Turkey Confidential

[Anonymous]

Ask your Thanksgiving questions here!

I'm a Thanksgiving first-timer as a host.

Do I need to order my turkey in advance, or I can I waltz into Giant on the 23rd and expect to buy one? I don't have anywhere to store a frozen turkey at home, so once I buy it, it will be living in a giant cooler (with ice, if necessary) until T-day.

[Anonymous]

Ordering in advance is safest. There are usually some frozen birds at the store, but you'll be at the mercy of whatever sizes they happen to have left. Ordering in advance, you can choose a size range.

Plan to start defrosting s frozen turkey at least a day in advance anyway, they take a surprisingly long time to thaw.

[Anonymous]

If you live in Maryland, this is where we order our turkeys every year.

http://www.maplelawn.com/

[Anonymous]

In colder temps, we have kept our turkey in a huge cooler on the back deck for a couple days, weighted down with heavy items so that animals can't get inside. In warmer temps, we make sure it's surrounded by ice.

[Anonymous]

Do a turkey brine for an amazing turkey. The drippings may be a bit too salty for the gravy, though I think it's worth it. I have only ever roasted it, since we don't have a smoker, but smoked turkey is amazing, and I would love to try it someday! This is the brine I use:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/85839/out-of-this-world-turkey-brine/

I clear out a produce drawer, wash and disinfect it really well, then line it with a large poultry roasting bag. Then I put the brine and the turkey in there to soak, tying up the bag at the top. It's never leaked on me, before, but I repeat the process of cleaning the produce drawer after I've soaked it.

In this area, I have never had trouble finding a turkey close to the day I will need it, but yes, it takes forever to thaw from frozen, and then if you brine, you're adding more time to it then, too. So you're not going to be buying it the day before Thanksgiving. If you roast turkey the day before, then you'll need 2 days to brine, 1-2 days to defrost, and you're looking at buying it on Sunday anyway.

[Anonymous]

Here's my go-to organic local family farm:

http://www.polyfacefarms.com/

They deliver to DC and across the area!

[Anonymous]

At Giant and Safeway, you can't expect to find a fresh turkey right before Thanksgiving, but I have always found plenty of them at Whole Foods even the day before Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

Do a turkey brine for an amazing turkey. The drippings may be a bit too salty for the gravy, though I think it's worth it. I have only ever roasted it, since we don't have a smoker, but smoked turkey is amazing, and I would love to try it someday! This is the brine I use:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/85839/out-of-this-world-turkey-brine/

I clear out a produce drawer, wash and disinfect it really well, then line it with a large poultry roasting bag. Then I put the brine and the turkey in there to soak, tying up the bag at the top. It's never leaked on me, before, but I repeat the process of cleaning the produce drawer after I've soaked it.

In this area, I have never had trouble finding a turkey close to the day I will need it, but yes, it takes forever to thaw from frozen, and then if you brine, you're adding more time to it then, too. So you're not going to be buying it the day before Thanksgiving. If you roast turkey the day before, then you'll need 2 days to brine, 1-2 days to defrost, and you're looking at buying it on Sunday anyway.

Do not brine. Cook the bird properly and you will have no problems with dryness.

[Anonymous]

My husband is very excited that my mom is letting him spatchcock the turkey this year.

I think he just likes saying "spatchcock."

[Anonymous]

Order fresh from a local farmer like the ones mentioned.

Get a high quality meat thermometer (I use a Thermapen) and pull the turkey as soon as it reachs the necessary temp, or you'll overcook it.

Foil cover the turkey for part fo the cooking so the skin doesn't burn.

Watch a youtube video on how to carve a turkey. There's a technique.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't suggest brining to a first-timer and most of the supermarket birds are already brined. You can absolutely waltz into a grocery store and buy a turkey. However, it will probably be frozen. I actually like the frozen birds but they take a long time to thaw out. At least a week in the fridge, and maybe 4+ days in a cooler. You do need to thaw it out because the giblits (organs) are stored inside of it in a paper bag and you won't be able to remove those until the bird is thawed out. Once you get those out, I like to roast my turkey in one of those oven roaster bags (they sell them near the plastic wrap and foil). Follow the directions that come with the roaster bag and you'll have a moist and tasty turkey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't suggest brining to a first-timer and most of the supermarket birds are already brined. You can absolutely waltz into a grocery store and buy a turkey. However, it will probably be frozen. I actually like the frozen birds but they take a long time to thaw out. At least a week in the fridge, and maybe 4+ days in a cooler. You do need to thaw it out because the giblits (organs) are stored inside of it in a paper bag and you won't be able to remove those until the bird is thawed out. Once you get those out, I like to roast my turkey in one of those oven roaster bags (they sell them near the plastic wrap and foil). Follow the directions that come with the roaster bag and you'll have a moist and tasty turkey.

They'll also cost more, partially because of this. Many supermarket birds, particularly Butterball, are injected with saline (advertised as "brined"), which ups their poundage. You're actually getting less turkey (and more water) per pound this way.

[Anonymous]

brining is for amateur cooks who are intimidated by one of the easiest things to cook.

The reason people brine is to avoid dry breasts.

The simple solution is to lower the temperature of the breasts prior to cooking it and they will be at the proper temperature at the same time as the thigh.

But how does one lower the temperature of the breast? Simple, get two gallon size Ziploc bags filled with ice. As the turkey is sitting on the counter before placing in the over, place the bags on the boobies and let them sit for 30 minutes.
Get an instant read thermometer and you are all set.

[Anonymous]

You order the turkey ahead of time (this week!) and then arrange with them when you'll pick it up.

[Anonymous]

You guys rock. Thanks for the tips.

I'm a competent cook. Roasted many a smaller bird. Never brined (I do cover the breast in bacon, tho). Was not planning to brine. Would love to buy a nice local bird from Polyface or the like, but $$$ is an issue.

Any peapod veterans? Can I order the bird in advance from Peapod? Right now they are saying they are out of stock.