Everything you need to know about selecting, storing, prepping, and using turkey but didn’t know who to ask.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Tantalizing odors oozing from the kitchen. The laughter and gentle buzz of family and friends gathered around the dinner table. It is a meal I prepare with loving care.
This week I am sharing My Favorite Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe. My daughter, Jenny, says: “It’s just not Thanksgiving without Mom’s favorite stuffing recipe.” I am sure your family members have a traditional dish they insist you prepare every year as well.
I am also sharing my turkey chapter from my Grocery Shopping Secrets book. The centerpiece of the Thanksgiving meal is turkey, and you want to serve your family the very best. Titles of each section are bolded, so if you have specific questions about selecting, storing, or prepping turkey, you can jump right to that section. Also, I highlighted in yellow my most important tips about turkey.
Next week I’ll be sharing my new Thanksgiving side dish recipes: Warm Autumn Pumpkin Salad with Dried Cranberries, Arugula, and Feta Cheese; Sweet Potato Souffle; and my husband’s favorite, Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
My Favorite Thanksgiving Stuffing
Serves 8 to 10
For the stuffing:
12 ounces dried apricots, diced
1 cup Grand Marnier®
In a small saucepan, place apricots and 1 cup Grand Marnier® over a medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
½ cup butter
2 cups white onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
½ pound bulk pork sausage
24 ounces Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing
1 cup slivered almonds
¼ cup butter
3 cups canned chicken broth
½ cup Grand Marnier®
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
Large grind black pepper to taste
In a large skillet, melt ½ cup butter over a medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Cook pork sausage in the same skillet, crumbling with a fork, until sausage is no longer pink. Remove from the heat, drain any excess grease, and add to the onion mixture. In a large bowl, add stuffing mix, apricots with liquid, and slivered almonds to the onion mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Heat remaining ¼ cup butter and chicken broth in a small saucepan over a medium heat just until butter melts. Pour over stuffing mixture and add remaining ½ cup Grand Marnier®, thyme, and salt. Mix well to evenly moisten stuffing. Season to taste with pepper. Makes enough stuffing for a 20-pound turkey.
For the turkey:
1 turkey (about 20 pounds) ready to cook
2 oranges, cut in half
¼ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt to taste
Large grind black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Wash turkey according to the directions that follow in Tips on prepping turkey. Squeeze juice from oranges evenly over outside of turkey and in neck and body cavities. Spoon stuffing loosely into the cavities. Set extra stuffing aside. Close cavities with small trussing skewers. Place turkey on a roasting rack in a roasting pan breast side up. Spread butter over the skin of turkey and sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover with aluminum foil, pressing the foil lightly at drumstick and breast ends. Avoid letting the foil touch the top or sides. Roast for 3 hours. Remove the foil and roast, basting occasionally until juices run clear when meaty part of the thigh is pierced with a sharp skewer, about 3 more hours. Bake leftover stuffing in a covered baking dish at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Cooking tip: For a smoother Thanksgiving morning, chop the onion, celery, and apricots the night before. Place them in covered containers and refrigerate until it’s time to stuff your bird. This stuffing is so good you will want to extract every bite. Try inserting a piece of cheesecloth into the bird’s cavity before stuffing. When you remove the cloth, all the stuffing comes magically out all at once.
Now, let’s talk turkey.
Should I buy a fresh or frozen turkey?
The debate over whether to purchase a fresh or frozen turkey can best be answered by the amount of space you have in your refrigerator for storage and the time required for safe thawing. If you shop ahead of time, it is safer to purchase a frozen turkey. If you purchase your turkey 1 to 2 days before cooking, you can feel safe purchasing a fresh bird.
A fresh turkey has never been held at a temperature colder than 26 degrees F. Even though water freezes at 32 degrees, turkey meat will remain pliable at this temperature. Fresh turkeys will cost more than frozen because their temperature needs require special handling. Your supermarket should keep fresh turkeys between 38 to 40 degrees F.
When shopping for a fresh turkey, check for indications that it has been stored at the proper temperature. Apply gentle pressure to check for signs of freezing. A fresh turkey will feel pliable. Examine the turkey for signs of ice crystals. Avoid fresh turkeys that have ice crystals. Supermarkets sometimes mound turkeys in refrigerated coolers above safe refrigeration levels. Select turkeys that have been stored at least 2 to 4 inches below the top of the cooler.
Commercially frozen turkeys are flash frozen. This is a process that cools them rapidly to 0 degrees F. Flash freezing ensures that the turkey will have the same level of freshness as the day it was frozen. There is, therefore, no difference in quality between fresh or frozen. Flash frozen turkeys will keep up to 1 year. They will maintain their quality better than turkeys frozen at home.
If your supermarket has a sale on turkeys and you want to purchase several for later use, it is best to purchase flash frozen birds. Frozen turkeys should be rock hard and show no signs of freezer damage. Avoid packages that have ice crystals, which may be an indication that the turkey has been stored at too cold of a temperature. Again, be sure your supermarket has stored frozen birds below the cooler’s freezer line, which is usually 2 to 4 inches below the top of the freezer. Frozen turkeys stored above this line will begin to thaw and may be kept at inadequate temperatures, allowing bacteria to form inside the bird.
Should my turkey be graded?
The USDA inspects most turkeys and grades them A, B, or C. You will know your turkey has been inspected if its wrapper bears a USDA shield. If a turkey is graded A, it is plump, has good body shape, and all its pin-feathers have been removed. It also lacks cuts, bruises, broken bones, and has no missing parts. Turkeys not graded A are safe to eat but their overall quality will be inferior.
Natural turkeys are inspected but not graded. If you are buying a natural turkey, give it a good feel to be sure it has all its body parts. Nothing like putting a one-legged turkey on your table, especially when two members of the family are fond of drumsticks.
Is the age of the turkey I purchase important?
Fryer-Roaster: A fryer-roaster is usually less than 4 months old and weighs between 4 to 8 pounds.
Young Turkey: Weighing between 8 to 24 pounds, a young turkey is between 4 to 8 months old. This turkey will be the most tender and have the most flavor. US supermarkets, for the most part, sell young turkeys.
Yearling: A yearling is 12 months old. It will not be as tender and flavorful as a young turkey.
Mature: Turkeys older than 15 months are called mature. Their meat will be tough and not suited for roasting.
What about heritage turkeys?
Raised on small farms, the heritage turkey resembles the turkey our ancestors ate. These breeds have a longer body, smaller breast muscles, and are a bit leaner than commercial birds. Heritage turkeys require 2 to 3 more months to grow to proper size for processing, making them more expensive than commercially raised birds. Most heritage birds are purchased from small farms, specialty food markets, or online.
Stick with well-known brand names to ensure a quality turkey. Some people like to buy their turkey from local farmers. Turkeys grown on local farms are raised with tender, loving care, are free-range, and fed a higher quality of feed than mass-produced turkeys. If you order your turkey from a small farm, the best turkeys are the Broad Breasted Bronze, also called the Bronze, or the Broad Breasted White, also called the Large or Giant White.
If I buy my turkey from the supermarket, what brand is best?
I personally prefer to purchase a name brand fresh turkey the day before I plan to use it. I have had good luck with Butterball®, Honey Suckle®, and Red Bird® brands. Many supermarkets advertise rock-bottom specials on turkeys at Thanksgiving. Be extra careful when purchasing really cheap birds because often times they are defective. I prefer to stick with well-known brand names to ensure a quality turkey.
Should I buy a basted or self-basted turkey?
Some bone-in poultry carries the term “basted” or “self-basted” on its label. I prefer to avoid these products because they are injected or marinated with a solution that contains butter or some other edible fat, broth, stock, or water plus spices and other flavor enhancers.
How many pounds do I need?
So, you’ve decided what type of bird you are going to purchase. The next question: How many pounds do I need? When calculating how much to buy, plan to purchase between 1 to 1½ pounds per person, depending on the amount of leftovers you’d like to have. If you’re feeding 12 people, plan to purchase a 12- to 16-pound bird.
What about labeling on turkey products?
The decision to purchase a free-range, natural, organic, or kosher turkey is one of personal preference. Following is some information to help you understand their subtleties.
Organic
This label means the turkey is fed only organic feed and is allowed to roam outdoors. In order to be classified organic, it can never receive any antibiotics and must be processed without any added flavorings, coloring, or artificial ingredients. The federal government prohibits the use of growth hormones or steroids in any commercially raised poultry.
Natural
The term “natural” indicates that the turkey has had limited processing, which means the raw product was not altered during processing. In addition, no artificial ingredients, colorings, or chemical preservatives have been added. A “natural” turkey may or may not be free range, depending on the farm, and can be given antibiotics if it becomes ill.
Free Range
Free range means the bird has been allowed to roam outdoors, which is considered to have a positive effect on the flavor of its meat. Opponents of free-range birds believe that unless their environment is strictly controlled, they will scavenge on whatever they find. If buying a free-range turkey is important to you, look for third party verification from either “Animal Welfare Approved” or “Certified Humane.”
Pasture Raised
Pasture-raised turkeys are given the opportunity to roam on green, grassy pastures. If buying a pasture-raised turkey is important to you, look for third party verification from either “Animal Welfare Approved” or “Certified Humane”.
Cage Free
Turkeys are not raised in cages, so all turkeys are cage free.
Kosher
Kosher means the turkey is raised and processed following strict guidelines and under rabbinical supervision. A kosher turkey is free range, fed only grain, and never given any antibiotics.
What’s important about storing and using my turkey at home?
Storing Fresh Turkeys
If you purchase a fresh turkey, store it in its original wrapper in the coldest part of your refrigerator, which is usually the bottom shelf near the back. Use a fresh turkey within 1 to 2 days of bringing it home. Fresh turkeys are readily available around the holidays but should be cooked within a few days of purchase.
Storing Frozen Turkeys
Frozen turkeys are available year-round. If I’ve purchased a frozen turkey on sale, I never keep it in my freezer more than 2 months. Mark your purchase date on the wrapping with a black marker.
Thawing Frozen Turkeys
Turkeys must be thawed before cooking. The preferred method for thawing a turkey is in the refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees F or lower. Allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 16-pound bird will take a little more than three days to defrost.
Turkeys can also be thawed in cold water. Place the bird, breast-side down in its unopened wrapper, in your kitchen sink and fill it with enough cold water to cover the turkey. The water must be changed every 30 minutes to ensure it remains cold. Allow 30 minutes per pound if thawing in cold water. A 16-pound bird will take 8 hours to defrost using this method.
Tips on preparing turkey: The night before cooking your turkey, remove giblets from the cavity. Rinse the thawed turkey thoroughly, both inside the bird’s two cavities and the outside skin. During rinsing, remove any pinfeathers or loose skin that might have been missed in processing. Scrape any remaining innards from the cavity. Pat the bird dry and place it in a roaster, cover with damp paper towels, and refrigerate until ready to stuff. Remove giblets from the wrapper, wash, place in a covered container, and refrigerate.
When you are ready to stuff the turkey, lightly salt the large cavity. Gently spoon in the stuffing, lightly filling both cavities to capacity. If the large cavity has a band of skin across the tail, push drumsticks under the tail. It is not necessary to fasten the opening. If there is no skin, close the opening by placing skewers across it and lacing it shut with a cord. Tie the drumsticks to the tail. Dental floss works well for lacing.
Roasting time by weights:
6 to 8 pounds 3 ½ to 4 hours
8 to 12 pounds 4 to 4 ½ hours
12 to 16 pounds 4 ½ to 4 ½ hours
16 to 20 pounds 5 ½ hours to 6 ½ hours
20 to 24 pounds 6 ½ hours to 7 ½ hours
Tips on carving the turkey: My Uncle Eddie was a butcher. The following is how he taught us to carve a turkey. His advice for making the task easier was to always use a very sharp knife and a fork with a guard.
Let the bird stand for at least 15 minutes so all the juices can be absorbed. Remove any trussing—skewers and cord. Remove any stuffing from the cavities and place in a serving dish, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside. Place the turkey on a cutting board or platter.
Hold the drumstick with one hand, pulling it gently away from the turkey body. Removing the wings last helps steady your turkey, making it easier to carve. Using a carving knife, cut through the skin between the leg and body. Then cut through the joint that joins the leg to the backbone and push the leg off until the thighbone pops out of its socket. Separate the drumstick and thigh by cutting through the ball joint.
You can carve the meat off the drumsticks and thighs or serve them whole. We like to serve the drumsticks whole and slice the thighs. To slice the drumstick, hold it upright at a convenient angle to the plate and cut downward. Rotate the drumstick so you get uniform slices. To slice the thigh, hold it firmly on a plate with a fork and cut slices parallel to the bone.
To carve the breast meat, hold the bird in place with a fork. Cut the white meat parallel to the wing. Then make a deep cut into the breast all the way to the body frame. Halfway up the breast, cut slices of white meat down to the cut made parallel to the wing. The slices will fall away from the turkey as they are cut to this line. Thinner slices of breast meat will dry out faster. Pull the wings away from the body to locate the joint. Cut through the joint where the wing attaches to the body.
Storing Leftover Turkey
Refrigerate leftover turkey within 2 hours. Cut turkey into smaller pieces, slicing meat off the breast. Wings and legs may be left whole. Place in shallow containers and store in the refrigerator. Discard the carcass or use it to make soup.
Freezing Leftover Turkey
To freeze leftover turkey meat, place it in airtight freezer containers or freezer bags. I prefer not to store a frozen turkey for more than 2 months.
Safe Refrigeration Times
Fresh turkey 1 to 2 days
Cooked leftover turkey 3 to 4 days
Cooked turkey casseroles, dishes, or soups 3 to 4 days
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2024 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
Comments