Oh shit forgot to defrost the turkey!

[Humphriescushion]

I have a rolled and boned five kilo turkey and I forgot to take it out of the freezer till now! We are not eating till 4 so that is one thing but was going to put it in the oven at 11. Will it defrost in time? I have put it in the sink in cold water but I have to change the water every 30 mins so will have to put it in the fridge when I go to bed. Please tell me it will be ok?

Don't put it in the fridge, leave it on counter top. Have you got a meat thermometer to check the inside once it's been cooked?

You may want to plan having dinner a little later tomorrow!

If it makes you feel better, we ended up not having Christmas dinner until 10pm last year for the same reason

www.butterball.com/how-tos/thaw-a-turkey says it will take 5 hours with the cold water method, you have time.

Is that you Denise Royle?
I think it will be a close thing but not impossible, keep trying what you are doing & if it isn't fully defrosted cook it on Boxing Day.

www.britishturkey.co.uk/cooking/cooking-calculators.html

Ummm this reckons it'll take 20 hours in a cool room....

Don't put it in the fridge! Leave it out, should defrost in 12+ hours, no way it will defrost in the fridge.

Looks like you'll just about get away with it.

www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/turkeythawingchart.html

5kg = 11 pounds. So probably about 6 hours.

You could try in the oven at really low temp, 30 degrees, for a few hours (if not using the oven for dinner tonight!)

Isn't that what microwave ovens defrost programmes are for? There have been times I would have starved with a full freezer if it hadn't been for my trusty microwave

I would not put it in my microwave Bened, it is very basic model and no controls on it at all - and i wont fit either.
I would have left it on the counter all night but all advice on the internet says not to. Do you think it it will be ok if I leave it out? Thanks all for advice.

Leave it out, turn the heating off.

It'll be fine.

I'd leave it out as long as your kitchen isn't overly hot.

Our fridge is broken (4 days before bloody Christmas and we are hosting ) so I've had to leave our turkey out on the side to defrost but our kitchen is fairly cool

It'll be fine if you leave it out in a cool room. Ours is in the garage, fresh from today as we can't fit it in the fridge.

Bath of cold water overnight?

Be careful! You say it is boned and rolled, so there isn't an air gap inside like there is in a normal turkey. It will therefore need a lot longer than a conventional bird of the same weight.

I think a sink of cold water is the way to go.

Leave it on the side ,I never defrost anything in the fridge.

Ok, so will continue with the cold water until I go to bed. Then I have a fridge ( spare one- dont ask!) and I will put it in there overnight, but turn the fridge up so it is not so cold. Then contine in the morning with the cold water. That will be three hours in the cold water tonight and then at least four hours tomorrow, and a cool but not too cold fridge overnight. Thanks for the links, made me feel a bit more confident that that will work.

Omg I've done same thing today.
It's currently sat in a bowl full of cold water
I took it out at 4 mind.
I'm gonna leave it out all night & pray it will be okay.

Don't leave it in the fridge! Even a turned up one!
Countertop overnight will be fine.

Also in the morning you can rinse the cavity using cool water to help defrost the final bit inside

NO FRIDGE !!!

Anyone near south hampshire then the junk food cafe just picked up 70 fresh turkeys from Marks and Spencer...didn't sell in time. They are up for a donation

NO FRIDGE!!! ffs!
just leave it on the counter in the kitchen with a clean tea towel over it

I'm a chef. Leave it in cold water in the sink. Personally I would cut it in half too.

Don't put it on the fridge. We never do.