I dunno–I can’t help but think that if either party had been a little more dipomatic about it, this pit thread might never have happened.
For example, putting the turkey in the fridge once is understandable. But putting it in a second time without discussing the issue with MIL is passive-aggressive. It’s spoiling for a fight.
Instead, if it goes back out, that’s a good time to approach MIL and say, “Hey, listen, I noticed you put the turkey out on the counter. Is there any way I could persuade you to thaw it in the fridge? I’m kind of a freak about bacteria, and I’ve been reading all kinds of things about salmonella lately. I hate to be a bother, but I’d really appreciate it if we could do a fridgethaw.”
duffer, you better cook the holy hell out of those brats! Because if you come down with even a tinge of upset stomach from them (or anything else on the dinner table), you know you’re not going to hear the end of it.
Sure, but I love me some blasphemy. And tofurkey is actually pretty tasty: the guy who invented it is an alumnus of the school I went to (I wait while everyone gets over their astonishment), and in a class field trip, we stopped by his magnificent tempeh factory. He ended the tour by giving us each a sample of his newest product, the tofurkey.
As an aside, I had an eel roll once that incorporated a piece of his product; it made me loudly bemoan the state of our society, and I bet you know exactly the words I used.
Good idea. Let’s stop catering right here and right now. Food poisoning is annoying. 27% of the population gets it every year (more likely, less of the population gets it more often). It is not a significant health hazard. According to your cite, 0.12% of the population gets sick enough to be hospitalized, and 0.002% of the population dies from it each year, approximately the same number of people who die in fires.
You know, if duffer decided to eat the bird for the sake of family harmony, came down with food poisoning, and then posted about how miserable he is, most would be sympathetic, but some would rail against him for being so goddamned stupid for eating food that could make him sick.
I can’t think of one good reason why he should put himself at the risk, no matter how small that risk may be.
Wow, I didn’t expect this many responses. Lots of good advice here. Now, for the rest of the story.
First, I don’t hate my MiL, and I didn’t give any indication of anger or frustration. That’s what I use the SDMB for. Thanks for helping me avoid ulcers.
After putting the time and energy into the OP, it dawned on me how easy it is to avoid the whole problem. 20 minutes later I figured she was in bed, what could it hurt to toss it back in the fridge? So I did.
This morning I got up early, took it out and let it sit a half hour till she went to work. Back in the fridge. I’ll take it back out around 7 tonight and when she gets home I’ll say “Hey, I think she’s thawed. Want me to put it back in the fridge?” Does that sound reasonable to anyone?
Damnit, I look forward to turkey every year and I really don’t want to skip it this year. But now that the idea is in my head, I’m still gonna cook a few brats for the games.
Do you prefer ham. Our mother shocked us one year by telling if it weren’t for us kids, she’d be eating ham.
But I like turkey.
If you must quickly defrost a turkey, do it in the refrig in a cold bucket of water. It should defrost on 7 hours. I know, I know, you can barely fit the turkey in yours, let alone a bucket. I usually use my ice cooler. I thaw it in there then place it in the refrig until I cook it. Since I either bag it or cook it in a covered roasting pan, a fifteen pounder shoulkd cook in 3 to 3.5 hours, even if stuffed and partiallyfrozen.
Refrigeration * d e l a y s * the growth of bad organisms. That’s why you do it. A warm counter does not or worse, leaving it in the oven will accellerate the growth.
I remember one thanksgiving at church, we left an *extra * cooked turkey in the refrig. but because it had been out on the counter for over six hours before being refriged, it was spoiled by sunday exacerbated by the fact in was still sitting in its juices stuffed.
I ought to add that the overall level of filth in this kitchen contributed to my raiding the Jaffa cake box…this was also in the summer, and that chicken had been left on the counter for about 4 days…
