Easy Preparation of a Turkey

With Thanksgiving just behind us, here is a tip for future preparation of a turkey.  This was my first year to prepare a frozen turkey. I have always paid a little more and purchased a fresh one.  I'll definitely do that next year.  I bought a 20-lb. turkey and the second day in the frig it was still as hard as a rock.  I called the Butterball hotline and got some advice.   If I had not soaked it in water for 4 hours one day and 2 hours the next, we would not have had turkey on our Thanksgiving table this year.  It took four days to thaw even with this process and I still had to yank some of the giblets out that were frozen in the center.

How to Roast a Turkey

My usual method is to bake it the day before we eat it (I use the Reynolds' Oven Bags), and have my husband carve it that day as well.  I save the drippings in a ziplock bag and put everything in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day I skim off the fat and then put the congealed drippings on top of the sliced turkey.  Be sure to save 2-3 tbsp. of drippings to add to your gravy!  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 300 degrees for one hour.  It tastes just like you baked it that day and there's not a huge mess all over your kitchen OR your dining table.  This simple process sure saves me on Thanksgiving or the day of the actual meal so I can relax a bit, too.  Try it.  I think you'll like it.