DO leave frozen meat in its original packaging or put it in a leak-proof plastic bag to defrost. (You should remove the absorbent pad before freezing.)
DON’T defrost frozen meat in warm or hot water. Thawing meat must remain at 40 degrees or below; otherwise, it becomes a bacterial breeding ground.
DO defrost in the refrigerator. Place the unopened, frozen package or bag in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. It takes one day in the refrigerator to defrost five pounds of turkey.
DON’T leave frozen meat on the counter or in the sink to defrost. Seriously. Ever. Bacteria can multiply when the surface of the meat hits 40 degrees -- long before the middle is thawed.
DO defrost in cold water. (It’s the fastest, safest method because water is a better conductor of heat than air.) Seal frozen meat in a zip-top bag and submerge in a container or sink full of cold water. Replace the water every 30 minutes until meat is thawed, or set the container in the refrigerator. A 16-pound turkey will defrost in about 9 hours.
DON’T refreeze meat that has been defrosted or else it’ll taste like meat that has defrosted, refrozen, and defrosted again.
DO use the microwave if you have a defrost setting (but expect some parts to be overcooked and/or have a rubbery texture). Use the low setting and rotate the meat every three minutes.
DON’T put microwave-defrosted, uncooked meat back in the refrigerator. Microwaves can partially cook the surface of defrosting meat, which increases the likelihood of bacterial growth if it isn’t fully cooked immediately after defrosting.
-- Colleen Rush
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