It's important never to thaw poultry on the counter, where bacteria can grow. Follow these tips on defrosting chicken and turkey safely.

• Thaw poultry in the refrigerator.A safe guideline to thaw allows 5 hours per pound.

• Or, immerse packaged poultry in cold water. Be sure to change the water every half hour.

• Or, use the microwave. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Thawing Times

• Protect raw poultry from other foods. We don't recommend unwrapping a poultry package before you're ready to cook, however, we do suggest overwrapping the package in plastic wrap, or placing it on a plate as it thaws.

• Take note of appearance, touch and smell. The product should not be eaten if it appears gray, feels slimy or smells sour. When in doubt, throw it out.

• It's OK to go from freezer to oven. You don't need to defrost poultry before cooking. All you have to do is increase the cooking to 1 ½ times the recommended cooking time.

• Cook poultry the day it completely thaws.