A memorable turkey from a past Thanksgiving.
We didn’t buy a turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Seeing as how prices are up and supplies are allegedly short (though there are plenty of birds, both generic and fancy, in our stores in upstate New York) we decided to defrost a bird we’ve been hoarding since before the pandemic. We switched it from freezer to fridge last Friday; if you’re planning to cook a frozen bird and it is still frozen you better get started right away. (We’re not food safety experts and not making a recommendation, but it seems like common sense that you can start the defrost process on the counter to speed it up, and transfer to the fridge once the outside reaches 39 degrees, the temp inside your refrigerator.)
In the spirit of using up stuff, we’re going to recycle our old Thanksgiving posts rather than writing a new one this year—a clips post of clips posts, as it were. In 2020 we talked about cooking your first turkey, which we figured a lot of people would do rather than dining with relatives during the pandemic. (That might be a good idea this year as well, with numbers spiking once again.) In 2019 it was how to have a successful Thanksgiving by making other people do the work. In 2017 it was about reducing the stress that many people experience when faced with cooking a complex meal for lots of critical in-laws.
Click any of the links and you’ll find tips for brining and cooking the bird, stuffing it, and dealing with the buy/make your own cranberry sauce conundrum. (We fondly remember our cranberry sauce taste test way back in 2012.) And for God’s sake don’t forget the Durkee’s dressing which you’ll need for those Friday morning turkey sandwiches.
“… supplies are allegedly short (though there are plenty of birds, both generic and fancy, in our stores in upstate New York) we decided to defrost a bird we’ve been hoarding since before the pandemic…” Yeah… Shortage unnoticed here.
Not your kinda blog, (Frostbite Fingers?) but let us know how long it was in.
How’d it turn out?
I’ve lost things in my top freezer refrigerator. My sister excavates her chest freezer occasionally. One turkey mummified last year, or was it a ham? The wildlife liked it….
My steaks last for a year or so… Always good, but fresh is better. IMO.
We have an upright freezer that lost its electronics at the height of the pandemic, and of course it was impossible to get parts or a technician, so we went to Lowe’s and bought a cheap chest freezer about 1/2 the capacity. No idea what’s in there until you start excavating. We have gone through a 14 pound brisket at the very bottom and now this turkey is out. It appeared to be solid frozen so I don’t expect it to be problematic, but will certainly report back if it is. Goes into the brine tomorrow (Wednesday).
My MO has always been to thaw the turkey in the brine with a bag of ice.
Whoa. And how long does it sit in that brine?
24 hrs