Could I take my 22.6lb turkey out of the freezer today and put it in the refrigerator?!
Answers: i am going to start cooking it wednesday night. and how do i make stuffing to put in the turkey?
i would definitely take it out today. let thaw in the frig and on Wednesday morning if not thawed, put in cold water to finish. as far a stuffing, (or filling, as we call it), here is my recipe. it is very simple, everyone always asks for me to make the stuffing. I get store brand, day old (Publix) large white bread. the # of loaves depends on how much you are going to make. i saute onions and celery (maybe 1 medium size onion and 2 stalks of celery per loaf). get a large mixing bowl. break the bread into the bowl and moisten with water. add the onions and celery. your bread should be pretty wet, not drippy, but definitely wet to the touch. mix together adding salt and pepper to taste. using butter as your cooking agent, brown the filling making sure you get all parts cooked. chop it up in the pan to make sure. it would be so much easier if i could actually be there to make it with you. if you have any questions, contact me via this forum. good luck
DANG! that is a big turkey!! LOL .. id say later on tonight or monday morning and put it in the fridge and then on wednesday evening put in the in sink in water to help it defrost the rest and it will do it faster then bak in the fridge till you need it and i wouldnt cook it wednesday id do it the thursday you can put it in in the morning and will be ready mby dinner time and be nice and fresh and make sure you baste it throught the day .. if you dont put stuffin the in turkey it will cook faster too and that is a big bird gurl lol.... well good luck..
Yes, you can put in fridge.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend stuffing the bird. Make the stuffing/dressing on the side. Whatever you do saute/cook your onion and celery in butter until it's tender. Using either croutons or cubed bread that has been toasted slightly in the oven, place in a bowl and put your cooked veggies in, stir. My family beat an egg with canned milk and add to this to make moister stuffing. Add poultry seasoning and sage. If making on the side, add drippings from the turkey, mix and bake in a baking pan for approx half an hour. If in the bird, don't add additional salt for you should salt your bird before baking anyway, fill the bird but DO NOT pack for the stuffing will expand
Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of Turkey to defrost in the refrigerator. There are several stuffing recipes on the web, just look them up and find one that looks good to you. The thing that is troublesome in your post is that you are going to start cooking it Wednesday night. That sound like you want to cook it at a low temp.This method is dangerous and involves cooking the turkey at 190 to 200°F overnight. Bad idea and a breading ground for bacteria. You should cook a Turkey at a temp no lower that 325 degrees. For more info on defrosting and cooking please look at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Let...
You are so screwed. It takes about a week to defrost a monster like that safely.
Not only could you, you should take it out today - you will probably have to put it in a sink of cold water on Wed. to finish thawing it.
This stuffs a 20 - 25 pound turkey with some left over to cook in the pan or seperately:
6 large loaves of cheap white sandwich bread
6 large eggs or larger
3 sticks of butter
2 medium onions - finely chopped
1 stalk/bunch of celery - finely chopped
3/4 large jar of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups boiling water or chicken broth - amount may vary depending on how dry the bread is.
Into a large container like the bottom of the turkey roasting pan or a large Rubber Maid storage bin - something with a lid - tear the bread into small pieces. Mix in egge, oinions, celery, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Slice butter over mixture and mix in. Pour boiling water over bread and cover with a clean towel and the container's lid. Let set 5 minutes. Mix. Add more liquid if you want a moister dressing. Stuff bird. Cook any remaining dressing in the pan with the bird adding during the last 45 minutes of cooking.
Yes,now is the time to set it in the 'fridge!=)
I'd recommend separating the bird and stuffing though..
Basics for dressing....day old bread crumbs or toasted..chicken broth to moisten,celery,onion,sage,eggs and I add,shredded carrots,& chopped walnuts to mine,sometimes adding meat as well,such as turkey or sausage,oysters etc..Good luck!
Yes, I would definitely take it out of the freezer now and put it in the fridge. That's one freakin' big bird! OMG I hope it's not Big Bird?! LOL
There are tons of different types of stuffings/dressings. Some with sausage or chestnuts or oysters or the traditional sage stuffing. Heck there's even corn bread stuffing! I suggest going on-line and finding one that appeals to you. Try The Food Network. But stuffing your bird will take longer to cook and you will want to make sure that you reach your temp so as not to make anyone sick with the possibility of salmonella. Make sure you have a cooking thermometer in either case. Remember to take your bird out before it reaches it's final temp and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes ans the turkey will continue to cook outside of the oven (yes the temp will go up).
Any questions call the Butterball Hotline or go on-line!
http://www.butterball.com/en/main_canvas...
Hey that turkey may not even be thawed by Wed. night. Good Luck.