Thawed turkey - HELP!!

[melbie4182]

put my turkey in the sink with water to thaw overnight, but the water drained out of the
sink at some point over the night, now i'm concearned about the safety of the bird. it
could have sat in the sink with no water for 5-6 hours. still felt cold, but not sure what
to do.

 

[Wyogal]

you know, I've done that before, had a thawed turkey w'out cold water. I cooked it, being sure to bring it up to temp. Does it still have ice crystals inside?

 

[Selkie]

Yeah, Wyogal is right. That happens to a lot of us. Just check the interior and see if it's still cold inside, then rinse the whole thing with cold water, oil it and bake. Finish it uncovered for the last 30 minutes. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[melbie4182]

yes there was still ice on the inside.

 

[melbie4182]

thanks so much for the help! I get anxious about meat safety...

 

[Michael in FtW]

I agree - I would just cook it to temp (like you should anyway) and it should be just fine. Over night and sitting out on the counter all day are not exactly the same thing. I've never had a problem when this has happened to me in the past.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

As long as the meat hasn't gone rancid, and overnight from frozen to thawed isn't enough time for it to go bad, then meat temperature is going to take care of any microbial nasties that may multiply within the meat. and chances are, they will still be minute. Remember that for the dish, Peking Duck, the bird is hung at room temperature for many, many hours, with a honey mixture painted onto the skin and let dry multiple times before cooking. And no one gets sick from it as the bird is cooked to a high enough temperature to kill any critters. And deer is hung in a 45' or so location for days before butchering. Your bird will be Ok.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Janet H]

To be extra sure - I would avoid stuffing the bird. Cook stuffing separately. It's easier to be really sure about internal cooking if the bird is hollow.