Question for experienced cooks

[Redfeathers]

I also baste often and cover loosely with tin foil, plus I put garlic cloves and rosemary under the skin so it's full of flavor, everyone loves the flavor of the garlic and rosemary even my dad who doesn't like turkey much will eat it that way, I keep the sprigs whole so I can just pull them out from under the skin when it's done and toss them...it's awesome.

 

[homecatmom]

Transplantedtexan, we too deep fry our turkeys. My BIL sets up on Wed. before Thanksgiving and has people picking up their turkeys every 1 1/2 hours all day long. He brines in a 100 gallon ice chest. It's an assembly line. This year we are running 3 turkey cookers to keep up with the orders. It's the only way to go...IMHO

 

[MS9325]

I've cooked my breast down till the last hour, and oh my gosh is it ever juicy. You will love it.

 

[Chickee's Mom]

You can never go wrong cooking a turkey, breast side down, and a fresh turkey is always way better than one that has been frozen.
If you cook it too long it will be dry, baste it quite often and use a lid or tin foil until the last to brown it nice. I never turn it.
We have already had our Thanksgiving here, today we are celebrating Remembrance Day.
When is your Thanksgiving??

 

[schmoo]

I would love to deep fry one sometime sounds great

but I like the traditional method on Thanksgiving. The house filling up with the yummy smell etc. Plus it sometimes is snowing by Thanksgiving and brrrrrrr

I think I'll try the breast side down this year. It certainly sounds like it can't hurt.

thanks for the replies and suggestions
- keep 'em coming

edited to add: ours is on November 22nd

 

[mdbucks]

I do mine in a seperate cooker, (frees up oven for pies, ham, sweet potatoes etc.....) and in a renolds oven bag. I agree with the deepfrying, but I do mine in cooker for Thanksgiving, and go to a friends where he DeepFries for Christmas. I butter mind and put a couple of cut up Onions and Apples inside. Also use Lots of OLD BAY on the outside.

 

[Rosalind]

I don't have a lid, so if I covered the roaster with foil and then uncovered occasionally to baste do you think that would that work the same?

I would do a double layer of foil then, and wrap the edges as tight as I could. Or keep adding liquid to the pan.​

 

[kcfuerst]

You can cook the turkey exactly as you have done except for one thing.... cook until 140°, take it out of the oven and cover it tightly with foil and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. During this time, it will finish cooking and be at 160° when done. Your turkey will come out much more moist.

 

[Heidi]

Our family secret that goes back many generations is put the turkey in a baking bag, stuff, salt & pepper, butter under the skin and the family secret - one bottle of beer. Our turkeys are always moist and yummy!

 

[sunnychooks]

I take a large brown paper shopping bag and spray the inside with cooking spray until it's completely saturated. Then I wash the turkey inside and out, dot it with butter, place it in the bag and bake according to the weight chart on the wrapper (I loosely fold the bag closed before I put it in the oven). I cut the bag open for the last 30 minutes of baking so that the turkey has a chance to brown. It always comes out juicy and moist!