- With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it might already be time to start thawing your turkey.
- The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends three safe methods for thawing a turkey: refrigerator thawing, cold water thawing, and microwave thawing.
- Refrigerator thawing takes about one day for every 4-5 pounds of turkey. That means a 12-16 pound turkey should be moved right now. If it's more than 24 pounds, it might already be too late.
- Cold water thawing is much faster, taking about 30 minutes per pound of turkey. But it's important to change the water every 30 minutes.
- Turkeys can also be defrosted in the microwave right before cooking.
- Forget to thaw your bird? It can still be cooked from frozen - but expect it to take at least 50% longer to cook.