By Trish Svoboda/Image courtesy Canva

National Thaw Day, which takes place the Thursday before Thanksgiving, reminds people it’s time to move their turkeys from the freezer to the fridge. Butterball Turkey Talk-Line expert Javier Reyes says the most common question they receive is how to safely thaw a turkey. He says a good rule of thumb is to allow one day of thawing for every four pounds. That means a 20-pound turkey needs about five days in the refrigerator.

He says there’s several ways to thaw a turkey, with the refrigerator method-moving the turkey from the freezer to the fridge-being the best. However, he says, there is a faster method called the water method for those who are short on time or forgot to take their turkey out of the freezer.

“You take your turkey, still in its packaging, put it in your sink, breast side down, and you fill it with cold tap water. Then every 30 minutes, you’re going to switch out the water and refill it with new, clean water,” he said. “This will thaw a turkey in about 30 minutes per pound. So a 20-pound turkey will only take about 10 hours. If it’s a very last-minute thing, that’s a great way to thaw a turkey as well.”

Reyes says some callers ask if it’s ok to leave their turkey on their counter, garage, or even on their porch in cold weather. Those methods are not recommended, and he says for safety to stick to the refrigerator or water methods. Once thawed, he says a turkey will stay good in the fridge for up to four days.

The Butterball Turkey-Talk line can be reached at 1-800-Butterball with experts available from now until Christmas, or find tips at butterball.com.