Picking, Thawing and cooking your Turkey

by -TheBestMoms

Turkey lovers in the house?

I remember throwing away what seemed like huge portions of turkey growing up in the days following Thanksgiving because we like it on Thanksgiving, but not much after that.  Back then turkey wasn’t used as frequently as it is today (my kids won’t even eat pork bacon anymore because they’ve gotten so used to eating turkey everything). If your family likes turkey a lot or if you think that you’ll be able to put leftovers to good use (lunches, prep and freeze for later dinners, etc) then get a larger bird. If your family only eats turkey because it is Thanksgiving you may want to opt for a smaller bird or even just the turkey breast that’s available at most stores.

There’s a temptation to buy a bigger turkey because it looks better but remember it also cooks longer and is more difficult to handle. A good guide is 2 lb per adult guest + 1 lb per child guest if you are expecting leftovers or just big eaters (or both).  1-1.5lb per adult and .5 lb per child otherwise. It’s better to make too much than too little in case an unexpected guest arrives, but you don’t want to go overboard.

Be sure to thaw your turkey in enough time and do it in a safe way or you may end up with a house full of the ickies in the days following Thanksgiving.

Thawing your Turkey in the Refrigerator (40 degrees F):  The basic rule to remember  is approximately 24 hours for every 5 pounds.

Thawing your Turkey in Cold Water:  This method calls for approximately 30 minutes for each pound, and you need to make sure to change water every 1/2 hour (30 min).

Best bet: Make plenty of sides! Your turkey goes longer and if a straggler shows up at the end, they won’t be too disappointed if the turkey’s all gone if you still have some yummy mac and cheese left!

Now how long should you cook that turkey?

After your turkey has been completely thawed out it will be time to get it cooking in the oven. The approximate cooking times that we have listed below are for your whole turkey being cooked at 325 degrees.

Other Tips:

Cooking breast side down – many home cooks are now baking their turkey breast side down to keep the juiciness and flipping it over to brown the skin only for the last 20-30 minutes.

Basting – You’ll want to baste your turkey through out the cooking process and when you are finished you can use those drippings for your gravy.

Support – Always place a good cookie sheet under those throwaway turkey baking pans. The turkey pan may seem fine going in but will become unstable and full of hot turkey drippings as the turkey cooks.

Prepping – Before you put your turkey into the oven, make sure you have seasoned it well. If you aren’t stuffing your turkey, fill the inside cavity with quartered onions, celery and a little sage and thyme or your favorite herbs to help flavor your turkey from the inside out.

Rub – Rub your turkey down with olive oil or drizzle and rub melted butter over the skin for added flavor and crispness. You can also add some spices to your rub – traditional poultry seasoning is good but your family might enjoy a Cajun rubbed turkey this year!

Left overs – Buy zip lock bags for easy leftover storage. Its better to just get the freezer 1/2 gallon bags in case you have to toss the left overs in the freezer.

Those darn organs - make sure you reach into your turkey and remove the bag of organs before cooking. Leaving them in can flavor your turkey, but not in a way that you’ll want. Use them for giblet gravy or what I do is cook them in a smaller pan and let my bulldog eat them while we eat our meal.

Too fast turkey – If you’re turkey gets done too fast or before your guests arrive, be sure to wrap it in foil to avoid drying it out. Once everyone has arrive you can pop it back into the oven for a few minutes to revive the heat.

Happy Thanksgiving!