Turkey 101

Turkey, stuffing and all those delicious sides: Thanksgiving is definitely the time to enjoy a traditional feast. Here are some tips to get you started.

Buying the Turkey

When you’re purchasing your turkey, keep in mind that you’re looking at around one pound of meat per person.  Fresh turkeys will be fine in the fridge for two to four days while frozen turkeys will actually last up to a year in the freezer.

There are two types of turkeys to choose from: prebasted and unbasted. If you are on a budget, you can also look for something called a “utility bird” which is a perfectly good turkey that isn’t as expensive as it may be missing a wing, or has another physical defect.

Defrosting the Turkey

Keep the turkey in the wrapper in the refrigerator. Allow for one day for every four pounds of turkey. The other option is to defrost it in the sink. While still in the wrapper, defrost the turkey breast side down in cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes, allowing for 30 minutes per pound to fully defrost.

Preparing the Turkey

If you want to rinse your turkey, make sure to remove the giblets from inside once you’ve removed the cellophane. Rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly. Some people choose to skip this step as they want to handle the turkey as minimally as possible.

Stuffing

Consider cooking your stuffing outside of your turkey in order to minimize health risks as well as lower the calories. You could opt to put an apple or onion inside the bird as it cooks in order to give it some extra flavor.

If you decide to put the stuffing in the turkey, keep it loosely packed, and put it in just before you cook the turkey. Stuff the main and the back end cavity and put the skin flap over the end.

Links:
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Crafts
Thanksgiving Activities
Thanksgiving on Kaboose
Amazingmoms Home