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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Next week, millions of Americans will gather around the dinner table and feast on a banquet of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and more.
Of course, the main star of the show is the turkey, which can be a tricky one to get right. So, when should you start thawing your turkey to have it ready for Thanksgiving dinner?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it depends on how big your bird is.
The USDA says refrigerator thawing your frozen turkey is the best and safest method as it allows the turkey to thaw out at a consistent and safe temperature. But refrigerator thawing takes time. The USDA suggests allowing one day for each four to five pounds of weight. For example, if your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw.
This means you’ll want to get your turkey from your freezer to your fridge on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Once your turkey is thawed in the refrigerator, it is still safe to eat for another two days, so you could start refrigerator thawing as early as Friday.
Don’t have room in the fridge? The USDA recommends two other ways to thaw the turkey, but both require you to start cooking the turkey as soon as it’s thawed out.
The first is the cold water method. Simply leave the turkey in its original wrapping and submerge it in a sink or container full of cold water. USDA said the water must be cold in order to keep the turkey at a safe temperature. You should also change out the water every 30 minutes to ensure the water stays cold.
If you’re using the cold water method, you should allow for 30 minutes of defrosting time per pound. So that 16-pound turkey? Give it eight hours to thaw out. If you can’t fit the entire turkey in the water, be sure to flip it several times throughout the process.
Alternatively, you defrost the turkey in the microwave, if your microwave is big enough to fit the turkey. The USDA said before putting the turkey in the microwave you’ll want to remove all outside wrapping and put it on a microwave-safe dish, then use the defrost function.
The USDA said as a general rule, microwaving defrosting takes about six minutes per pound but you should consult your microwave’s owner’s manual for specifics. If the turkey starts cooking in the microwave instead of defrosting, stop the process and let the turkey rest for about five minutes before continuing, according to USDA.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said you should avoid thawing out your turkey in an open-air space, such as on the counter, in the garage, or on the back porch. You should also avoid thawing the turkey out in a brown paper bag, plastic garbage bag, or the dishwasher. These methods can create an unsafe thawing and allow for bacteria to grow.
However, you can still cook your turkey frozen, but the USDA said that will take at least 50 percent longer to cook when fully frozen.