I have two days to thaw a 16 pound turkey; Can I start thawing it in cold water, and do the rest in the fridge?
The calculator here:
http://www.butterball.com/how-tos/thaw-a-turkey
says I need about four days of thawing, and I only have two. Can I cold water thaw it at the start, and let the rest thaw in the fridge?
Best Answer
It's fine to thaw for a few (or several) hours under cold water and then put it in the refrigerator. Just keep the water cold and refrigerate immediately upon removing the turkey from the water. The USDA and Butterball are being extremely overly conservative, most likely because a lot of people are really bad at following instructions. Cold water good - warm water not good
As a matter of fact, defrosting under slowly running cold water for several hours now, and refrigerating until time to cook is exactly what I would do.
I happen to live in a part of the world where I can be guilt-free about slowly running cold water for hours. There is no such thing as a water shortage here, the melting glaciers are extraordinarily huge. Thawing a turkey that way in some parts of the world (and even here in the US) would be an environmentally unsound way to do it. So in those parts of the world, be sure to buy frozen turkeys several days in advance so there is plenty of time to defrost in the refrigerator.
Pictures about "I have two days to thaw a 16 pound turkey; Can I start thawing it in cold water, and do the rest in the fridge?"
Quick Answer about "I have two days to thaw a 16 pound turkey; Can I start thawing it in cold water, and do the rest in the fridge?"
The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. This is the safest method because the turkey will thaw at a consistent, safe temperature. This method takes some time, so allow one day for each 4 - 5 pounds of weight. If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw.Can I thaw a turkey in cold water then put it back in the fridge?
It is safe to cook turkey thawed in cold water then put back in the fridge.Can you thaw a turkey in 2 days?
You can hold the thawed turkey in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking.How do you defrost a 16-pound frozen turkey?
Thaw it in the fridge. Place it breast side up (the plumpest area in between the wings) and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. When thawing a turkey in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours of defrosting time for every 4 to 5 pounds of bird, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.How long does it take to thaw a 16-pound turkey in water?
We recommended thawing a 4- to 12-pound turkey in cold water for 2 to 6 hours, a 12- to 16-pound turkey for 6 to 8 hours, or a 20- to 24-pound turkey for 10 to 12 hours. Estimate about 30 minutes per pound of turkey to thaw in the sink.How long does it take to thaw a 20 pound turkey in the refrigerator?
More answers regarding i have two days to thaw a 16 pound turkey; Can I start thawing it in cold water, and do the rest in the fridge?
Answer 2
My gut feel is you could go 1/2 way in water (4 hours) then finish in the fridge.
Or go the whole 8 hours in water and refrigerate.
According to a link in the first comment should cook immediately after water thawing. In that case just reverse and start thawing in the refrigerator.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Tatiana Syrikova, Tatiana Syrikova, Pixabay