Ok, this has been all over the internet...have you seen it?
"Heyy Mommy, how long do I have to put a 49 lb. Turkey in the microwave before its ready?"
"Oh bless your heart sweetie, I would just order a pizza if I were as dumb as you"
I realize the exact responses from mothers varied greatly over the country. I asked my mother and her answer was simply:
"30 mins should be good. Is there a turkey button on your microwave? Try that if so. You have socks in the dryer. Love you."
But let's put some science in your Thanksgiving prep. The exact time it would take for your turkey to be done in the microwave might surprise you!
Protein molecules are wrapped up in raw meat in tight little coils called "bonds". Think of this like steel-wound guitar strings, except these probably would never keep their tune because they're really small.
When you turn on your microwave, you are forcing this meat to heat up. When heated, molecules move faster than Jim Mills' fingers on a Skaggs instrumental and this causes the strings to break. I mean the bonds, not the strings. There are no strings in this science lesson, it was just an illustration.
When these bonds break, the protein unwinds and coagulates. Coagulation is a fancy science-people term for going from liquid to thicker than liquid. Like gravy, think gravy, because gravy is coagulated too I'm told.
This said, you need to put your turkey in the microwave long enough to see the molecules denature. Depending on the size of the turkey, coagulation can begin either from the time you put it in, to the time you take it out.
Or, just push the turkey button on your microwave and watch it spin around. That's probably what I'll do.
Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!
