Kitchen

[Wacissakid]

Well, stupid me may have ruined the turkey.  My wife asked me to put the semi-frozen turkey in the sink and fill it with water.  I assumed she meant hot water.  Wrong.  She meant cold water.  It was in there aboout two hours when she came home and discovered it.  She's afraid it is now ruined.

Is it ruined or is it safe?  Can anyone give an opinion on this?  Can we still cook it tomorrow or should we go buy another turkey.  In case it matters, it was a 15 pound turkey.

[leeleeB]

I would say cook it tonight! It should be just fine 

[ECBG]

There's an 800 number for Butterball but personally, having taught Foods and Adv Foods, I wouldn't use it.

[ECBG]

To cook it tonight you'd be carving at 2am.

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much.  Thawing is always done in cold.

[IdahoGram]

I would call or Google the Butterball Hot Line with this question.  Calling with the explain   ation would probably be best.  Good Luck

[kittyloo]

is it still a little frozen inside. me personally, i would cook it. 

 i always thaw mine in the fridge for about 5 days. 

i like to live dangerously

[skittles2]

@Wacissakid

It's ok, you can still find turkey.

I would never chance that, I'm a RN, have seen too much...

the partially thawed areas, which  you said were before putting into hot water, are not safe from the hot water, - the partially thawed areas were beginning to cook from the hot water, and being in the water for for that time is well beyond a fully cooked safe time period, so uncooked partially thawed sitting around is multiplying the ecoli that is already present in all animal protein and plants from the soil.

It may taste ok, because you don't taste ecoli,  but you don't want to be sick or cause anyone else, especially children or eldery to be hospitalized.

Go buy another, get  a ( or a few) whole fresh breasts if no fresh whole trukeys are available, even spilt breasts, just buy as many as you need, they cook quickly. 

Good luck

------------

11/22

Adding-

Tuesday I purchased spilt breasts from Wegmans, I finished my shopping, was there for 1 1/2 hours AFTER I put the turkey in my cart.  I really had no idea I was at Wegmans that long until I perused my receipt upon returning home.

  I knew at once the turkey was now a bacteria-laden problem.  I had to discard the breasts, return to Wegmans and buy 2 more spilt breasts. I didn't want to lose the money...

BUT... I for sure didn't want to kill someone either.

Wegmans had plenty in stock of honey brined splits, or vacuumed sealed, both will only take about an hour to cook.

It will work out

Happy Thanksgiving

[RedTop]

You only ruined it in terms of the fact that once you start thawing in water, the turkey cannot be refrigerated for cooking later.   It needs to be cooked soon.

[Flashgordon22]

The turkey is fine. Just continue to defrost in the cold water changing the water every so often. Some people defrost in hot water not cold anyway. Next time take it ouy yje freezer a couple days ahead and put in fridge to defrost.

[stevieb]

And... a website on the WRONG ways to defrost a turkey says...

To thaw the turkey, submerge the bag in cold tap water — never use warm or hot water, as that can cause the outer layer of the food to heat up to a temperature where harmful bacteria begins to multiply. Change the water every 30 minutes, to ensure that it stays cold enough.

Personally, I wouldn't risk it...