Trurkey help? Brining?

[RobinJ]

Due to extenuating circumstances, I just found out last night that I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner.  I hadn't planned on it and my turkey is still in the freezer.  12.6 pounds

I am running to the store on my lunch break and hoping to find a small one that isn't frozen.  But in case I cannot find one, I have questions.

Best way to thaw a turkey in time to cook tomorrow?

Can I brine it and thaw it at the same time?

[Jones]

I don't know about the brining, but I will say you can thaw it out by leaving it in a sink full of water. Cold water, not hot. Change out the water every so often. I think it's about 30 minutes per pound.

[Lynnv]

I can't speak to brining and thawing at the same time.  But you can thaw a turkey-cicle pretty quickly in water.  Just leave it in the sealed up bag and put it in a bucket/sink full of cold water.  Change the water periodically and it will thaw remarkably quickly.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-entertaining/holidays/thanksgiving/how-to-thaw-a-turkey.aspx

It takes about 30 min per pound.  That leaves you time to thaw it out using the cold water method today.  Then brine overnight to put into the oven tomorrow.

I did find a few sites that said that combining the steps would work, but can't vouch for them.  "I read it on the internet, so it must be true" has never really worked for me.   

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/575435

[CakeBeret]

According to USDA you can thaw it in cold water (changed every 30 minutes) for about 30 minutes per pound. So for your turkey, about 6 hours.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/turkey_basics_safe_thawing/index.asp

I don't think you can brine and thaw at the same time. The brine won't be able to be absorbed if the flesh is still frozen. You can always skip brining; there are plenty of ways to get a delicious turkey without it.

[RobinJ]

Well, I ran to the grocery store on my lunch break and talked to the guy in the meat department.  They had just gotten a shipment of turkeys at the store that they had not even put out yet.  He got me a non-frozen turkey and was even offered me a special sale price that was 20cents cheaper than their sale price.  Maybe he could sense my panic.

Then, I received help from a fellow shopper in purchasing a meat thermometer.  There is goodwill left in this crazy world!