Renthead Mommy Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 The Squadron Thankgiving luncheon is Friday. My husband is bringing home a frozen 12 pound turkey. How do I get it thawed in time to cook it Friday morning? Will put it into brine thaw it fast enough? If I stick it into a cooler how much salt do I use? I have never brined a turkey before, and I've always had plenty of defrost time. And here's the real irony, I'm not even cooking a thanksgiving dinner for us this year! I finally joined the dark side and ordered an entire dinner for us this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 Help! He just walked in and it's not a 12 pound turkey, it's a FROZEN SOLID 20 POUND TURKEY!!! It is currently still in it's packaging sitting in cold water in the muck sink. Can I leave it in the sink all night? Is that a bad idea? Do I put it in the fridge overnight? Will it be thawed enough to brine tomorrow if I let it soak till tonight? Should I put it into a cooler on the back porch? (We are hitting around 28 degrees at night.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Sitting in cool water overnight is fine. It won't thaw outside since 28 degrees is below freezing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Sitting in cool water overnight is fine. It won't thaw outside since 28 degrees is below freezing. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I'd just put it in a sink full of water. Usually I change the water every 30-45 minutes (per Butterball ;)), but my turkeys are smaller. It usually takes about 5 hours or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 I'd just put it in a sink full of water. Usually I change the water every 30-45 minutes (per Butterball ;)), but my turkeys are smaller. It usually takes about 5 hours or so. Can anyone explain WHY the recommendation is to change the water every 30 minutes? The water isn't going to get warm with a frozen turkey in it, at least not until the end of the thaw time. I never understood that. If it's a bacteria issue, wouldn't you need to sanitize the sink between each fill, and dry the water off the turkey was time you change the water? I never understood this- enlighten me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Accidentally leave it on the pantry floor. :tongue_smilie: (ask me how I know) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Occasionally Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Can anyone explain WHY the recommendation is to change the water every 30 minutes? The water isn't going to get warm with a frozen turkey in it, at least not until the end of the thaw time. I never understood that. If it's a bacteria issue, wouldn't you need to sanitize the sink between each fill, and dry the water off the turkey was time you change the water? I never understood this- enlighten me! I'm not sure if this is the reason, but it seems to me that the water will get COLD from the frozen turkey, not warm. Changing the water will actually warm it a bit, and speed thawing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracesteacher Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 per butterball website How long will it take to thaw my turkey? We recommend thawing your turkey in the refrigerator in its original wrapping. Place it on a shallow tray on the bottom shelf and allow 1 day for every 4 pounds of turkey. If you don’t have time to thaw in the refrigerator, use the cold water method – completely submerge the turkey, breast side down, in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes to hasten thawing and allow about 30 minutes per pound of turkey. Some general thawing time guidelines are as follows: Size (lb.) Refrigerator (days.) Cold Water (hrs.) 8 to 12 2 to 3 4 to 6 12 to 16 3 to 4 6 to 8 16 to 20 4 to 5 8 to 10 20 to 24 5 to 6 10 to 12 24 to 30 6 to 7 12 to 15 Get some tips from our turkey experts. Check out our Holiday Planning Guide and discover How to Thaw a turkey properly or watch our Thawing Video Demonstration for step-by-step instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 Holy moly that's a lotta hassle they are suggesting. I'd just stick it in a bathtub or sink. It will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 I thaw mine in a 5G bucket in the bathtub. Put the water on drip to keep it convecting. Or just go in once in a while and turn the faucet on high for a few min :). We brine the night before. We love Alton Brown's recipe minus the cinnamon sticks. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html You'll need to bring it to a boil and then let it get refrigerator cold, so plan accordingly! I'd 1-1/2 it for a 20 lb turkey. Then I brine in my 5G bucket lined with an XXL ziplock bag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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