Defrosting a chicken


 
THyde

THyde

TVWBB Guru
Defrosting a chicken, Vacuum Sealing

How much time should I let a 4 and a half pound chicken defrost for?
 
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In a cold water bath, plan for about 30 minutes for every pound. (So an 8-pound chicken would take at least 4 hours to thaw.) After thawing in a cold water bath, the chicken should be cooked immediately.
 
I usually fill my kitchen sink with very cold water and lower the chicken in... 4 1/2 pounds should take 2 1/2 hours. Approximately
 
Thank you! I usually cook the chickens before I need to freeze them, but this time was different.

Thanks again.

Slainte!

Tim
 
Kelvin in AB said:
In a cold water bath, plan for about 30 minutes for every pound. (So an 8-pound chicken would take at least 4 hours to thaw.) After thawing in a cold water bath, the chicken should be cooked immediately.
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Are you sure you are cooking chickens? THat is s small turkey sized bird. ;)
 
T. We always have 4-6 roasters in the freezer. I pull them out rock hard about 9 in the morning and drop into a water bath before leaving for the office. Return about 6-7 hrs later and almost always have to run more water through to remove the ice block inside before trussing. We have a rotisserie so I spin chickens at least once a week. Hard to beat a crispy skinned whole chicken with some dipping sauces, crusty bread, salad and good libations ��
 
Yah, It is hard to be a roto chicken. Having them in the freezer is nice and convenient, but I like to pick them up a day or two before I want to spin them and just keep them in the fridge until it is time.
 
Bruce said:
Yah, It is hard to be a roto chicken. Having them in the freezer is nice and convenient, but I like to pick them up a day or two before I want to spin them and just keep them in the fridge until it is time.
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That’s what I usually do but this time the chicken ended up in the freezer. Not my preferred method but it will cook.
 
This is a disaster. I will never freeze a chicken again. I’m way behind schedule and really stressed out. I’d rather not have chicken than deal with thaw and cook times. Now I’m trying to speed up the cook which is just rushing. Maybe I’ll just order a pizza. I’m so upset. It’s enough of a challenge to make a nice rotisserie chicken when your parameters are known. The frozen bird has me truly upset.
 
You won't want to think about this now while you're under a time crunch but this experience can help you plan for the next occasion. In our household, thawing frozen meat is typical--in part because we have teenagers and only one refrigerator. That means limited space in the fridge. The Briner is my friend and I change-out the cold water at 30-60 minute intervals. Prior to the Briner I was constantly challenged with finding a way to keep my meat submerged in the water bath. I am hoping that your luck changes quickly and you're able to serve your bird soon.
 
I’m ten minutes out. I used to work as a short order cook so I hate hate hate when my timing is off. Yes, I realize the whole situation is going to be different tomorrow. I apologize for being cranky. I just struggle with frustrations like these. Mostly because I could have prevented it.
 
I agree. I am a stickler on timing as well. Having to brine and marinate a day in advance is enough of a headache. Plans change a lot in a day or two, not to mention hours.
 
We ate the chicken, but probably only half of the edible meat. I was so disgusted even before we ate it I ground up the corpse with plenty of meat on it in the disposal. I have said here before, I need to work on patience. It is true.

My sons and wife liked it, but it was not nearly as juicy as I like them when I cook them here on the rotisserie. Plus, I put myself in a bad way. That is on me. Fortunately, I am getting better at keeping those feelings to myself instead of getting all angry and ruining dinner. These are the things I work on!

Next time, I will not freeze the chicken. That by itself will save me ten times the frustration I experienced tonight.

Thanks for listening :)

Slainte!

Tim
 
I have a lot of meat in the freezer. One of the reasons I have so much is because things come up and I have to go buy more of what I already have due to how long it would take me to thaw what's in the freezer. The worst part about that is sometimes the stuff in the freezer we'll go bad because I have to buy something not frozen due to time restraints.

What I need to do and maybe it's relevant here is get another vacuum sealer. On one hand it they are better than putting it in a Ziploc. And on the other hand it makes thawing much easier.

I used to have a vacuum sealer but I give it away because of the cost of the bags. But now I'm sure I've thrown away more money and what could have been good food if I vacuum sealed it.
 
Jason in CA said:
I used to have a vacuum sealer but I give it away because of the cost of the bags. But now I'm sure I've thrown away more money and what could have been good food if I vacuum sealed it.
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If you are throwing away frozen meat then you can't afford not to have a vac sealer. Last night I had a beauty of a steak that I froze in February 2018 because I don't always pull FIFO. I've even used meat that has been frozen 2 years. Who can complain about this cost? https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00I1OM7TO/tvwb-20

And if you have a 16" sealer you can purchase 15" bags at a similar price point.
 
BFletcher said:
If you are throwing away frozen meat then you can't afford not to have a vac sealer. Last night I had a beauty of a steak that I froze in February 2018 because I don't always pull FIFO. I've even used meat that has been frozen 2 years. Who can complain about this cost? https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00I1OM7TO/tvwb-20

And if you have a 16" sealer you can purchase 15" bags at a similar price point.
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I posted that because my wife and I have been talking about getting another vacuum sealer for the last couple of weeks. I know I'm not the only one that has tried to thaw meat in a ziplock only to have water penetrate the bag. And like you said if you vacuum seal then food can live in the freezer for a very long time until you are ready to use it. That's on top of other benefits like putting in a marinade and vacuum sealing then freezing. I think it's just a matter of (it's going to happen) time before I get another one.
 
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