Thawing the Bird

If you need one more reason to start with a fresh turkey for your Thanksgiving feast, here it is: Defrosting an 18-pound bird in the refrigerator can take up to four days. Defrosting in the refrigerator is safest and it keeps juice loss to a minimum.

But if time is not on your side, try the running-water method of defrosting:

Keep the frozen bird in its original wrapping and place it under cold, running water or let it sit in a sink or tub filled with cold water. Change the water frequently to keep it cold or add ice every 30 minutes. Allow 30 minutes per pound - so nine hours for that 18-pound turkey. Be careful that there are no holes in the wrapping. If there are, you not only lose juices but risk bacteria contamination.

Letting a turkey sit out at room temperature to defrost is not considered safe. However, if you must, you can do it - briefly - at the end of one of the above defrosting methods if the turkey will be going right into the oven.

Here's how: Place the bird, in its original wrap, into a paper bag. Close the bag tightly. The turkey should not be left out any longer than necessary, so start your preparation as soon as the bird is pliable.