SPOKANE, Wash. — If you have not started defrosting your turkey for Thanksgiving, it is not too late, but it is time to consider your options.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are multiple ways to safely prepare your turkey for the family.
Before defrosting your turkey it is important to keep it frozen in an environment where you can closely monitor the temperate. Keep it in a freezer at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
They urge families that when they first purchase their turkey to not keep it in the back seat of your car. It can go bad in just a few hours!
One way to defrost your turkey is by putting it in the fridge. If you do this, plan ahead! It takes 24 hours for every 4-5 pounds to fully defrost. So if you got a big turkey, you will need several days!
Now, once that turkey is defrosted, it can stay in the fridge for up to two days.
If you don’t have enough time for it to defrost in the fridge, a quicker way is by soaking it in cold water. Make sure that you first put it in a waterproof bag so that it does not get soggy.
Keep your turkey in cold water for about 30 minutes per pound. Then every 30 minutes, change the water!
Now if you waited till the last minute, don’t worry! The quickest way that the CDC mentions defrosting your turkey is probably to microwave it. You will need to check the microwave manufacturer for safe instructions on how to do so.
If you do use any method other than refrigeration to defrost your turkey, be sure to cook it right away once fully defrosted otherwise it will likely go bad.
It is also important to never leave your turkey out on the counter to defrost. It can go bad in just a few hours!
For more information on how to safely defrost your turkey before the family arrives, go to the CDC website.
Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
