[Sca-cooks] Re: Turkey defrosting

[Ruth Tannahill]

Defrosting a turkey in cold water (40 degrees or less) works. I would not
use running water, because the water coming out of the tap is higher than 40
degrees.

When I defrost turkeys or large chunks of meat or vacuum sealed bags of
frozen food, I place them in water chilled to 40 degrees or less in the
refrigerator or with ice. I use a 5 gallon food-safe bucket or a stockpot,
and put the works in the fridge. Or, if I'm at a camping event, I use fill a
well insulated, fairly new cooler (without digs or scratches in the plastic
lining) and keep the water below 40 degrees with ice. It is important that
the cooler not have a drain hole. The idea is that the cooler, bucket or pot
does not have crevices which could harbor bacteria.

Food defrosted in water less than 40 degrees is no less safe than defrosting
the food in the refrigerator. And you don't need to keep the water running
(impossible really, in the fridge), as long as it's cold enough.

Food defrosts faster in water than it does in the air of the refrigerator.
If it takes 5 days to a week to defrost a 20 pound turkey in the
refrigerator, it would take 7-12 hours in 40 degree water. This happens
because water is a better conductor of heat than air. Which is why you get
colder faster in 50 degree water than you do in 50 degree air.

Berelinde