It's good to note that the heritage turkeys are mostly dark meat, as well.

Reply

The best method for producing a moist and flavorful bird is by emersion in a brine solution overnight.See Alton Brown's recipe at FoodTV,

Reply

Want a good tasting and juicy turkey? First buy a Reynolds cooking bag. It is well worth the money. Then a buy a fresh turkey with a popup timer. When the timer pops, the turkey is done, no guesswork. Before you place the bird in the bag, rub fresh lemon all over the bird. The lemon takes any poultry type smell away. Follow the bag instructions, watch the timer and you will have a great turkey.

Reply

If you do choose a convential turkey, cooking it breast side down will keep it from being dry.

Reply

Harold is so right. I tried the bag method about 5 or 6 years ago and I've never gone back to having to open the oven, let the heat out, baste the turkey and watch it still turn out dry. But be sure to watch the turkey as it cooks ALOT faster in the bag.

Reply

A school cafeterian told me years ago about the bag method, using a brown paper grocery bag, oiled on the inside, and crimped at the top to close it. She also told me about the overnight method, baking at 225-250 degrees. I put the bird in the oven just before going to bed, and it smells heavenly in the morning.

Reply

With the bag method do you have to baste it?

Reply

take the turkey in the cavity insert fresh oranges some slices of apple and some cold butter wype turkey down with oilive oil then add poultry seasoning and rub bird put in plastic bag set timer cook till half done remove from over gently turn turkey over brest side down return to over all the juice will filter through the brest meat makeing a very moist juicy bird

Reply

Go to a Jewish grocery store, and buy a Kosher Turkey. Best you will ever eat.

Reply

2 words: DEEP FRIED. Although it sounds greasy it actually produces the best turkey (which isn't greasy because the skin fries first and then keeps the grease out...I guess) I have ever had. It cooks at 3 min per pound and we usually rub the inside and out with seasoned salt or cajun seasoning (depending on your spiciness desired). It does require a special frier, a big one.

Reply

For the past 15 years we've been using a Brinkman Smoker to cook our T-day turkey. The skin is the perfect golden/brown and very crispy and flavorful and the meat is the juciest of any method. Now, it takes a bit of prep. First, I use a quart sized metal bowl filled with hickory chips that were soaked in white wine over night and the bowl if full of wine/chips mix. That goes in the bottom holder with the charcoal (Oh and don't use the "Chemical" type commercial bag charcoal, get the good stuff) the turkey is slathered in a butter/Jack Daniels paste, inside and out and then cooked breast down. I put in on at about 6 am and it's ready for afternoon dinner. we've been going to the ocean beach with the motor home for years and everyone in camp has to come by to taste/see what the smell is!!! Absolutely the best

Reply

My suggestion is to prepare the turkey by rubbing it all over with a vegetable oil, salt and pepper it and stuff it with carrots, onions, celery, apple, fresh tyme and fresh rosemary This makes the turkey taste good and the drippings are unbelieveably yummy for gravy. Then roast the turkey in a shallow pan at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 and roast until a meat thermomator reaches 161 degrees. Let it rest 30 minutes before carving. I'm facinated by the brining method but for those of us that need to restrict our sodium intake, it's not a good idea.

Reply

Dress your table with this dressing!

one loaf of the cheapest generic bread you can find--cubed and dried.

One pan of cornbread--I'll give you that, also--broken up and dried

1 extra large onion--2 smaller ones will do--cut up small

celery--break off 3 or 4 stems from the big stalk--wash and use the leaves, also

4 cloves garlic

2 heaping tablespoons sage

6 whole eggs

1 stick of butter or margarine

boiled gizzards (optional)about a pound--coooked with salt, pepper and onion---you can use the broth as part of this dressing.

NOW!

Find the biggest bowl in your kitchen as you will need it!

Put all this stuff ( do all your cutting the day before so all you have to do is throw it together)-
in the bowl--add enough chicken broth to make it soupy, Mix it all up and add enough salt and pepper to flavor it--but be careful!!! Don't make it salty to taste--it will end up too salty when it has finished baking! Let it sit until the dressing has "softened" and is still a little more like panckae batter. DON'T STIR IT TOO MUCH OR IT WILL BE PASTY!

TRANSFER IT TO SMALLER PANS--I USE ONE BIG ONE FOR THE TABLE--THE REST GOES IN LOAF DISPOSABLE LOAF PANS SO THE KIDS CAN TAKE SOME HOME WITH THEM.

Bake it at 350 degrees covered with aluminum foil about an hour. It will rise in the pan some. Take off the foil and brown the top. The longer you cook it the drier it gets,but most people don't like it dry--this is something you can slice when it is cold. And the longer you cook it the saltier it gets!

ENJOY!

Cornbread

2/3 cup of Cornmeal
1 cup Flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cooking oil
Enough milk to bring it to pancake battter consistency
Grease pan and dust with cornmeal

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees-put the mix in the oven--wait 5 minutes and lower heat to 350, Bake until the top is a golden brown. It will rise like the dickens--not like your regular stuff--and it will be moist on the inside--crunchy on the outside! Be sure to check for doneness with a toothpick and don't cook to long. It usually take about 35 minutes. But the best indicator is the browning on the top.

Reply

I use the bag, also. I have for years. But the best trick is to get a smaller turkey. If you need a large amount, consider getting 2 at no more than 10 pounds each. Smaller turkeys are not as dry, cook quicker, and have much more flavor. I've even gone the school agriculture fund-raising sale smoked turkeys! They are delicious, and only reguire thawing and heating as they are fully cooked. They are great for people who only get the one day off and have to work late the day before Thanksgiving! They saved many a Thanksgiving for us when I was working the late shift. And try my dressing recipe! It will follow in the next comment!It was one I adapted from Lady Bird Johnson's recipe that was published in the paper when I was a kid!

Reply

Remember as stated above, cooking in a bag greatly reduces the cooking time. Years ago, when I cooked the turkey prior to putting in a bag, it took hours to ensure the bird was cooked properly. Now, I have to remind myself each year that by putting the turkey in a bag, it will be done in just a few hours. I have used the clear bags, remembering to put some flour in the bag prior to putting in the bird. I also stuff my bird with some dressing as my family loves it that way. The remainder of stuffing (dressing) is cooked in the oven after I take the turkey out. I make traditional sage stuffing and a good friend, an older Irish woman, told me to use saltines with the bread. Just one package or less. Also, she always toasted her bread the night before. These things do make a difference. I also use eggs, celery and onion sauted (sp?) in butter, simmer the giblets, ect. with water, celery and onion and use this to moisten; add sage and poultry seasoning to taste. Stuff, put in bag, put in small amount of flour, and bake. Enjoy!!

Reply

A note about smoking a turkey. first you do want lump charcoal not the commercial briquets. You should plan on about 1 hour of smoke time per lb. of turkey. it's also hard to properly smoke a turkey much larger than 12 lbs. keep the smoker temp between 200 and 225. Smoked turkey actually tastes better the next day.

Reply

I ve been cooking my turkey the day before for several years...I cook it in a roaster,debone it, then pour chicken broth and juices from cooking over it ...put it in refrigerator overnight and all I have to do is warm up for 30-45min before eating ...no mess on Thanksgiving day and I have time to play with my grandchild.

Reply

I found out the best way to defrost a rock solid frozen turkey in less than 4 hours:

I took the 14.5 pound rock solid frozen butterball turkey out of the package and immersed it in a large cooler with warm water in which I had added approximately 3/4 to 1 cup of salt. The thing that took the longest to defrost enough to remove was the plastic bag with the neck inside. This is NOT a recommended method for defrosting a turkey, but it is possible to thaw the turkey if you wish to get the turkey ready to cook quickly. I then removed the turkey from the salty water and stuffed the turkey, cooking it as usual. It is important to cook the turkey right away if defrosting it in this way to prevent (e. Coli or somonella) bacteria formation. The turkey was delicious.

Reply

I buy my turkeys when the price is low, right now 25 cents a pound have seen them at 18 cents last year. I buy about three large birds. My family loves turkey anytime. Dont care what kind it is, I have found the store brand better than the more expensive ones!Grew up on butterball never thought it was that great or flavorful. IHave no problem in roasting a turkey anytime during the fall and winter. Breast side down will give you moister breast meat. Salt pepper it and rub with olive oil, the trick is to season the inside cavity well,also add a whole onion or two inside. I dont baste unless it is looking very dry, leav it alone set the timer and you will have a perfect bird.Bake 325 25 minutes per pound!

Reply

We have turkey at least once a month not just for holidays. Delicious meal and great leftovers.

Reply