How to Thaw Ground Turkey

Ground turkey can be purchased either packed in a tube or on a plastic-wrapped meat tray. Like most ground meats, turkey freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for up to six months. In order to be safe and prevent bacterial growth, the frozen ground turkey should be thawed by a method approved of by the FDA. It should not be thawed by allowing the ground turkey to sit on the counter at room temperature.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Refrigerator Zipper-type freezer bag Water Microwave Ice chest

1. Place the frozen ground turkey on a plate or in a bowl in the refrigerator overnight. This is the recommended way of thawing any meat according to the FDA, as the gradual defrosting will help maintain the meat quality.

2. Place the frozen turkey package in a large zipper-type freezer bag and place in a sink filled with cold water. The ground turkey should thaw in about one hour.

3. Remove any metal from the frozen ground turkey packaging. Microwave on a plate or in a bowl using the microwave's defrost setting. Start with three minutes, let the meat rest for one minute and repeat, if necessary, until the ground turkey is thawed.

4. Place the frozen ground turkey in an ice chest filled with ice. The turkey should thaw in 12 hours or overnight.

Tips & Warnings

• Ground turkey can be substituted for ground beef in most recipes. Be sure and read the label if purchasing ground turkey as part of a healthy diet. Not all ground turkey has less fat than lean ground beef. Always keep thawed ground turkey in the refrigerator until time to cook. Thawed ground turkey will keep in the refrigerator for two to four days.

References

• FDA Consumer: On the home front
• Storing Designer and Convenience Foods

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