This is the Tale of The Turkey That Refused to Thaw. Remember I told you we bought a 25# turkey for Thanksgiving? We bought it two weeks in advance. Eight days before I was going to cook for the family, Mr. FixIt removed the turkey from the freezer and put it in the fridge. The day before I was going to cook, I checked the turkey and it was still frozen solid. I ended up buying a fresh turkey and saved the day. 

I got lots of good feedback about thawing the turkey in a cold water bath. However, since I already had a 20# turkey cooked and had lots of leftovers, I wasn’t in very much of a hurry. I left the turkey in the fridge in the garage and checked it every couple of days. Finally, two days ago, I checked and there was a small amount of juices in the fridge so I brought the turkey in the house to roast. Well, once I got it in the sink, I realized that it was STILL two thirds frozen! It’s like this thing would NOT give up. 

I placed the turkey, in its original packaging, in a clean cooler, covered it with cold water and added ice on top. I closed the lid and checked it Tuesday. The ice had melted together into one large lump and was adhered to the turkey. I was beginning to think it was generating its own refrigeration! I checked it again Tuesday night and topped it off with a little more ice. I was making headway. 

Finally, yesterday morning, I pulled the turkey out of the cooler and it was thawed! Still, when I reached into the cavity to pull out the neck, there was still a large chunk of solid ice in there. Unbelievable! 

The fresh turkey I bought was a Honeysuckle White. I brined it, stuffed a quartered lemon and orange in the cavity along with a bundle of fresh herbs, pressed a half pound of softened butter mixed with garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme between the skin and the breast, then brushed the skin with melted butter. I sprinkled salt, fresh ground pepper, rustic herbs, and poultry seasoning on the skin and popped it in a 325 degree oven till the breast measured 170 degrees on a meat thermometer and the juices ran clear between the thigh and the body. It was divine!

Yesterday’s turkey didn’t get a brine. It was a Butterball and they are injected with a saline solution before freezing. I still stuffed the body cavity with cut up orange and lemon and a bundle of fresh herbs. I injected the breasts and thighs with melted butter and brushed more butter on the skin before sprinkling the same seasonings on top as the other turkey I roasted. I didn’t put butter under the skin of this one. 

About 5 hours or so later, it was ready. In the meantime, I entertained myself by asking Alexa to open Butterball. You can ask all kinds of questions and get recipes texted to your phone. You can even ask for a turkey joke. It’s always good to have fun when you’re cooking! ❤️

“Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.””

Acts 10:13 NIV