Welcome to the important topic of “Turkey Talk!” Let’s be real- cooking the turkey can be nerve wracking, especially if you are doing so for the first time. This isn’t something that the average family cooks on the daily, but it is definitely a necessity for many families on Thanksgiving. We want you to be confident in cooking, and we want everyone to stay healthy and safe this holiday season! Here are a few tips to keep in mind while preparing this year’s turkey dinner.

Thawing the Turkey

This is something that a lot of people choose to do differently, and to be quite honest, there really is no “wrong” way to defrost (besides letting the turkey thaw at room temperature on the counter. That’s a no-no!) Here are some of the most common ways to thaw the frozen turkey.

• Refrigerator Thawing -> this is considered the easiest way to defrost the turkey, but it’s also one of the longest ways (so you will need to plan ahead for timing!) All you do is keep the turkey in its frozen state, breast side up in a container or tray, and place right in the fridge. Here is handy calculator and conversion table for your Thanksgiving turkey thaw time (depending on the weight of your turkey!)
• Cold Water Thawing -> this is a much faster method for defrosting the turkey but will require more attention. The turkey must be in a leak=proof plastic bag and must be submerged in cold water, never warm or hot. The water must be changed every 30 minutes or so to ensure that it stays cold!
  • Approximate time to defrost a whole turkey in cold water:- 10 pounds — 5 hours
    – 15 pounds — 7 hours
    – 20 pounds — 10 hours
    – 25 pounds — 12 hours

Food Safety

It’s always important to make sure you take special precautions while cooking the turkey, to ensure that the meal is both delicious and safe! Foodsafety.gov gives some awesome tips to follow before cooking the turkey, while cooking the turkey, and when consuming leftovers.

Butterball Hotline’s FAQ

This is an awesome article to check out on five Thanksgiving turkey questions that are most frequently asked on Butterball’s hotline. There are so many resources available to you in preparing your Thanksgiving meal, and it’s important to check them out. There are definitely people that start from scratch, who don’t have a family member to learn from and need some guidance on how to do it just safely and just right. You are not alone! Take these tips, read some more, and make this holiday one to remember.

Want to host Thanksgiving dinner next year, but looking to make a move first? Contact me today!