If you’re planning to host family and friends this Thanksgiving, let the experts at 1-800-Butterball answer all the questions you might have on how to prepare the turkey.
Now and through the end of December, Butterball has more than fifty experts ready to answer every question imaginable when it comes to cooking a tender, juicy bird.
The Turkey Talk Line started back in 1981 with six experts who answered about 11,000 cooking questions and has since grown in the number of calls and questions.
Butterball Turkey Talk-Line Expert, Astrid Volpert, said she’s heard it all.
“We’ve had people from Colorado and other places where it snows and they stored the turkey in a snowbank,” she said. “The next day they couldn’t find the turkey because it snowed again. People who left their turkey in the trunk of their car or in their garage.” She said one caller asked if they could put the turkey in the dishwasher, “so they could wash it and thaw it at the same time.”
She said the question they are most often asked is how to thaw the turkey.
“That is what they usually get wrong,” she said. “Sometimes they leave it on the counter, or they want to do it really fast, so they give it a shower or want to put it in a hot tub and that is where they go wrong because we want to do it safely. We want to make sure that turkey stays at 40 degrees or less as it is thawing. If the turkey has been out and above 40 degrees, it’s not safe.”
This year Butterball is introducing a new product, Cook from Frozen, which helps hosts skip the thawing process and allows them more free time to be with family and friends.
“All you have to do is open it, put it in the pan, brush it with oil, then you put it in the oven at 350 and it’s ready to go,” Volpert said. “After four hours you put foil over it and you get the tender, juicy wonderfully brown Butterball that we are all used to.”
Volpert said once the turkey temperature reaches 170 degrees internally, it is ready to rest and serve along with all the sides and trimmings.
The Cook from Frozen option is an option for those who want to host but might not have extensive cooking experience. The turkey is pre-brined and seasoned, however hosts can also add their own spices and herbs if they please.
“People are excited about serving a good turkey,” she said.
She recommended at least two pounds of turkey per person. The extra leftovers will be great for use in sandwiches and soup recipes in the days that follow Thanksgiving.
If you prefer to purchase a traditional Butterball turkey, the best way to thaw it is in the refrigerator. Place the unopened turkey, breast side up, on a tray in refrigerator. Allow at least 24 hours for every 4 pounds. When thawed, keep in refrigerator for up to 4 days until ready to cook. Remove packaging, neck and plastic bag containing giblets (in neck cavity). Drain juices and dry turkey with paper towels.
If you happen to procrastinate and need a quicker thawing method, thaw turkey breast side down, in an unopened wrapper, with enough cold water to cover your turkey completely. Change water every 30 minutes and if turkey cannot be completely covered, rotate every 30 minutes to keep the turkey chilled. You can expect 30 minutes of thawing per pound of turkey.
For recipe ideas, turkey chats with experts and all thins Butterball visit: www.butterball.com
Turkey Talk Line experts are a phone call away at: 1-800-Butterball (288-837-2255)