... Let's Talk Turkey!     

Fresh vs. Frozen

According to Rick Rodgers, author of Thanksgiving 101, there's no contest between the two. "Fresh is always better. Frozen poultry is drier, which is why many are injected with that chicken soup solution," he says, referring to the liquid put into the breast in an attempt to keep it moist.

Wolff's turkeys are always fresh, never frozen and are raised locally at the Esbenshade Farms in Lancaster County, PA. They are all free-range birds and are given no growth hormones.

How to Stuff a Turkey

Actually, you can enjoy stuffing (recipes) with your turkey whether or not you decide to stuff the bird. If you prefer, you can bake your stuffing separately in a greased, covered casserole during the last hour while the turkey roasts. You'll save time by not stuffing the turkey and having to scoop the stuffing out to serve it once the turkey is done. And an unstuffed turkey takes less time to cook than one that is stuffed.

It may seem like a good idea to save time by stuffing your turkey in advance, but for safety, turkeys should only be stuffed at the last minute.

You can prepare the dry ingredients of your stuffing in advance and let them sit, covered, at room temperature, but the perishables (butter or margarine, mushrooms, apples, cooked celery and onions, broth) should be refrigerated. The ingredients should then be combined just before stuffing the turkey.

The cavity of the turkey should be stuffed lightly, because stuffing expands as it cooks. Allow 3/4 of a cup of stuffing for each pound of turkey. Extra stuffing may be baked separately.

To keep the stuffing in the turkey, you need to close the neck and body cavities. Fold the neck skin over the back and fasten with a skewer, clean string, or toothpicks; twist the wingtips under the back of the turkey to rest against the neck skin. To close the body cavity, use skewers, or tuck ends of legs under a band of skin at the tail, or tie the legs together with clean string.

How to Roast A Turkey

1. Set the oven temperature to 325° F.
2. Cooking Times are based on a fresh turkey at a refrigerator temperature of about 40° F or below.
3. Place turkey breast-side up on a flat wire rack in a shallow roasting pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. You may brush the turkey with cooking oil or melted butter.
4. Place a meat thermometer into the turkey. Insert it through the foil (see optional steps) into the thickest part of the thigh muscle without touching the bone. The inner thigh is the area that heats most slowly.
5. Optional steps:
   • Add one-half cup water to the bottom of the pan.
   • In the beginning, a tent of aluminum foil may be place loosely over the breast of the turkey for the first 1 to 1-1/2 hours, then removed for browning. Or, a tent of foil may be placed over the turkey after the turkey has reached the desired golden brown color. *Birds tented with foil for the entire cooking time can increase the cooking time required.
   • Basting is not necessary because the liquid runs off the turkey and into the pan since it cannot penetrate the turkey's skin. But basting may help produce a golden brown bird and crisp the skin.

6. Roast according to the following chart (provided by the United States Department of Agriculture):

   UNSTUFFED*

   8 to 12 lbs............…...2 3/4 to 3 hrs. 12 to 14 lbs.....…........3 to 3 3/4 hrs. 14 to 18 lbs...…....3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hrs. 18 to 20 lbs..….....4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hrs. 20 to 24 lbs...…..........4 1/2 to 5 hrs. 24 to 28 lbs.......................5 to 6 hrs.

   STUFFED*

   8 to 12 lbs..........…...3 to 3 1/2 hrs. 12 to 14 lbs........…....3 1/2 to 4 hrs. 14 to 18 lbs.......….....4 to 4 1/4 hrs. 18 to 20 lbs....…..4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hrs. 20 to 24 lbs...…...4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hrs. 24 to 28 lbs..........5 1/2 to 6 1/2 hrs.

   *The roasting times provided are approximate, and should be used in conjunction with a meat thermometer or other method of testing for doneness.

7. Testing for Doneness. For safety, the most reliable method for detecting when your turkey is thoroughly cooked is using a meat thermometer.  The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 180ºF to 185ºF in the inner thigh (See step 4) of whole turkeys. The temperature of the stuffing should reach at least 165ºF. To check the stuffing, insert the thermometer through the body cavity into the thickest part of the stuffing and leave it for 5 minutes.
   Another method for testing doneness is to press the fleshy part of the thigh with your fingers. If the meat feels soft, or if the leg moves up and down easily and the hip joint gives readily or breaks, the turkey is done.
   Doneness can also be detected by inserting a long-tined fork into the thickest area of the inner thigh. If the juices run clear, with no traces of pink, the turkey is done.

8. Let the bird stand, covered, 20 minutes before removing stuffing and carving. Allowing the turkey to stand, covered loosely with aluminum foil, makes the meat juicier and easier to carve.

9. Carve and serve with gravy (recipes)

How to Deep Fry a Turkey

How to Carve a Turkey

1. Removing drumstick and thigh - To remove drumstick and thigh, press leg away from body. The joint connecting the leg to the hip will often times snap free or may be severed easily with knife point. Cut dark meat completely from body by following body contour carefully with knife.

2. Slicing the drumstick - Place drumstick and thigh on cutting surface and cut through connecting joint.  Tilt drumstick on convenient angle, slicing towards table.

3. Slicing thigh - To slice thigh meat, hold firmly on cutting surface with fork. Cut even slices parallel to the bone.

4. Preparing breast - In preparing breast for easy slicing, place knife parallel and as close to wing as possible. Make deep cut into breast, cutting right to bone. This is your base cut. All breast slices will stop at this horizontal cut.

5. Carving breast - After making base cut, start at the bottom, carving downward, ending at base cut. Start each new slice slightly higher up on breast. Try to keep slices thin and even.