How long do you thaw out your turkey

Marychaille

We have a 23 lb. turkey and I took it out this past Thursday night to start thawing out.  I had a Thanksgiving one year that the turkey wasn't thawed out enough and it tore up my (freezing) hands trying to clean it out!  Do you think 6 days is good or to long?  I'd call my mom and ask her but she's on a conference call and I don't want to talk to my "evil step-dad"!

 TIA!
 

jen8/9/03

I've heard 24 hours for each 5 pounds of turkey.  That said, I've also forgotten to thaw it in time and sped it up by thawing in sink with cool water. 

 

We bought a fresh turkey this year so it's in fridge.

stacynikki

I was just about to post the same thing!!!  I bought a 23 lb turkey yesterday and left it in my sink for a couple of hours then put it in my fridge.  But I know it won't thaw out in my refridgerator.  I think I'll leave it out all day Wednesday and then I'll brine it overnight.  But I'm curious to see what others say since I've never bought a frozen turkey.  They just didn't have any big fresh turkeys.

tanzer13

The butterball Turkey people say 1 day of thawing in the fridge for every 4 lbs of turkey. ?So for 23 lbs that would be just under 6 days right?? ?So you should be set. ?I have never done it that way since we always get a fresh turkey from a local place, but that is what the turkey geniuses at butterball say!!

HTH!

:-)?

Marychaille

I've only had a fresh turkey once when I was a teenager.  We brought it home from the turkey farm and it was STILL WARM!  I'm a carnivore, don't get me wrong, but that creeped me out!  LOL  Anyway, thanks ladies!  I guess I'm on track!

kylara111

We always get smaller turkeys (think ours is 14 lbs.) and I put it in the fridge on Sunday and its still usually frozen solid on Wed.  Wed. I take it out of the fridge for a few hours to thaw more and once it softens up, I put it back in the fridge.  It's not what "they" say to do, but it works and we haven't died yet.  ;-)