With Thanksgiving just under a week away, it is now time to start thinking about the bird in your freezer.

If the size of your turkey is substantial, it could be time to start the process of thawing it.

The United States Department of Agriculture has provided the following helpful tip for when to take a frozen turkey out of the freezer and move it to the fridge:

Between 4 and 12 pounds — a period of 1 to 3 days
Between 12 and 16 pounds — to be stored for 3 to 4 days
A range of 16 to 20 pounds can be expected to be lost over a period of 4 to 5 days.
A weight range of 20 to 24 pounds can take 5 to 6 days to complete.

If you didn’t make the suggested timeline, don’t worry, experts offer another tip to get your turkey defrosted in time. You can still take the turkey out of its frozen state with water, though it is a bit labor-intensive.

The USDA recommends thawing a turkey by putting it in a water-proof bag and submerging it in cold tap water. This should be done periodically by replacing the water every half an hour.

Using water to thaw a turkey is a process that takes a certain amount of time.

Between 4 and 12 pounds of food can be cooked in a span of 2 to 6 hours.
Between 12 and 16 pounds should be cooked for a duration of 6 to 8 hours.
Between 16 and 20 pounds — between 8 and 10 hours
A weight of twenty to twenty-four pounds should be held for a period of ten to twelve hours.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, any turkey that has been thawed must be cooked within a period of 24 to 48 hours to avoid contamination.

It’s important to remember that in order to ensure the turkey is properly cooked, the internal temperature should reach 165 degrees.