November 24, 2020

Let’s Talk Turkey Tuesday!
By now, if you’re planning to cook Thanksgiving dinner you should be thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. Remember – size matters (when it comes to thawing in a refrigerator). Rule of thumb is to thaw 1 day for every 4 pounds. So, if you have a 20 pound turkey, you likely need it in the refrigerator for 5 days to be fully thawed. It’s safe to hold a thawed turkey in refrigeration for 4 days before it needs to be cooked. Just be sure to keep it in the original wrapping until you’re ready to cook.

If you don’t have much fridge space and have time to be hands-on, there is a cold water thawing process that you can do in a day. Breast side down, in the wrapping, you completely submerge the turkey in a basin of cold water. You must change the water every 30 minutes and make sure it stays submerged because thawing at room temperature is not safe. You’ll need at least 30 minutes per pound with this method.

If you’re not up for the doing the math, the Butterball website has a calculator to help you out! Now that’s what I call the EASY BUTTON! https://www.butterball.com/how-to/thaw-a-turkey