Turkey
Hints & Tips:
Turkey Basics
How to purchase, stuff, and
roast a turkey. Choosing a fresh or frozen turkey. How to thaw a frozen turkey. How to prepare turkey for stuffing.
Thanksgiving Planning - Stress-Free Thanksgiving
How to plan and prepare your Thanksgiving dinner in advance without stress.
Thanksgiving
Dinner Menu
Check
out some ideas and recipe for your
Thanksgiving dinner menu.
Turkey Terminology - Types of Turkeys
Learn the differences between the
different types of turkeys in the marketplace.
Guidelines for Brining Poultry
The secret to juicy chicken breast is simple - brine them before grilling or
baking! It's very easy and economical, and requires no special cookware.
Guidelines For
Roasting a Whole Turkey
Learn how to safely and easily prepare
and roast your turkey.
Advice on
Stuffing a Turkey Safely
As the
Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday draws near, learn how to safely
stuff your turkey.
Using a Cooking or
Meat Thermometer
Have you ever cut into a
turkey to see if it has finished cooking? Cooking thermometers take the
guesswork out of cooking, as they measures the internal temperature of
your cooked meat and poultry to assure that a safe
temperature has been reached, harmful bacteria have been destroyed, and
your turkey is cook perfectly.
Making Perfect
Turkey Gravy
Hints and tips for making that perfect
turkey gravy.
Handling
Leftovers Safely
"Leftover" foods are cooked foods that you or your family do
not eat within 2 hours after they are cooked. Improper handling or
storing cooked food is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the home.
Let's Make Turkey
Stock
My favorite thing to do the morning
after Thanksgiving is to make homemade
turkey stock from the turkey carcass. It
is so easy to do and so delicious! The
turkey stock can be used for a delicious
soup or frozen for future use.
Barbecued Turkey
Cajun Fried Turkey
Smoked Turkey
Turducken
For additional food safety information about meat, poultry or eggs, call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at:
1 (800) 535-4555.
The phone line is staffed by home economists, registered dietitians and food technologists from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET year round. An extensive selection of food safety recordings can be heard 24 hours a day using a touch-tone phone.
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Roasting Your Thanksgiving Turkey
The USDA
has issued new guidelines for roasting whole
turkeys. These changes were based on a study conducted by the University of Georgia, which showed that the existing USDA cooking times were longer than needed to assure safety and doneness. The data supported reductions of 15 minutes to one hour, depending on the size of the bird.
The USDA has come up with
a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165
degrees F.
For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should
be checked with a
meat thermometer.
It appears that "timing is NOT everything." Recommended cooking techniques must also be followed. A meat thermometer should be used to check the internal temperature of the bird in several places for safety's sake and to prevent overcooking.
Many variables can affect the roasting time of the whole bird:
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A partially frozen bird requires longer cooking.
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Dark roasting pans cook faster than shiny metals.
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The depth and size of the pan can reduce heat circulation to all areas of the bird.
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The use of a foil tent for the entire time can slow cooking.
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Use of the roasting pan's lid speeds cooking.
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An oven cooking bag can accelerate cooking time.
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A stuffed bird takes longer to cook.
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The oven may heat food unevenly.
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Calibration of the oven's thermostat may be inaccurate.
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The rack position can have an affect on even cooking and heat
circulation.
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A turkey or its pan may be too large for the oven, thus blocking heat circulation.
-
The
meat thermometer must be placed properly in the thigh joint.
All these factors must be considered when roasting a turkey or any meat product. They can lengthen or shorten the total cooking time. Safe cooking relies on a combination of factors and the use of a meat thermometer.
The roasting methods or techniques used in the University of Georgia
study to determine the new approximate cooking times did show that turkeys were cooking faster. The new times are based on cooking turkeys according to the following recommendations.
Roasting Instructions For
Safety And Doneness:
1. Set the oven temperature no lower than 325
degrees F. Pre-heating is not necessary.
2. Be sure the turkey is completely thawed. Times are based on fresh or completely thawed frozen birds at a refrigerator temperature of about 40
degrees F or below.
3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Optional steps:
-
Tuck wing tips back under shoulders of bird (called "akimbo").
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Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan.
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In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be place loosely over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown.
4.
This year, the USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry
safety: 165 degrees F. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a
meat thermometer. Several types of thermometers are available on the market: regular, oven-proof; instant read and digital; pop-up timers; and microwave-safe thermometers.
-
Make sure the thermometer you buy or use is designed for meat and poultry. At the beginning or toward the end of the roasting time an oven-proof thermometer may be placed in the thigh joint of the turkey to check the internal temperature at intervals during the cooking time. Or an instant-read may be used periodically to check the internal temperature during cooking.
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After each use, wash the stem section of the thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water.
-
If your turkey has a
"pop-up" temperature indicator, it is also recommended that you also check
the internal temperature of the turkey in the innermost part of the thigh
and wine, and the thickest part of the breast with a
meat thermometer.
-
The temperature must reach a
minimum of 165 degrees F. in the thigh before removing from the oven. The center of the stuffing should reach 165
degrees F. after stand time.
5. Juices should be clear. In the absence of a meat thermometer, pierce the turkey with a fork in several places; juices should be clear with no trace of pink.
NOTE: The old-fashioned way of wiggling the leg to see if it's loose will give
you an indication that the turkey is ready, but unfortunately, by the time the
leg is truly loose, the turkey is sadly overcooked. The only reliable test for
doneness is to check the internal temperature with a
meat thermometer
in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.
6. Once you remove the turkey from the oven, tent it with aluminum foil and
allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, so the meat can firm up and hold the
juices, making it easier to carve.
Approximate Turkey Cooking Times:
UNSTUFFED TURKEY
4 to 8 pounds.............1-1/2 to 3-1/4 hours
8 to 12 pounds................2-3/4 to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds...............3 to 3-3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds...............3-3/4 to 4-1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds...............4-1/4 to 4-1/2 hours
20 to 24 pounds...............4-1/2 to 5 hours
STUFFED TURKEY
8 to 12 pounds................3 to 3-1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds...............3-1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds...............4 to 4-1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds...............4-1/4 to 4-3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds...............4-3/4 to 5-1/4 hours
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Using an oven-safe turkey cooking bag.
The
oven-roasting bag keeps the turkey very moist and it speeds up the roasting
time. The preparation and roasting steps are the same ones used for preparing
and cooking turkey without an oven bag (see above instructions) except for the
following additional steps:
-
Add a small quantity of flour to the bag and shake it to coat the
inside of the bag.
-
Place the turkey inside the bag and close the opening with the
twist tie provided.
-
A few holes should be punctured in the bag to allow some steam
to escape during the roasting process.
The
following cooking times can be used as a guideline for an unstuffed
turkey roasted in an oven bag in a 350 degree F. conventional oven.
NOTE:
An additional 30 minutes or more may be required for a stuffed
turkey. Remember - the only reliable test for doneness is to
check the internal temperature with a
meat thermometer
in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.
8 to 12 pounds ......................1 1/2 to 2 1/4 hours
12 to 14 pounds .....................2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds......................2 3/4 to 3 1/2 hours
18 to 20 pounds............................3 1/2 to 4 hours
20 to 24 pounds...........................4 to 4 1/2 hours
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