You should allow one pound of turkey for each adult guest at your dinner. This allows everyone to enjoy a generous serving of turkey and guarantees enough extra turkey for additional meals.
Most people cannot tell the difference between fresh and frozen turkeys. The main thing to remember when purchasing a turkey is that a fresh turkey needs to be refrigerated until time to cook. Likewise, a frozen turkey needs to be kept in the freezer until it is time to thaw for roasting.
The best way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. Simply place the turkey, in its original wrapping, in a shallow pan in the refrigerator. You need to allow 24 hours per five pounds of turkey for thawing time, so you would allow a 15 pound turkey 72 hours to thaw.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends NOT stuffing your Thanksgiving turkey. With faster cooking birds, the turkey may be done before the stuffing. For the best, most uniform results for both the turkey and stuffing, cook the stuffing in a separate dish.
A recent study commissioned by the National Turkey Federation has proven that turkeys today take less time to cook than in the past. New breeding practices produce turkeys with a higher ratio of white meat, which cooks faster than dark meat. With this in mind, the USDA and the National Turkey Federation produced new roasting timetables.
Although many factors, including oven calibration, beginning temperature and type of roasting pan, affect how long it takes your turkey to cook thoroughly, the following times are a good guideline for an unstuffed turkey: 8 to 12 pounds - 2 3/4 hours to 3 hours; 12 to 14 pounds - 3 hours to 3 3/4 hours; 14 to 18 pounds - 3 3/4 hours to 4 1/4 hours; 18 to 20 pounds - 4 1/4 hours to 4 ½ hours; and 20 to 24 pounds - 4 ½ hours to 5 hours.
For safety and doneness, the pop-up timer in the breast should have popped, or the internal temperature registered on a meat thermometer should reach a minimum of 180 degrees Fahrenheit before removing from the oven. The meat thermometer should be inserted in the thigh, not touching any bone. The juices of the turkey should also be clear.
Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before carving.
After you and your guests have enjoyed the Thanksgiving feast, be sure to properly store any turkey leftovers. Follow these tips for safe food storage.
- Debone turkey before storing.
- Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in shallow containers within two hours of cooking.
- Use cooked turkey and stuffing within three to four days, gravy within one to two days. Cooked turkey keeps up to three to four months in the freezer.
- Reheat foods thoroughly to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit or until hot and steaming. Bring gravy to boil before using.
For further information on turkey preparation contact the UNL Extension Office in Otoe County at 269-2301.
