To the layman it may seem quick, easy and safe, unfortunately there are many hidden dangers in defrosting meat in this manner. The primary danger pertains to bacterial growth. All poultry are prone to carrying campylobacter, not to mention E.coli O157:H7, Listeria, and Salmonella, to name a few additional party goers. These microbes quickly multiply when placed in a medium such as water, this in combination with the amount of time it is left in its juicy bath creates the perfect environment for exponential growth. This can be offset though by cooking to the appropriate internal temperature. Unfortunately though, the process of dressing, and seasoning the bird will likely lead to contamination of a large portion of the kitchen, potentially causing further indirect contamination of the foods that have already been, or do not need to be cooked. On an alternative note, the use of a brine instead of water can potentially off set the growth of bacteria, depending upon the amount of salt present in the water. This was not officially checked in any manner though, so for safety sake it will be considered an invalid
To the layman it may seem quick, easy and safe, unfortunately there are many hidden dangers in defrosting meat in this manner. The primary danger pertains to bacterial growth. All poultry are prone to carrying campylobacter, not to mention E.coli O157:H7, Listeria, and Salmonella, to name a few additional party goers. These microbes quickly multiply when placed in a medium such as water, this in combination with the amount of time it is left in its juicy bath creates the perfect environment for exponential growth. This can be offset though by cooking to the appropriate internal temperature. Unfortunately though, the process of dressing, and seasoning the bird will likely lead to contamination of a large portion of the kitchen, potentially causing further indirect contamination of the foods that have already been, or do not need to be cooked. On an alternative note, the use of a brine instead of water can potentially off set the growth of bacteria, depending upon the amount of salt present in the water. This was not officially checked in any manner though, so for safety sake it will be considered an invalid