I thought my turkey was fresh. Why does it feel frozen?
Fresh turkeys will sometimes feel hard on the outside because they are
chilled to 28 degrees for safe shipping. Only the outer part of the turkey
should be hard, not the entire turkey. Frozen turkeys are stored at 0
degrees. Fresh turkeys are never frozen.
Plan ahead—thaw your turkey 1 to 3 days before cooking.
Keep the turkey in its original packaging and thaw in cold water in your kitchen sink.
Never let the turkey get warm—do not thaw overnight or leave it unattended.
Change the cold water every 30 minutes to maintain a safe temperature.
The turkey is thawed when the bag feels soft:
For a fresh turkey that feels hard, thaw for 1 to 4 hours.
For a fully frozen turkey, allow 30 minutes per pound.
Once thawed, store in the refrigerator in its original packaging until ready to cook.
Do NOT thaw in the microwave.
Thawing a Fresh Turkey That Feels Hard Using Cold Water
8 - 16 Pounds
1 - 2 Hours
16 - 25 Pounds
1 - 4 Hours
25+ Pounds
2 - 4 Hours
Thawing a Fully Frozen Turkey Using Cold Water
8 - 12 Pounds
4 - 6 Hours
12 - 16 Pounds
6 - 8 Hours
16 - 20 Pounds
8 - 10 Hours
20 - 24 Pounds
10 - 12 Hours
Thawing a Turkey in the Refrigerator
Because the bags
are so thick, a turkey may not thaw enough in the refrigerator. Check and
use the cold-water method if this happens.
