Turkey is the typical center piece for a Thanksgiving Feast, but is an economical way of feeding a larger number of people anytime of the year. Being able to clean and cook a turkey to perfection can be a simple process, but it cannot be rushed. Here are the basic steps to thaw your turkey if you purchase a frozen one from the grocery store.

Thawing a Turkey

Unless you purchase a fresh turkey from a local farm chances are you will be purchasing a frozen turkey. Like many people, you have to purchase your turkey early from your local stores like Meijer or Walmart to get the best price available.

The week prior to the week of Thanksgiving is the often the best time of the year to stock up on turkey. The prices vary from different producers, but often you can find turkey for around $0.65 per pound. The normal price can vary from $1.59 a pound up to $4.00 a pound for a whole turkey. Turkey breast are more expensive price per pound and do not often fall below a dollar. Look for advertised “early bird” specials being run at your local grocery stores to find the best price or on-line coupon sites. If you live in an area with low population density make sure to purchase your turkey early since stores only order a limited number.

The size of turkey will determine the required thaw time needed:

A large turkey (18-20 lb) will require 4-5 days for thawing in the refrigerator.
A medium turkey (14-18 lb) will require 3-4 days of thawing.
A smaller turkey (8-14 lb) will require 2-3 days.

Place your turkey breast side up in the middle part of the refrigerator on a tray. Remove all other items from the shelf where you will be keeping your turkey. This will promote proper thawing.

Keep your turkey wrapped while it is thawing. The tray will help to catch any liquid that may thaw and drain out of the packaging.

Once your turkey is thawed, you will need to remove it from the refrigerator and clean it with cold water. This will also finalize the thawing process by running cold water through the body cavity of the turkey (never use warm or hot water as this may promote the growth of harmful bacteria). Make sure when you clean your turkey remove both bags from the cavity of the bird. One is located in the neck opening (typically has the neck and a few other organs) and one will be in the main cavity (typically contains the heart, liver, and other internal organs).

Thawing a turkey takes time and the process cannot be rushed to avoid harmful bacteria. If you find that your turkey is not completely thawed on your day of preparation don’t worry. You will bake the turkey in the oven as normal, but you may need to add a little time to ensure the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Never try to deep fry a frozen turkey!!! Internal pockets of frozen water and juices will melt and create a dangerous situation when they rapidly boil and splatter hot oil out of the fryer catching the fryer on fire. Thaw your turkey completely before frying.

Enjoy your turkey! Do you have any tips on how to thaw a turkey? How do you normally prepare a turkey. Our readers would like to hear from you; feel free to post questions or comments.