Food & Drink

how long should a turkey thaw?

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  • Jan 15th, 2019 7:25 pm
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Jun 27, 2017
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how long should a turkey thaw?

A little early, but pre-planning, how long should a 10kg frozen bird thaw?
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Dec 14, 2011
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four full days. maybe faster if you are going to brine it.
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Dec 27, 2009
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In the fridge it will take a long time (several days). If you cheat like me and do it in a sink with water - much less (and nobody has ever gotten sick from eating my turkey before someone chimes in).
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Aug 16, 2009
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Chickinvic wrote: In the fridge it will take a long time (several days). If you cheat like me and do it in a sink with water - much less (and nobody has ever gotten sick from eating my turkey before someone chimes in).
What's your method in the sink? cold water for a few hours?
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michiebaby wrote: What's your method in the sink? cold water for a few hours?
Cold water overnight usually (I would probably put it in in the early evening and do it overnight). Sometimes I start the thaw in the fridge for a day or so first, but it is still pretty frozen after only a day in the fridge.
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May 2, 2009
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Chickinvic wrote: In the fridge it will take a long time (several days). If you cheat like me and do it in a sink with water - much less (and nobody has ever gotten sick from eating my turkey before someone chimes in).
I do the same.
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Jan 2, 2015
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10kg is pretty big. I would leave it in the fridge for 4-5 days or sink in cold water for a day, but keep changing the water, then a day in fridge.
On a 'smart' device that isn't always so smart. So please forgive the autocorrects and typos. If it bothers you, then don't read my posts, but don't waste my time correcting me. If you can get past the typos, then my posts generally have some value.
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Dec 26, 2007
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BetCrooks wrote: Good answers. For others with differing weights of birds, you can use the butterball calculator at https://www.butterball.ca/en/tools

And, for any other turkey-related questions, you can call the butterball hotline (1-800-BUTTERBALL), which will forever remind me of...

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Mar 31, 2008
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For a 7 kg turkey, takes about 3-4 days in the fridge, so I imagine a 10kg turky would take at least 5 to 6 days in the fridge. Best to buy frozen a week before than thaw in the fridge. Otherwise, the sink method as described above.
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Jun 27, 2017
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Any concern about bacteria using the sink method? My general rule of thumb is to not leave any meat outside of refrigeration. I've generally always bought the cook from frozen varieties, but they were not included in the deal from Loblaws.
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Nov 15, 2008
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topshot wrote: Any concern about bacteria using the sink method? My general rule of thumb is to not leave any meat outside of refrigeration. I've generally always bought the cook from frozen varieties, but they were not included in the deal from Loblaws.
Well of course, freshly wash your sink first with a disinfectant. When you use the water method the water stays fridge-cold because the turkey is like a giant ice cube. If you use the fridge method I figure some of the defrosted turkey has been at fridge temps for 4 or so days while in the sink everything happens in hours. I actually think the sink method is safer.
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for close to 20lb I thaw in fridge for 6 days. If you think about it, you have a leeway of 3 days even if it completely thaws out in the fridge before it goes bad. 6 days is fairly safe for a large turkey. I find after 6 days there is still some ice in the cavity but not a lot of it.

For brine I would suggest a dry brine - you get the full taste of the turkey and it's equally if not more moist than a wet brine, and without the mess. Butterfly the thawed turkey and dry brined and now it'll come out very moist and it'll cook in a fraction of the normal time if you hadn't butterflied it.

As for turkey recipes try Gordan Ramsey's xmas turkey. You'll never go back after that.
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bonterra wrote: The Gordon Ramsey recipe looks very good. This is the weirdest turkey recipe I have ever come across:

39 Ingredient Black Lacquered Turkey.

https://www.marthastewart.com/348453/bl ... red-turkey
the reviews aren't good but I suspect people are just put off by the burnt appearance and by the number 39 of something. Try the Gordon ramsey recipe and you have to make the sauce otherwise it wont be extraordinary. So easy to make too and a hit every time I make it.
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I invested in a large Rubbermaid container for storage. Just large enough for a 10kg turkey with water for defrosting, and the top cover can be used to carry the turkey between the fridge and the oven in the case of dry brining.

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