How Do You Know When a Turkey Is Defrosted?

How Do You Know When a Turkey Is Defrosted?

This is my first attempt at baking a turkey. Silly question here. How does one know when the bird is defrosted?

Thanks!
~Wendola~ from Highland, MI

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RE: How Do You Know When a Turkey Is Defrosted?

Stick your hand in it. I know, it sounds gross, but if you stick your hand inside the body cavity and feel for cold. (11/22/2006)

RE: How Do You Know When a Turkey Is Defrosted?

Make sure that you have removed the neck (usually in the body cavity and the giblets (in the smaller cavity at the other end.) These will keep the turkey from defrosting quickly. It will need to be a certain amount defrosted to get these out. (It's a rooky move to bake the turkey without taking these out. It happens so make sure you take them out.)

I usually put the turkey into cold water in a clean sink until I can remove them. Like the others say, the turkey will feel soft and movable when it is totally thawed. If it is still hard, you might want to keep it in the sink until it is defrosted. The cold water will keep bacteria from growing. Make sure you use "cold" water. Once it is defrosted, dry it and put it back in the fridge until you want to start baking it. It does take a while for a turkey to defrost so make sure it is already defrosting.

Susan from ThriftyFun (11/22/2006)

By ThriftyFun

RE: How Do You Know When a Turkey Is Defrosted?

I always defrost my turkey in a cooler full of cold water. I leave the cooler in the bathtub so that we can easily change the water. I put my 22 lb turkey in last night. DH changed the water tonight. Tomorrow around noon it should be defrosted for cooking. If I cannot get the neck and giblets out of the cavity I'll know it's not defrosted. Good luck! (11/22/2006)

By Tricia