| Terrific Turkey Tips |
How Big of a Turkey Should I Buy? If you figure about 3/4 lb to 1 1/4 lb uncooked turkey per person you will be about right. I like to plan for about 1 1/2 lb uncooked turkey for each guest, which usually yields a nice amount of leftovers. So a 10 lb turkey should feed approximately from 6 to 10 people. |
Are Hens better than Toms? Well as with all species yes...LOL. Actually, the male turkey, Tom, are sometimes a cheaper in the market place (OK guys you get your laughs in here). But I have been told that both Hens and Toms are about equal when it comes to tenderness. In general, I have found this to be true. |
What should I look for in a good turkey? Look for plum white birds which are well rounded over the breast bone. Fresh birds are better than frozen. You can refrigerate a fresh turkey in the package for 1-3 days before preparation. The great thing about a fresh bird besides the taste is the time saved by not thawing. |
Ok, I have this frozen Turkey, how do I thaw it? If turkey is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator or cold water (change water every 30 minutes). |
Refrigerator Thawing: Breast side up in its unopened wrapper on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow at least one day of thawing for every four pounds of turkey.. |
Cold Water: Breast side down its unopened wrapper in cold water to cover. Change the water every 30 minutes to keep surface cold. About 30 minutes per pound for whole turkey. |
Safety Tips |
| Be Clean! Wash preparation utensils, work surfaces and hands in hot, soapy water following contact with uncooked turkey and juices. |
| Remember to wash the bird (just rinse in water) and remove the giblets and neck from the body cavity and neck cavity. |
| Place raw poultry on non-porous surfaces, avoid wooden cutting boards. |
| Use paper towels, not cloth, to dry off turkey and wipe up juices. |
| Don't under cook! Turkey is fully cooked when the thigh's internal temperature is 180F. The thickest part of breast should read 170F. If stuffed the center of the stuffing should be 160F. |
| Thaw a frozen Turkey in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath. Change the cold water every 30 minutes. Thawing turkey at room temperature allows bacterial growth and could make your turkey very memorable (not recommended)! |
| Use only cooked ingredients in stuffing. |
| Do not stuff the turkey the night before roasting. Also do not stuff a frozen bird. |
| Store left-over cooked foods properly within two hours after cooking. |
Cooking Tips |
| Roasting time varies by the size of your Turkey and your decision to stuff the Turkey or cook the stuffing as a side dish. The roasting time will be faster if the Turkey is not stuffed. |
| The roasting temperature is 325F (165C) and you can estimate 15 minutes of roasting for every pound (450g) of turkey. |
| A 10 lb stuffed turkey will take 3 3/4 to 4 1/2 hours to roast. Add another half hour cooking time for every 2 pounds over 10 pounds. So a 20-24 lbs. turkey will require 6 1/4 to 7 hours or be done some time around the weekend. Check turkey often to see if the internal temperature is reached. When it is the turkey is done. |
| A unstuffed turkey will cook a bit more evenly and faster a 10 pound unstuffed turkey will take about 3 to 3-1/2 hours in a 325F (165C) oven. |
What about basting? Even with self basting Turkeys, check your Turkey about every 45 minutes. It the skin looks a bit try then baste with some meat juices and water from the bottom of the pan. |
What about a roasting bag? They are great for tender turkey! But the skin does not get the golden roasted look. |
To Stuff or Not to Stuff? To stuff: stuff both neck and body cavities of your completely thawed turkey. Allow 1/2 to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Packing the stuffing into the neck and body cavities might lead to a bit of extra entertainment. So do not over stuff. A stuffed bird takes longer to cook and the stuffing while taster is much higher in calories. Then again it is thanksgiving! ;). Not To Stuff: Bake your stuffing in a lightly greased casserole dish (this is also good if you make lots of extra stuffing..Yum!) in the same oven as the Turkey about 1 hour before you think the turkey will be done. If your stuffing recipe is cooked sooner then just keep it warm until the turkey is done. When the turkey is cooked on an outdoor grill, or by fast cook methods where the turkey typically gets done faster than the stuffing, it is recommended that the turkey not be stuffed. |
Do I need a thermometer? YES! Those little popup thermometers never work...at least not for me. So insert an oven-safe meat thermometer deep into the lower part of the thigh next to the body, not touching the bone. You can use this to check your Turkey's cooking progress. |
Is your Turkey getting to much of a Tan? When the skin is light golden, you can shield the breast loosely with lightweight foil, if you like. |
When is it Turkey Time? When we get there...oops! When it is done, or when the thigh's internal temperature is 180F. The thickest part of breast should read 170F and the center of the stuffing should be 160F. |
Why does my Turkey need to rest? To give you time to make some wonderful gravy! ;) When the Turkey is removed from the oven you do want to let it rest from 10-20 minutes before carving. The meat will slice better and it is a great time for everyone to admire your beautiful roasted turkey. |
Enjoy your Holidays! with love from MightyCool.com |
Recipe Member Tips |
MyHeart I have found that the best way to make a moist turkey is use a cooking bag. I also cook the turkey breast side down to keep the turkey breast from drying out. |
Carol H. To keep the bird from getting too dry, I cook it the first half of the total cooking time completely covered. Either in a covered roaster of with aluminum foil. DON'T peek at all during this time. For the last half of the cooking time, I cook it uncovered and baste every 20 minutes or so. The bird comes out golden brown and beautifully moist and.... will not burn.... |
Elizabeth Thought that I would pass along the best tip that I ever received from a friend of mine who is a chef. Place the turkey breast down to in the roaster. Then about 1/2 hour before it is done, turn the breast up to brown. The white meat comes out tender and JUICY! Great way to do chicken too! |
Marian H. This tip is on turkey clean up. I have learned that to properly clean up after preparing your turkey, one should use soapy water with BLEACH, this will prevent salmonella poisoning. Wash everything, counters, cutting boards, all utensils, etc. Same should be done when preparing ANY poultry. |
Laura B. Here is what I was told to do since I was a child(Old School), my Grandmother used to do this every year....It sounds a little gross but, it is delicious. Right before you put that bird in the oven.....Spread mayonaise all over it for a nice golden/brown color. Any kind of Mayo will do. |
Dedra L. First, cook the turkey for the most part (at least 2/3 of the cooking time) with the breast down. This causes all of the meat juices to "pool" in the breast portions, normally the driest part of the turkey. To get the nice golden brown color, turn the turkey over 1-3 hours before it is done (depending on size and cooking time). Second, (if you aren't watching weight/cholesterol/calories), rub the skin and inner cavities with butter/margarine, and don't salt the outside of the turkey. Salting before cooking pulls all of the meat juices out of the meat and into the pan--exactly what you don't want if you want a moist turkey. Let your guests put on their own salt or salt subsitute. |
Enjoy your Holidays! Invite Your Friends! |
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