Please help! Mom says you're not supposed to season turkey! WTF

[Anonymous]

Please help me convince her otherwise. Shes about to put it in the oven and she says no seasoning bc it makes it dry
Is this true? I dont want a bland turkey.

[Anonymous]

Look up Barefoot Contessa turkey. Your mom is wrong. And she isn't making the turkey anyway, so she can sit down and shell the peas.

[Anonymous]

Your mother could not be more wrong. Did you grow up with very bland turkey. Pour her a sherry and tell her to stay out of the kitchen.

[Anonymous]

It is sort of true. If you salt a turkey too much (this doesn't count for the brining method) you can remove moisture from the bird. However, adding sage and onion or other non salt seasoning to the cavity of the bird will not dry it out.

Mostly the seasoning makes the bird smell yummier while cooking it in the oven. Since stuffing the turkey is no longer recommended, I usually slice an onion into quarters, put in half an orange, add sage and thyme and then cook in the oven.

Very little of the seasoning (if any) transfers into the meat.

[Anonymous]

Overlooking is what makes it dry

[Anonymous]

Salting it too much wont make it drier when it has finished cooking, though it will make salty. You can google science videos on this.

[Anonymous]

If this is your biggest struggle today count yourself lucky.

Let it go.

Make really good gravy to put on it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is sort of true. If you salt a turkey too much (this doesn't count for the brining method) you can remove moisture from the bird. However, adding sage and onion or other non salt seasoning to the cavity of the bird will not dry it out.

Mostly the seasoning makes the bird smell yummier while cooking it in the oven. Since stuffing the turkey is no longer recommended, I usually slice an onion into quarters, put in half an orange, add sage and thyme and then cook in the oven.

Very little of the seasoning (if any) transfers into the meat.

Osmosis.

[Anonymous]

Dried out turkey is from the temp being too high and cooking it too long.

My husband always seasons his turkey breast up well the night before. We have never had a dry turkey.

[Anonymous]

That is hilarious! Of course you season it. It makes the outside crisp and the inside juicy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If this is your biggest struggle today count yourself lucky.

Let it go.

Make really good gravy to put on it.

OP here. Thanks, I'm really biting my tongue today and letting lots of things go.

So about the gravy I was planning on making giblet gravy using the turkey neck giblet etc. And I walk past the trash can ( this is at the same time I discover there's ni seasoning on the turkey mind you) and I see the turkey neck, giblet, etc in the trash. I remind mom at this time that I needed those to make gravy and she responds " oh don't worry about it I bought gravy packets from the store." At this point there was steam coming from my ears.

I'm in ths bedroom on dcum trying to get my head in a better place before going back into the kicthen to continue with the mac n cheese.

the turkey should be done in a little over an hour and I'm interested to how it tastes. She did end up putting in the oven with no seasoning by the way. I wasnt in the mood to tackle her and wrestle the turkey pan out of her hands.

im just trying to make the sides the best we've ever had to make up for the turket/ gravy situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your mother could not be more wrong. Did you grow up with very bland turkey. Pour her a sherry and tell her to stay out of the kitchen.

No! That's the crazy part about all of this. My mom used to season the turkey. When I peppered her wih questions today she said the she stopped seasoning a couple years ago and that she didn't season last years turkey either. She usually does the turkey and I do all the sides. I don't remember last years turkey being bland but I didnt see her make it either so Im not sure how much of the truth I am getting from her.

[Anonymous]

One cook in the kitchen at a time works best. Remember that for next year!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is your biggest struggle today count yourself lucky.

Let it go.

Make really good gravy to put on it.

OP here. Thanks, I'm really biting my tongue today and letting lots of things go.

So about the gravy I was planning on making giblet gravy using the turkey neck giblet etc. And I walk past the trash can ( this is at the same time I discover there's ni seasoning on the turkey mind you) and I see the turkey neck, giblet, etc in the trash. I remind mom at this time that I needed those to make gravy and she responds " oh don't worry about it I bought gravy packets from the store." At this point there was steam coming from my ears.

I'm in ths bedroom on dcum trying to get my head in a better place before going back into the kicthen to continue with the mac n cheese.

the turkey should be done in a little over an hour and I'm interested to how it tastes. She did end up putting in the oven with no seasoning by the way. I wasnt in the mood to tackle her and wrestle the turkey pan out of her hands.

im just trying to make the sides the best we've ever had to make up for the turket/ gravy situation.

Oh! I am sorry. That really sucks. My mom taught me how to cook but she has been gone for over 20 years. She would turn in her grave if I used a gravy packet.

[Anonymous]

We always season ours. First we coat in olive oil, then use salt and spices. Cover in foil for the first part of cooking, then uncover so the skin gets crispy.

We also make gravy using cornstarch and milk with the drippings from the turkey. Never store bought or from packets.

I'd just let it go and suck it up. Maybe you can cook next year.