With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I felt it would be helpful to answer a few “Mundane Mysteries” about preparing your turkey for the big day. With a little help from the good folks at Butterball, who handle tens of thousands of calls to its Thanksgiving hotline every year, here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
HOW DO I THAW A TURKEY?
Always do it in the fridge, never at room temperature. They also suggest you thaw your turkey one week before Thanksgiving, so get to it.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT A DRY TURKEY?
Make sure to keep your frozen turkey in a deep freeze rather than a frost free refrigerator as freezer burn could result in a dry turkey. And monitor the cooking process — cooking at a high temperature and too long can result in a dry turkey.
HOW DO I DECIDE WHAT SIZE TURKEY TO BUY?
Butterball actually has a calculator to help. It asks how many people you’re feeding, whether or not you like leftovers and several other questions.
WHAT ARE GIBLETS?
The heart, liver, and gizzard of the turkey. These parts should be removed from the turkey cavity before cooking, but they can be used to make gravy.
WHAT KIND OF THERMOMETER SHOULD I USE TO TEST MY TURKEY?
The kind doesn’t really matter, but always use a properly calibrated meat thermometer, which should read at least 165 degrees in the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh.
Got a Mundane Mystery you’d like solved? Send me a message via social media (@AndyWebbRadioVoice), or shoot me an email at [email protected].
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