Food safety is important to review as you plan your holiday meal. Do you know the two safe ways to thaw your turkey?
Refrigerator Thawing
- Thaw turkey breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge (40 degrees F or below).
- Allow at least one day of thawing for every 4 lbs of turkey.
- Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray.
- Use turkey within four days after thawing.
Cold Water Thawing
- Thaw turkey breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely.
- Change water every 30 minutes and if turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled.
- You can expect 30 minutes of thawing per pound of turkey.
Refrigerator thawing is preferred and the least labor-intensive but requires more time.