Everyone has heard of defrosting a turkey in cold running water or in your fridge. This is a safety issue to keep the bird under 40 degrees F so bugs [germs] don’t grow. Then you have to cook it at, at least 250 degrees F to kill the bugs so they don’t grow while the bird is being cooked.

Burst the myth……

The danger zone for handling food is 40 to 140 degrees F is where the bugs grow and multiply, Right?

The next turkey that you cook, try this.

1 frozen turkey any size

Your favorite roasting pan with lid

Seasonings of choice [salt, pepper, sage, thyme ECT]

Your choice of carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, or fruits – whatever..

2 cups water

½ lbs butter

Take the still frozen turkey out of the packaging and place in the roasting pan.  Rub with the butter, pour water over turkey and add seasonings. Add cut up fruits and vegetables around the turkey. Cover.

Place into oven [you do not have to preheat] set at 200 degrees F.

Cook for one hour per lbs.  DO NOT interrupt cooking. DO NOT ‘check’ on the bird while cooking as this will lower the temperature.

So if you start with a 12 lbs turkey it will take 12 hours to cook. If you have a 22 lbs turkey it will take 22 hours.

At the end of the cooking time remove the lid, baste and brown the turkey at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Discussion – this process takes the turkey from a safe temperature [frozen] quickly trough the danger zone to 200 degrees F safe temperature [above 160 degrees F] COOKED.  This is the same logic behind a slow cooker or crock pot meal.

I have cooked MANY turkeys this way over the last 20 years without negative incident. The turkey ends up moist and tender. Take the juices in the pan to make gravy.

You can do stuffing on the side, as you should anyway.

BTW, I used to be a public health food inspector.