→Turkey trauma: This stress can make you want to order a baked bird and all the trimmings for carryout or call for reservations. Wait. Thanksgiving is all about hearth and home and family coming together. It is not about fretting over the turkey. Don’t be intimidated by those perfect turkeys pictured on the covers of November magazines.
→Buy ahead: Focus on planning the meal and getting the best bird for your budget. A frozen bird on sale a day before Thanksgiving can be stressful. Buy ahead when the selection is best. Pick frozen turkeys with uniform shape. An irregular shape could indicate the bird was not treated well during processing. Worse, it could be the result of a partial thaw at some point.
→Thawing: Proper thawing, slowly in the refrigerator, is best; allow three or four days, depending on the size of the turkey. Thawing in a sink or ice chest submerged in cool water works overnight. Last-minute turkey shoppers should try to get a fresh turkey (check the dates) or buy turkey breasts or smaller sizes. Find out now when your grocer or butcher is taking orders for fresh turkeys, to get the size you need. Rushing the thaw and roasting a partially thawed turkey could leave you with a rare bird.
→Brining: I have been delighted with the results of brining my turkey for several years now. More recently, I had the experience of roasting a brined turkey that was dry and salty. What happened? The bird had been prebrined in the processing.
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