How Should I Defrost a Frozen Goose?
Before preparing goose that has been frozen, it should be properly thawed to limit the risk of food poisoning. Most experts typically recommend thawing a frozen goose in the refrigerator. Although this may take several days, the cold environment helps prevent bacteria from developing. Goose can also be thawed while it is submerged in cold water. A microwave can also be used to thaw frozen goose meat, and this method is typically much faster than other options.
Contrary to what some individuals believe, it is not considered safe to thaw meat or poultry at room temperature. Bacteria, such as salmonella, is able to reproduce at temperatures above 40° F (4.4° C). These types of bacteria can cause serious foodborne illnesses.

Thawing a frozen goose in the refrigerator is typically recommended. This type of cold environment is just warm enough to prevent bacteria from forming, but it is warm enough to allow the goose meat to thaw. When goose meat is placed in the refrigerator, it can take several days to thaw. It is generally best to plan on cooking goose several days ahead of time, so it will have enough time to thaw properly.

Individuals who can not wait several days for a frozen goose to thaw can also use cold water to thaw it. Before doing this, the goose should be wrapped in watertight material, so no water or bacteria can reach the meat. Frozen goose can be wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic wrap or sealed in a plastic bag to prevent this. A goose can then be placed in a sink or large bowl and covered with cold water.

When thawing frozen goose in cold water, the temperature of the water will often rise slowly. To prevent this, most experts recommend replacing old water with new cold water every 30 to 45 minutes. Although a goose will thaw faster in cold water than in a refrigerator, it can still take several hours or even a day to thaw completely. Thawing time generally depends on the size of the goose.

A microwave can also be used to thaw a frozen goose. Frozen meat and poultry should be removed from any packaging materials before being thawed in a microwave. Some of these materials can melt and affect the taste and safety of the food. Although microwave thawing is faster than other thawing methods, it will often partially cook the food that is being thawed.
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Discussion Comments
@ceilingcat - I can't believe anyone doesn't have a microwave these days! I usually do most of my defrosting in the microwave, but if I don't have access to one, I like to use the cold water method. It's not as fast as using the microwave, but it's faster than the refrigerator.
It sounds like you really have to plan ahead if you want to cook a frozen goose. I'm thinking about cooking one for a family dinner in a few weeks at my grandmother's house. We're doing all the cooking there, and she doesn't have a microwave.
So I think thawing in the refrigerator will be the best bet for us. I'm definitely going to have her remove the frozen goose from the freezer to the refrigerator a few days in advance. That way the goose will be ready for cooking when it's time for the big dinner.
@LoriCharlie - That's kind of funny. I always get really nervous about cooking meat too. However, I've always thought the microwave was the least safe way to thaw anything, frozen goose included. But after reading the article, it seems like it's save to use the microwave, cold water, or the refrigerator. The only thing that's unsafe is to just leave the meat on the counter at room temperature.
I always get really nervous about cooking meat. I know you can easily get food poisoning from meat if you do the wrong thing. I usually only buy meat the day I'm going to cook it, and then just take it directly from the refrigerator to the stove.
I usually only freeze meat that has been already cooked, and then I can microwave it when I want to eat it again. You don't have to worry about unthawing frozen meat that has already been cooked.
If I do need to freeze and unthaw raw meat, I prefer the microwave method because it's faster.
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