I put a frozen turkey in my refrigerator on Sunday and on Friday it was still frozen. Everyone now days recommends that you thaw turkeys out in the refrigerator. Based on the weight the consensus was that it should have been thawed by Tuesday. Let me assure you on Friday it was still frozen. Agh! I planned to put in the electric roaster Friday at noon and serve it for dinner that night to guest. I was wasting gallons of water trying to thaw it out in the kitchen sink in time.
All my life growing up and most of my adult life turkey was thawed out on the kitchen counter. I am not sure what caused a changed and made the counter method no longer acceptable. I never remember anyone betting sick from Thanksgiving turkey or the stuffing inside it. We practiced good clean kitchen technique and food handling. It isn’t to say sickness was not possible, but we were careful and smart and it worked for us.
Whoever everyone is that recommends that refrigerator method, I have tried it now a couple of times and can tell you it isn’t working for me. I am going back to the kitchen counter and lots of common sense for my next turkey dinner.
Apparently the advice changed b/c of the litigious society we’ve become; when someone gets sick it HAS to be someone’s “fault”! I think also b/c we now have the FDA monitoring everything so closely (except when they obviously SHOULD be doing so & obviously are not, when there are dangerous outbreaks of various illnesses!) & they have given this advice to everyone. My mother thawed her turkeys overnight in the roaster & then we poured out the bloody juices before putting them in the oven. And you guessed it – on the counter or in the garage! And none of us ever got sick. I use my microwave to hasten thawing of various meats when I can but most are not large enough for a turkey! I agree with everyone about going back to the counter – I usually interchange hours on the counter with a few in the fridge in order to accomplish the task. My problem now with Gary’s transplant is, I have to be exceptionally careful with what he eats and how it is thawed (what might make me sick will kill him b/c of not having an immune system!). So perhaps fresh turkeys will be the route I will take in the future!
Fresh turkeys are a great option for you. I a definitely going back to grandma’s method the counter.
I’ve continued to thaw my turkey on the kitchen counter now for years…and I’m still alive!
I am going back to the kitchen counter too!