Thanksgiving  Happy Thanksgiving Wishes(22nd November 2012)
From 101lifeStyle.com
Thanksgiving Turkey Tips:Here are a few tips that you could keep in mind while buying your perfect turkey.
- Decide beforehand what you wish to make with your turkey, whether you want to stuff the whole bird, or you want to prepare only the turkey breast, and whether you want extra leftovers for next days sandwiches and Soups.
- Weight Guidelines:
 Buy 1 1/2 pounds uncooked turkey meat per person.- Buy stuffed turkey uncooked 1 3/4 to 2 pounds per person
- Buy turkey breast with bone uncooked 3/4 pound per person
- Buy boneless turkey, breast or thigh and leg, 1/2 pound per person.
- Smaller birds (12 pounds or less) have a smaller meat-to-bone ratio, so allow 2 pounds per person. Remember that the larger the bird, the more likely you are to have leftovers for the next few days.
- Types Of Turkeys Available in the market:
- Free Range Bird: These type of birds are allowed free grazing on any grasses and grains and are a healthy form of poultry farming as the bird is not caged up. Ths USDA inspects such Poultry farms and you can avail such birds at large supermarkets, where you need to order before the holiday season.
- Organic: These types of turkeys are free-range as well as free from antibiotics and fed on a vegetarian diet, free of pesticides. The USDA regulates the label.
- Natural: These birds are increasingly popular and available everywhere from the supermarkets to the butcher's shop. They are cheaper than organic turkey and are of comparable quality. Do read labels before buying.
 Kosher: These birds are free from antibiotics and are fed a vegetarian diet, and has undergone a salting process after slaughter that gives the meat a moist and juicy texture when roasted. They do not require brining. The only drawback is that they are harder to pluck. They are available fresh at butcher's shop and also frozen at supermarkets.- Self Basted: In an effort to retain the turkey's flavor throughout extended freezing, many companies inject the meat with a solution of salt, butter or oil, and sometimes herbs, spices, and preservatives. Self-basting turkeys require less basting during roasting.
- Fresh Or Frozen? Another confusion is whether to buy fresh or frozen turkey. If you are buying 3-4 days before preparing, then you can go for frozen ones as they will get defrosting time and stay fresh. But if you are buying the day before, you need to go for fresh bird. The supermarkets offer branded frozen ones, and the difference is very negligible. The choice is personal, some people love the taste of fresh turkey only.
- If you are buying from the butcher, order 2 months advance as they sell off very fast.
- De-frosting: Do not leave the bird to defrost over the kitchen counter. Instead leave it in the fridge in a shallow pan along with its wrapper. This might be time consuming though. You could also defrost the turkey in cold water for 9-10 hours to defrost it. The water should be 40°F or colder, and need to be replaced every 30 minutes.
 Giblets: After defrosting, or before if you buy a fresh turkey, it is necessary to remove the bag of giblets which are the edible organs like, heart, liver, gizzard and neck from the turkeys stomach. You could use this in your stuffing or in your gravy. If you forget to remove them before, you could do so after roasting. If the contents are in a paper bag, you could use them, if they are in a plastic bag and the bag has melted or burnt, you need to discard the contents as well as the bird as the chemicals from the heated plastic may have seeped into the meat.- Plucking Extra Feathers: You need to check your bird for extra feathers or quills embedded in the skin. This is usually found on the organic and kosher varieties. You could use clean tweezers to pluck them off.
- Cleaning and Rinsing: Rinse the outer side of the turkey as well as the inside cavity with cool water and pat dry. Wash the sink, basin, hands and countertop and utensils which have been used in this process with soap and water.
How To Roast A Turkey? |
