Norbest's Consumer Turkey Hints

It's turkey time again, and Norbest's helpful hints can help make your dinner go smoothly - from the planning stages to what to do with the leftovers. Make your meals the best and safest they can be.

PLANNING
Holiday Specials
Turkey is generally less expensive prior to Thanksgiving because retailers often use turkey as a loss-leader. This means retailers will run special low prices on turkeys to entice customers into their store to buy other holiday goods.

Meal costs
The American Farm Bureau Federation reports that the traditional Thanksgiving meal cost $36.28 to serve ten people in 2003. The menu included turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas, rolls, cranberries, a relish dish, beverages, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Size
Allow three-fourths pound of turkey (raw weight) per person for generous servings with not very much leftover. If you want leftovers, increase the raw weight to about one and one-fourths pounds of turkey per person.Look for the raw weight of the turkey on the tag attached to the top of the package.

Frozen or refrigerated?
Choose the type of turkey that best meets your individual needs. Both fresh and frozen turkeys are high quality. The decision is based on convenience.

• Frozen turkeys are flash frozen to zero degrees Fahrenheit or below. They can be purchased in advance whenever it is most convenient or when they are on sale. Frozen turkeys take two to five days to thaw in the refrigerator. Thaw the turkey in its original wrapping, approximately 24 hours for every five pounds of turkey.
• A safe fast-thaw method is to submerge the turkey in the kitchen sink in cold slowly running water or cold water that is changed about every half hour. This requires about 30 minutes per pound. Never thaw a frozen turkey at room temperature or in the microwave!!
• Refrigerated turkeys are quickly cooled to 24 to 26 degrees Fahrenheit immediately after processing, and rushed to the store to assure the most wholesome non-frozen product possible. Refrigerated turkeys are convenient because they do not need to be thawed. They require special handling to assure you the best possible quality and flavor. A refrigerated turkey should be cooked or frozen by the "use by" date found on the weight tag or weight sticker.

Confused about the terms "Fresh", "Frozen", and "Refrigerated"? Go to "Fresh" Regulations for facts about USDA regulations and how Norbest deals with them.

AT THE STORE
USDA inspection seal and grade
Nearly all turkeys in the U.S. are inspected by the USDA for wholesomeness and bear the inspection seal on the label. The USDA Grade A shield means that the turkey is free from pinfeathers, broken bones, large bruises, cuts and skin tears. A turkey without the Grade A shield is just as safe and wholesome, but it may have less than optimum appearance.

Norbest Satisfaction Guarantee
All Norbest turkeys carry the company's Satisfaction Guarantee on the label. Norbest will replace any product not meeting the consumer's expectations. The Norbest quality assurance system incorporates modern process controls that assure production of the most wholesome products and that comply with or exceed regulatory requirements.

Hen or Tom?
Both are equally tender, moist, and delicious. The only significant difference is that hens are under 16 pounds and toms are over. Both are young turkeys at the time of processing.

Packaging
Look for packaging that is not torn or punctured.

PREPARING THE TURKEY FOR ROASTING

• After thawing, remove the turkey from its plastic wrapper. Remove the giblets from the neck cavity and the neck from the body cavity. (Giblets are the gizzard, heart, and liver. When cooked with the neck until tender they are a delicious addition to stuffing or gravy.)
• Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Be careful not to let raw juices or rinse water from the turkey contaminate surfaces where other food will be prepared. Carefully wash with hot water and detergent your hands, utensils, and all surfaces coming in contact with the raw turkey or its juices.

STUFFING THE TURKEY
The safest, easiest and quickest way to prepare turkey dressing is to bake it in a casserole dish or to cook it on the stove top. However, if you decide to stuff the bird follow these recommendations:

• Stuff the turkey at the last minute before roasting. If you must prepare the stuffing ahead of time, wet and dry ingredients should be refrigerated separately and combined right before roasting.
• Stuff the neck and body cavities loosely. Stuffing expands as it cooks, and loosely stuffed dressing cooks more efficiently.
• Allow 3/4 cup stuffing per pound of turkey.
• Reset the legs in the ovenable plastic clamp. Closing the openings is not necessary, but some cooks prefer to close them with skewers.
• Remove all the stuffing as soon after roasting as possible.

ROASTING THE TURKEY
Traditional roasting method:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. (Higher temperatures may leave the meat dry, while lower temperatures increase the risk of potentially dangerous bacterial growth.) Place the turkey in a roasting pan with the Tender-Timer gauge unobstructed. Cover with a lid or with aluminum foil. Remove the cover during the last half hour for final browning and to allow frequent checking of the Tender-Timer gauge. (Roasting in an open pan is not recommended because it may leave the meat dry.) Approximate cooking times for thawed, unstuffed turkey are as follows. Stuffed turkeys require an additional half hour or more.

• 8 - 12 lbs: 2 3/4 to 3 hours
• 12 - 14 lbs: 3 to 3 3/4 hours
• 14 - 18 lbs: 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
• 18 - 20 lbs: 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
• 20 - 24 lbs: 4 1/2 to 5 hours

Oven roasting bag method:
An even better roasting method is to use a turkey size oven roasting bag. The bag reduces cooking time, leaves the turkey more moist, and makes clean-up a snap! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Shake one tablespoon of flour inside the bag. Place the turkey inside and close with the nylon tie provided. Place breast-side up in a shallow roasting pan. Cut a few 1/2 inch slits in the top of the bag to allow some steam to vent. Approximate roasting times for thawed, unstuffed turkey are as follows. Stuffed turkeys require an additional half hour or more.

• 8 - 12 lbs: 1 1/2 to 2 hours
• 12 - 16 lbs: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
• 16 - 20 lbs: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
• 20 - 24 lbs: 3 to 3 1/2 hours

Outdoor grill method:
Preheat the grill to medium heat (follow manufacturer's instructions). Place a drip pan under the grill rack about six inches longer and wider than the turkey. Brush the turkey and the grill rack with oil. Place the turkey on the grill rack over the drip pan. Cover the grill and roast over medium, indirect heat for the following approximate roasting times:

• 8 - 12 lbs: 2 to 3 hours
• 12 - 16 lbs: 3 to 4 hours
• over 16 lbs: (not recommended)

Microwave:
Cooking turkey in a microwave oven is not recommended. Flavor and texture are of lower quality, and the risk of foodborne illness is higher.

Basting:
Basting the turkey during roasting does not get any of the basting broth into the turkey meat itself, and is completely unnecessary. Norbest Tender-Timed young turkeys come already deep basted. Norbest uses a unique pre-basting method to place the broth deep into the turkey meat. Our broth contains no fats or oils, but natural turkey broth and light seasonings to bring out the best natural roast turkey flavor.

TESTS FOR DONENESS
Tender-Timer:
Norbest's unique Tender-Timer pop-up roasting gauge takes the guesswork out of roasting a turkey. The red center stem of the Tender-Timer pops up to indicate when the turkey is done to perfection. Check the Tender-Timer gauge frequently during the last hour of roasting time. When it pops up your turkey is done! Other tests for doneness include the following:

Meat thermometer
The turkey is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit, or registers 170 degrees in the deepest part of the breast. The thermometer should not be touching the bone. Stuffing is done when the thermometer registers at least 165 degrees F.

Other tests for doneness
The turkey is done when the leg joint moves freely when the drumstick is jiggled, or when juices run clear when the skin between the thigh and the body is pierced with a fork.

CARVING AND SERVING THE TURKEY

• Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving. This makes the meat juicier and easier to carve.
• Take the stuffing out of the turkey as soon as possible.
• Carving the dark meat: Remove the drumstick and thigh and separate them at the joint. Cut thin slices parallel to the bone. Be careful to remove the hard tendons from the drumstick meat.
• Carving the white meat: Make a deep horizontal cut low on the breast as close to the wing as possible, all the way to the rib cage. Carve the breast downward to this base cut in thin slices.

LEFTOVERS

• Remove all the meat from the bones as soon as possible. Meat should not be left at room temperature longer that two hours, and should not be refrigerated while still on the bones.
• Store leftovers in shallow containers and use them within four or five days.
• Store meat, dressing, and gravy in separate containers. Leftover stuffing and gravy should be used within two days. Bring the gravy to a rolling boil before serving.
• Leftover turkey may be frozen and held up to one month. The easiest and safest way to thaw it is in the microwave.
• For lots of great leftover recipe ideas go to Recipes.