CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Thanksgiving falls late in November this year, but before you know it, you will be planning, prepping, and cooking for the holiday. The experts at the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line will be waiting by the phone to answer your questions all month long. 

Since 1981, Butterball’s Turkey Talk-Line has employed scores of experienced home chefs, nutrition experts, and food professionals who answer questions from amateur chefs and hosts. The Butterball Talk-Line is now also able to take texts.

Topics the hotline experts can cover: 

Party Planning: How much, when to buy, what to do now to have a seamless holiday

Turkey Prep: From oven roasted to deep fried, how to get the perfect turkey on the table

Mistakes: What are the biggest mistakes the experts hear and how to easily fix them

Frequently asked – and answered – questions on the hotline:

  1. Can I use a turkey that has been stored in my freezer since last year? (Answer: For best quality, you want a turkey that has been in your freezer for no more than six months. But it is fine after a year.)
  2. What size turkey should I buy? (A pound and a half per person usually works out well.)
  3. If I’m having a really large group and need 30 pounds of turkey, what do I do? I don’t want to make a 30-pound bird. (Answer: You don’t have to buy a 30-pound bird. You can buy two 15-pound turkeys.)
  4. How long before Thanksgiving should I buy my frozen turkey? (Answer: Early. If you buy it early, then it’s so easy to thaw. A frozen turkey takes one day in the refrigerator for every four pounds.)
  5. I don’t have a big enough pan for my turkey. Is a foil pan OK? (Answer: You certainly can use those, yes. But you want to put the pan and the turkey on a cookie sheet with sides, so you can grab the cookie sheet when you’re putting the turkey in and taking it out of the oven.)
  6. I think my turkey is already thawed, and it’s two days before Thanksgiving. Do I have to cook it today? (Answer: No, because after you thaw it, you have an additional three to four days. But what I tell people is not to count Thanksgiving. That’s a roasting day, not a thawing day.
  7. I’m cooking my turkey tomorrow. It’s 20 pounds and frozen solid. What do I do? (Answer: You can thaw it in cold water. Submerge it in a sink, tub, or cooler and cover it with cold tap water. You want to change the water every 30 minutes. For each pound of turkey, it needs a half hour in the water. That size turkey would need 10 hours. Overnight, it goes back into the refrigerator.)
  8. Should I wash my turkey? (Answer: No, you really shouldn’t. The thing that’s great about Butterball turkeys is that they’re all cleaned out and everything like that. And if you wash your turkey, you’re getting raw juices splashing all over your kitchen. Just pat them down with paper towels and in the body cavity to get some of that liquid out of the middle.)
  9. Is it safe to stuff my turkey? (Answer: Yes. You want to stuff it right before you put it in the oven. You don’t want to prepare it like that and leave it in the fridge all night.)
  10. Should I baste my turkey? (Answer: The skin of the turkey is really like a raincoat. The basting liquid that you put on goes right back into the pan. Hand-basting doesn’t go into the flavor of the breast.
  11. I’m not sure if my turkey is done. What do I do? (Answer: You can’t tell if a turkey is done just by looking at its color. And some people just cook by the time. They look and it says three and a half hours, so they cook it for three and a half hours. You really need to cook by temperature. Get that meat thermometer out, buy one if you don’t have one, and make sure it’s calibrated.)
  12. How long are leftovers good for? (Answer: In the refrigerator, for best quality, you want to use them in about three days. If it’s more than you know you’re going to be using in that period of time, cut it up, put it in the freezer.)

For more answers, recipes, and tips, visit the Butterball website, How To | Butterball. Call the hotline at 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372).