http://www.democraticunderground.com/115717189Oh my.
rhett o rick (23,034 posts) Wed Nov 21, 2012, 02:03 PM
What is an acceptable way to thaw a turkey if you dont have room in the refrigerator?
eShirl (11,353 posts) Wed Nov 21, 2012, 02:39 PM
1. from Butterball:
http://www.butterball.com/tips-how-tos/how-tos/thaw
"Cold-Water Thawing:
Thaw breast side down, in unopened wrapper, in enough cold water to cover it completely.
Change the water frequently to keep the turkey chilled.
Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per pound for a whole turkey."
Warpy (65,732 posts) Wed Nov 21, 2012, 04:09 PM
2. 5 gallon bucket of ice water
You can get the bucket at a home store, they're commercial floor washing buckets and they're clean and work just fine. Leave the turkey wrapped. Dip out water and replenish the ice when it's gone. Keep it covered to keep the cold in, I've used foil and a sleeping bag on top.
My New England house tended to be on the cold side, so ice would take about 6-7 hours to melt completely. If you have a garage, that would work, too. Just keep it closed against wildlife.
^^^needs no identification.
rhett o rick (23,034 posts) Wed Nov 21, 2012, 05:58 PM
4. It's a 23 lb turkey. Dont think there would be much water with it in a 5 gallon.
But I get the idea. I have a cooler.
grasswire (35,942 posts) Wed Nov 21, 2012, 06:21 PM
5. be sure to line your cooler with a heavy trash bag......
...because you don't want turkey juice in your cooler. Even if you keep the turkey in its wrapper; sometimes those wrappers leak.
^^^franksolich's dark horse, or favorite son, candidate for Top DUmmie of 2012.
Anyway, first things first.
There's a reason primitives don't have room in their refrigerators to thaw a turkey.
Primitives are packrats, hoarders, and they got their refrigerators jammed full of old food that's no longer any good, but they
just can't part with it.
If the primitives did like franksolich, and kept only usable food in their refrigerators, the primitives would have plenty of room in there to thaw out even half a bison, much less a turkey.
Now, admittedly, franksolich has a refrigerator meant to be in the kitchen of a restaurant or hospital or some large institution, with lots and lots of room, but still, if it's not usable food, franksolich doesn't want it in there.
This Thanksgiving past, the neighbor's wife brought over a 24-pound turkey and a 14-pound turkey. The turkeys are cooked here, because despite her own state-of-the-art (circa 2002) large kitchen, it's easier to cook them here, and then take them to her house when they're done.
There was room enough in the refrigerator for a whole flock of frozen turkeys, but I thawed them out by the simple expedient of putting them on a table on the back porch, as the weather was just right for it.
