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Turkey Preparation

USDA  

** Turkey Preparation **

United States Department of Agriculture - Food Safety and Inspection Service
  FSIS

Countdown to the Thanksgiving Holiday

The day before Thanksgiving*
Make sure you have all the ingredients you need to prepare your holiday meal. Check to make sure you have all the equipment you will need, including a roasting pan large enough to hold your turkey and a food thermometer. Wet and dry stuffing ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated separately. This may also be done on Thanksgiving Day. Mix ingredients just before placing the stuffing inside the turkey cavity or into a casserole dish.

Thanksgiving Day*
If you choose to stuff your turkey, stuff loosely. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, since heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Place stuffed turkey in oven immediately. You may also cook the stuffing outside the bird in a casserole. Judging cooking time for your turkey will be easier if the following chart is used. The times listed are for a fresh or thawed turkey in an oven at 325 °F. These times are approximate.

Timetables for Turkey Roasting*

(325 °F oven temperature)

Cooking Time — Unstuffed

Size of Turkey

Hours to Prepare

8 to 12 pounds

2 3/4 to 3 hours

12 to 14 pounds

3 to 3 3/4 hours

14 to 18 pounds

3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds

4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours

20 to 24 pounds

4 1/2 to 5 hours

Cooking Time — Stuffed

Size of Turkey

Hours to Prepare

8 to 12 pounds

3 to 3 1/2 hours

12 to 14 pounds

3 1/2 to 4 hours

14 to 18 pounds

4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

20 to 24 pounds

4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey*

A whole turkey is safe cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F throughout the bird. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. All turkey meat, including any that remains pink, is safe to eat as soon as all parts reach at least 165 °F. The stuffing should reach 165 °F, whether cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish.

When turkey is removed from the oven, let it stand 20 minutes. Remove stuffing and carve turkey.

Proper Thermometer Placement**

When cooking whole poultry, the food thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (avoiding the bone).

A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. For reasons of personal preference, consumers may choose to cook turkey to higher temperatures. If stuffed, the stuffing must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

If cooking poultry parts, insert food thermometer into the thickest area, avoiding the bone. The food thermometer may be inserted sideways if necessary. When the food is irregularly shaped, the temperature should be checked in several places.

 

Proper Thermometer Placement
 

USDA/FSIS Photo

Is It Done Yet?

Web Site Link

May 16, 2006

Storing Leftovers*
Cut the turkey into small pieces; refrigerate stuffing and turkey separately in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. Use leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days or freeze these foods. Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 °F or until hot and steaming.

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/

*http://www.fsis.usda.gov/FactSheets/Countdown_to_the_Holiday/index.asp/

Last Modified: November 20, 2006

**http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/proper_thermometer_placement/index.asp

Last Modified: December 15, 2006

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Haverhill Beef Co.
Haverhill, Massachusetts 01830

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