Thanksgiving Turkey Tips

Is Your

Thanksgiving Turkey

 Thawing YET?

(and other Turkey tips)

THAWING

• Thawed slowly in the refrigerator it takes about 1 day for every 5lbs. 
• If it is still not thawed within hours of cooking you can speed up the process a little by running the turkey under cold water.
• A tip from the Food Network: For a crisper skin, remove the Turkey from its packaging and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator over night.

PREP.

• Remember to: Remove the gizzard packet!
• Wash the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.
• If you like to stuff your turkey, a lightly stuffed turkey cooks better 
• A 15 lb turkey will hold 6 cups of stuffing. 
• Tuck the legs under the tail and tie with string. 
• Twist the wings up, under the back. 
• Coat the turkey with vegetable oil and seasonings.

COOKING 

• When cooking the turkey plan 15 to 20 minutes per pound.
• A partially frozen turkey will require additional cooking time. (Sometimes a lot more).
• Opening the oven too often will make the overall cooking time take longer as the oven has to rewarm each time.
• The turkey thermometer should read 180 degrees F in the deepest spots and the stuffing should read 165 degrees F.
• Dark roasting pans with lids are better for cooking a turkey than foil pans or tenting the turkey with foil. 
• Rotating the turkey may help if your oven heats unevenly or if the size of the turkey is preventing heat from circulating correctly.

SERVING

• Let the turkey cool for at least 15 minutes before carving.
• 1.5 lbs of Turkey per person, with 15 lbs of Turkey serving 10 people.

And I found this helpful site: www.eatturkey.com when looking around for turkey tips, it has lots of recipes, how to carve a turkey, leftover recipes, side dishes, and a wonderfully detailed thanksgiving timeline.

Have a tip? Share it in the comments below!

 Holiday Haven's home page.