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If you have a bad memory of dry turkey from the old days, make sure to buy a fresh, never frozen turkey. A fresh bird is considerably juicier, tenderer, and has better flavor overall than frozen birds.

Turkeys range in weight from the 6 – 8 pound category to as large as 26 pounds. Small birds cook faster and tend
to be more flavorful but the con is that you have less meat to serve. Big birds mean more oven time and unless properly prepared they can end up dry and less flavorful. Consider cooking two small birds vs. one giant bird. Best to go with a basic 12 – 16 pound turkey range.

Brining

Brining a turkey adds moisture and flavor, particularly when you use a flavorful brine. The salt in your brine changes the muscle tissue of the bird so it can absorb water and therefore more flavor. We favor brine made with apple juice in place of water.

Trussing

The point of tying string around a turkey is to make the bird round with no protrusions of wings sticking out. This
prevents burning of exposed areas. Twist the wing tips, which will burn first, under themselves, using some force. Now run a strand of string under the turkey’s girth and up each side, catching the wing tips under the string. Continue the string over to the drumsticks, catching them and the fatty tail flap (referred to as “Pope’s Nose”), and tie tightly.

Turkey Lifter

This major help comes in two styles. One resembles an L-shaped metal prong. The prong goes right into the turkey’s cavity while a handle remains in your hand. All you do it lift. If you’ve stuffed the turkey, get the type that lie under the bird, and act like a sling. Either device will end burned hands, greasy potholders and lost drumsticks. Win!

Instant-Read Themometer

This is your most important tool. With this, you don’t need a roasting chart or a clock. Read the facts on the dial. There will be no question about the internal temperature of your meat. If you don’t have one, get one.


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