Should I baste my turkey?

Table of Contents:

1. Should I baste my turkey?
2. When should I buy my Thanksgiving turkey?
3. Are Butterball turkeys better?
4. How long does it take a 20 pound turkey to thaw in the refrigerator?
5. What size turkey is best?
6. How many people will a 12-pound turkey feed?
7. How many will a 6 pound turkey breast feed?
8. Should you rinse a turkey after brining?
9. When should I take my turkey out of the refrigerator before cooking?

Should I baste my turkey?

Do Not Baste. Basting the skin is not necessary to flavor the meat. You'll flavor the skin, but you'll also let heat out of the oven each time you open it to baste. "That means the bird is going to be in there for a longer time cooking, which means it's going to dry out more," Brown says.

When should I buy my Thanksgiving turkey?

A: When you buy the bird depends on whether you're going with fresh or frozen. A raw, fresh turkey should be stored for no longer than two days in the refrigerator. So if you're buying fresh and want to keep it that way, you'll have to make the purchase right before Thanksgiving.

Are Butterball turkeys better?

Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. ... We pre-brine directly in the breast meat ensuring you can take the turkey from the packaging to your pan without a lot of additional preparation before cooking and enjoy the most tender and juicy turkey possible.

How long does it take a 20 pound turkey to thaw in the refrigerator?

Thaw It in the Refrigerator For it to work, however, you'll need plenty of time: 24 hours of defrosting time for every 4 to 5 pounds of bird. A large turkey, say, 15 to 20 pounds, will need to spend 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.

What size turkey is best?

Choosing the Right Size Turkey When choosing a turkey to serve on Thanksgiving, figure 1 1/2 pounds per person. If you are serving 10 people on Thanksgiving, choose a bird that is 15 to 20 pounds. Smaller birds that weigh less than 12 pounds have a smaller meat-to-bone ratio, so figure two pounds per person.

How many people will a 12-pound turkey feed?

8 people

How many will a 6 pound turkey breast feed?

We recommend bone-in and skin-on breasts, which is what we use for this method. One (three-pound) half-breast will feed two to four people. A whole (six- to seven-pound) turkey breast (two breasts, still joined at the breast bone) will feed six to eight people.

Should you rinse a turkey after brining?

Resist any temptation to rinse the turkey after brining. There will be no trace of salt on the surface and rinsing would only make the skin less prone to browning.

When should I take my turkey out of the refrigerator before cooking?

Your turkey will cook more evenly and faster if you start it out at room temperature so remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. If you plan to stuff your turkey, wait until you're ready to put it in the oven before putting the stuffing in the turkey.