Yes, it's time for that annual reminder of when to get your bird ready to cook.

Most, if not all of us have a tendency to bring that bird home from the store, throw it in the freezer, and then say "uh-oh!" on the day before Thanksgiving. I'm here with a reminder on how to get the best results.

First off, the USDA, who know better than anyone else about food safety, says the best way to thaw a bird is gradually by moving it from the freezer to the refrigerator. Now that is settled, let's move on to WHEN you should start defrosting.

The basic rule of thumb is one day for every 4-5 pounds of bird. Let's make this even easier with a simple bullet list.

*1 day for a 4-5 pound turkey (start defrosting Wednesday/Thanksgiving Eve morning)

*2 days for a 6-10 pound turkey (start defrosting Tuesday morning)

*3 days for an 11-15 pound turkey (start defrosting on Monday morning)

*4 days for a 16-20 pound turkey (start defrosting this Sunday morning)

*5 days for a 21-25 pound turkey (start defrosting this Saturday)

*If you have a turkey much larger than that, you might want to call authorities because you have a freak of nature on your hands.

There are other ways to thaw a bird, but they are not as efficient and often do not yield the best results. You can even cook your turkey from a frozen state, but it will take forever to be done.

Okay, now be a grown up and put a reminder on your phone or fridge as soon as you can. Enjoy your bird!

 

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