Turkey Guide

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Let's Talk Turkey
Fresh or Frozen Turkey - Your Decision
How Much Turkey to Buy?
Cooking Methods for Turkey
Thawing a Frozen Turkey
Safe Handling and Roasting of the Turkey Tips
Stuffing Tips
Food Safety Support
Safe Carving and Serving of Turkey
Storing Leftovers Safely
Time Limits on Leftovers
Fun Stuff - Turkey Trivia

Additional posts you may find helpful:

Using Thermometers
Instant Mini Grilling Thermometers

Turkey Guide – Part 4

Today’s guide will talk about Safe Carving and Serving …. and Storing Leftovers Safely. While it’s important to prepare the turkey properly so it’s safe to eat…. leftovers are just as important… you don’t want to spoil the holiday by becoming ill on leftovers.

Holiday Food Safety in conjunction with the National Turkey Federation and the Partnership for Food Safety Education have some great guidelines and information about food safety…. So be sure to read the posts… I hope they are helpful to you.

Safe Carving and Serving of Turkey

Cooking and Food Safety Tip of the Day

According to Holiday Food Safety...

It’s best to let the turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to set, so the turkey will carve more easily.

Use a cutting board that has a well around the edge to catch the juices.

Remove all the stuffing from the cavity of the turkey.

Make sure you are using a sharp knife as a dull knife is not safe.

Turkey Guide - Part 3

Cooking Tip of the Day

Today’s Turkey Guide posts will talk about safe handling after the turkey has been defrosted and the roasting instructions. I chose to spotlight the cooking method of roasting since the majority of people roast their turkeys.

I'm also including Stuffing Tips today.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Safe Handling and Roasting of the Turkey Tips

Cooking and Food Safety Tip of the Day

According to holidayfoodsafety.org….

Safe Handling

Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling the turkey. I use anti-bacterial soap.

Reminder: NEVER defrost the turkey on the counter… see my previous post on how to thaw your turkey.

Cooking Time and Temperature

Remember: No matter the cooking method you choose, you must cook it to the proper internal temperature as measured by a food thermometer. If you need information about the types of food thermometers that are available… please see my post titiled “Using Thermometers”. A stuffed turkey will take extra time to cook.

I decided to focus on the cooking method of roasting. You MUST take the temperature… to do that… you insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Make sure you the thermometer isn’t touching the bone.

Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Cook the turkey to a temperature 165 degrees F in the breast (some people prefer higher temperature… which is fine…. just don’t exceed 170 degrees F.) The thigh temperature should also be 165 degrees F, but not to exceed 180 degrees F.

If the turkey is done but the stuffing has not yet reached 165 degrees F, remove the stuffing from the turkey and place it in a greased casserole dish and return it to the oven, cook until the temperature is at 165 degrees F.

The following is a timetable, provided by holidayfoodsafety.org, to estimate approximate cooking time.

Thermal/Convection Oven Open Pan Method Timetable for Roasting a Turkey at 325 degrees F.

Unstuffed Turkey

8-12 pounds…… 2 ¾ to 3 hours
12-14 pounds…. 3 to 3 ¾ hours
14-18 pounds…. 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hours
18-20 pounds…. 4 ¼ to 4 ½ hours
20-24 pounds…. 4 ½ to 5 hours

Stuffed Turkey

8-12 pounds…… 3 to 3 ½ hours
12-14 pounds…. 3 ½ to 4 hours
14-18 pounds…. 4 to 4 ¼ hours
18-20 pounds…. 4 ¼ to 4 ¾ hours
20-24 pounds 4 ¾ to 5 ¼ hours

Convection Oven Open Pan Method Roasting Guidelines for a Fresh/Thawed Turkey at 300 degrees F.

Unstuffed Turkey

14-18 pounds…. 2 ½ to 3 ¼ hours
18-22 pounds…. 3 ¼ to 3 ½ hours

Stuffed Turkey

14-18 pounds…. 3 to 3 ¼ hours
18-22 pounds…. 3 ¼ to 3 ¾ hours

REMEMBER: I can’t stress this enough… you need to check the temperature with a thermometer to ensure its safe to eat.








Photo from Williams Sonoma ... see their website for their Instant Read Digital Thermometer

Stuffing Tips

Cooking Tip of the Day

These are some general tips for stuffing your turkey …. from figuring out how much you need…. to how best to cook it and store leftovers…….. I hope you find them helpful.

According to the Partnership for Food Safety Education, follow these tips to safely stuff your turkey:

How much do you need?

*Allow about 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey to pack it lightly in the turkey… you need room for the stuffing to expand, as it will absorb juices from the turkey.

Preparation Tips

*Stuffing should be prepared and stuffed into the turkey immediately before it’s placed in the oven. Never stuff the turkey ahead of time.

*Mix the wet and dry ingredients for the stuffing separately and combine just before using.

*Lightly spoon stuffing into the body cavity. Do not pack.

*Bake extra stuffing in a greased covered casserole (for the last 30 minutes of roasting time… for a crisp top, uncover the casserole for the last 5 minutes).

*Cooked inside or outside the bird, all stuffing and dressing recipes must be cooked to a minimum temperature of 165 degrees F. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature.

*If the turkey is done and the stuffing is not yet 165 degrees F, remove the stuffing from the turkey and place it in a greased casserole dish and continue cooking until it reaches 165 degrees F.

Leftover Storage and Reheating Tips

*Remove leftover stuffing from the turkey immediately (within two hours)after dinner. Store in small, shallow containers and put in the refrigerator or the freezer.

*Use leftover stuffing within 3-4 days when stored in the refrigerator. Cooked stuffing can be frozen for up to 1 month.

*Use an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator to ensure your refrigerator is at 40 degrees F or below.

*Reheat cooked leftovers to 165 degrees F as measured with a food thermometer.

*When microwaving leftovers, make sure there are no cold spots in the food. Cover food, stir and rotate for even cooking.

For Food Safety Support:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration – 1-888-SAFEFOOD – For questions about safe handling of the many foods that go into a holiday meal, including eggs, dairy, fresh produce and seafood.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Meat and Poultry Hotline – 1-888-MPHOTLINE (1-888-674-6854) M-F, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST.

Open Thanksgiving Day, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. EST. Email questions to the hotline at mphotline.fsis@usda.gov

Or ask a food safety question at AskKaren.gov

Food Safety Support

For Food Safety Support:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration – 1-888-SAFEFOOD – For questions about safe handling of the many foods that go into a holiday meal, including eggs, dairy, fresh produce and seafood.

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Meat and Poultry Hotline – 1-888-MPHOTLINE (1-888-674-6854) M-F, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. EST.

Open Thanksgiving Day, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. EST. Email questions to the hotline at mphotline.fsis@usda.gov

Or ask a food safety question at AskKaren.gov

Turkey Guide – Part 2

Commentary

Today we have Part 2 of the Turkey Guide…. Thawing a Turkey and Cooking Methods…. both contain important information to not only help you thaw and cook the turkey but also help you choose the type of turkey that’s right for you. Both posts contain information from the Butterball website… I encourage you to go to their site and look around… they have lots of great information ….about their products, how to cook them, recipes and other really useful information.

I’ll be posting additional installments to this Turkey Guide along with my regular posts, so check back daily for additional information.

Cooking Methods for Turkey

Cooking Tip of the Day

There are a number of ways to cook your turkey….

• Roasting
• Grilling
• Rotisserie
• Deep Frying
• Brining

Roasting is the most popular way to cook the turkey… it utilizes an oven … so no special equipment is needed…. and you can stuff the turkey….but depending on the part of the country you’re in, some of these other methods are popular too.

Grilling sounds great provided you have the Charcoal Grill or Gas Grill to accomadate that size piece of meat…. and you’re not waste deep in snow (ode to Colorado).

Rotisserie is the method of cooking used when you cook and brown your turkey evely as it rotates over the heat source. This method works best with turkeys that are 12 pounds or less. You don’t stuff the turkey… you cook the stuffing separately in a casserole dish in the oven. You also need a rotisserie oven.

Deep frying turkey is very popular here in the south, a lot of people deep fry their turkeys in large deep fryers…. this time of year you see lots of displays in grocery stores with large containers of peanut oil …. (Imma Yankee… and well… we roast our turkeys…. )… this method requires a large deep fryer …either an outdoor propane fryer or an indoor electric fryer. You can’t stuff the turkey with this method… you need to cook it separately in the oven. It is recommended that you fry turkeys that are 14 pounds or less. … turkeys over 15 pounds… you need to separate the legs and thighs and fry them separately.

Brining is taking a raw turkey and soaking it in salted water for a number of hours while refrigerated to help it retain moisture during the cooking process. For this you need a fresh, non-basted turkey. Brining is ineffective on frozen turkeys and may interfere with the flavor of basted or kosher turkeys... it is also important to take the wrapper off and take out the insides (giblets etc) (you'd be surprised how many people forget to do that!).

So when choosing a cooking method… you need to consider:

• Special equipment you may need
• The limitations of the size of the turkey
• Whether or not you want to stuff the turkey
• Personal taste and preference

You can go to the Butterball website to get step by step instructions for cooking turkeys for each of these methods.

Roasting
Grilling
Rotisserie
Deep Frying
Brining


Picture from William Sonoma Willie Bird Pre-Brined Fresh Turkey

Thawing a Frozen Turkey

Cooking Tip of the Day

Most brands of frozen turkey have thawing instructions on the wrapper… it is recommended you follow their instructions. The instructions below are from Butterball. For additional thawing instructions for other Butterball products such as frozen fully baked or smoked turkeys… go to their website.

For Thawing a Frozen Whole Turkey, Whole Turkey Breast or a Boneless Roast:

Refrigerator Thawing:

Thaw breast side up, in the unopened wrapper, on a tray in the refrigerator (the tray will prevent juices from the thawing turkey leaking onto other foods and contaminating them).

Allow for at least 1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey.

Cold Water Thawing:

Thaw breast side down, in unopened wrapper, in enough water to cover it completely.
Change the water frequently to keep the turkey chilled.

Estimate a minimum thawing time of 30 minutes per pound for a whole turkey.









Source: Butterball

Let’s Talk Turkey

The start of November starts thoughts of the holidays… and I’m right there with you. I’ve decided to start the first week of November off with a Guide to Turkeys and Thanksgiving.

I thought by doing this early you could make your decisions in time to take advantage of any sales that your area might have. I hope you find the information helpful…. I will try and provide you with additional links to other sites and phone numbers to call that you might find helpful.

The goal is to have a wonderful, relaxing holiday and most of all being able to enjoy it with family and friends.

Photo from holidayfoodsafety.org

Fresh or Frozen Turkey – Your Decision

Cooking Tip of the Day

Choosing a fresh or frozen turkey is a matter of preference. There are some things to think about when making the decision.

Thawing Time

The biggest thing to think about when choosing a fresh versus a frozen turkey is that a fresh turkey requires no thawing. A frozen turkey will require several days of thawing (I will post a thawing guide, as well, there are different methods of thawing, some take longer than others).

Taking Advantage of Sales

A frozen turkey will allow you to purchase it well in advance and take advantage of any sales that your area might have in early November.

Storage

Storage is another consideration…. Do you have the freezer space to store the turkey? Take into account any other needs you might have for freezer space for the month.

How Much Turkey to Buy?

Cooking Tip of the Day

How big a turkey you need to purchase is dependent on a number of things. …

• How many adults and how many children will be there?
• Are they big eaters?
• How many other food items will be served at the main meal?
• Haw many food items will be served before the main meal?
• How long between when your guests will arrive and the main meal… essentially how long will they be consuming any appetizers or hors’douvres?
• Do you want leftovers?

There is a general rule of thumb to figure about 1 pound of turkey per person. I would suggest you go to the Butterball website ….. they have a neat calculator to help you determine the size turkey needed. It has a box to check for big eaters … which is good… but I don’t think a family has all big eaters… so that could cause them to over calculate the amounts needed. I must warn you though, I put in our family’s criteria and it came up with a size turkey I know will be way too large. … but it’s a good guide….

They way I do it… is …. I figure 1 pound per adult… ½ pound for any children under 10… and about 2 pounds for leftovers. I think that leaves sufficient leeway…. not every child will eat ½ pound… nor will every adult eat a pound… so that “overage” can be figured for some of the big eater portions… and 2 pounds of leftovers (which is on the low side)… any over calculation on the per person amounts makes up for the leftover shortfall. To account for the big eaters… add about 2 pounds for every 2-3 big eaters.

The bottom line is… I would do the Butterball calculation and I would do one by yourself…. use that as a poundage range…. When you go to purchase a turkey you will likely have to settle for a size in between anyway.

For example:

We have 8 adults and 2 children planned… 1 pound for each adult….the children are very young… but I still count them as ½ pound each…. I figure their unused portions will go nicely to leftovers… we like leftovers.

8 adults= 8 pounds
2 children=1 pound
Leftovers=2 pounds

Total 11 pounds

We have 2 big eaters… I added 2 pounds……because we also like a lot of leftovers... so that brings the total to 13 pounds….

The Butterball website came up with 18 pounds…. way too much for us... I think the problem with the calculator lies with the fact it assumes all 8 adults and 2 children are big eaters when the big eaters box is checked…. when I unchecked the “big eaters” box it came up with 13 pounds… which matches my calculation. By the same token I caution you when checking the “light eaters” box….. the poundage in my example drops to 9 pounds….

In both cases the leftovers box was checked…. personally I think 9 pounds for 8 adults and 2 children is low…. Light eaters or not… especially since we want leftovers.

Have I confused you? I hope not… I hope I helped….






You may also be interested in these posts...

Fresh or Frozen Turkey - Your Decision
Cooking Methods for Turkey
Thawing a Frozen Turkey
Safe Handling and Roasting of the Turkey Tips
Stuffing Tips
Food Safety Support
Safe Carving and Serving of Turkey
Storing Leftovers Safely
Time Limits on Leftovers
Fun Stuff - Turkey Trivia
Additional posts you may find helpful:

Using Thermometers
Instant Mini Grilling Thermometers