will need only 1 to 2 hours for defrosting the turkey per pound.
How Do I Defrost Turkey Fast?
Inevitably, some people forget that turkey takes a large time to defrost completely. A whole turkey weighs almost 12 pounds. So even if you put the whole frozen turkey at room temperature, it will take a minimum of a day to thaw completely.
So, the fastest way to thaw a whole frozen turkey is to put it in some large best pots and add cold water to it. Keep the breast side of the turkey down in the cold water. You have to change the cold water every hour. This process will take almost 6 hours to defrost the turkey completely.
Can I Defrost Turkey in a Refrigerator?
We can defrost a whole frozen turkey inside the refrigerator. You have to choose the best counter refrigerators among all to get the best results. The frozen turkey will take time to be fully defrosted in the refrigerator, but the results will be the best as a result. It will give you the most epic tender taste.
You should use large trays to put the turkey in the refrigerator. Also, remove all the wrappings and packaging of the frozen turkey. Keep checking for the defrosting juices from the frozen turkey and remove them from time to time.
Can I Defrost Turkey in a Microwave?
Using a microwave for defrosting a frozen turkey is a very convenient thing to do. You have to use the best microwaves to get awesome results. All you have to do is to give the frozen turkey some rounds in the microwave. Don’t keep the turkey inside the microwave for more than 6 minutes. This is because the microwave starts to cook the turkey instead.
The frozen turkey won’t thaw completely inside the microwave. Keep pocking a fork in the hard and thick parts of the turkey to check for any remaining frozen bits. If there are any, give the turkey another round in the microwave. Also, give the turkey a rest of 5 minutes after each round. In this way, you can defrost the turkey in the microwave.
Can I Defrost Turkey in Water?
The fastest way to defrost the turkey, as we discussed earlier, is to keep the frozen turkey in cold water for 5 to 6 hours. The frozen turkey will thaw completely in the cold water. Although the turkey will take less time to defrost in water, great care is needed in this case.
After each hour, you have to change the cold water to remove all the contaminants that the frozen turkey releases. Thus, you will get a defrosted turkey after 6 hours. Cook the thawed turkey right away, or keep it in the refrigerator until you cook it.
Sources
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