Turkey is the mainstay of Thanksgiving dinners in the United States, but to ensure a safely cooked and good tasting bird, there is a lot more that goes into cooking a turkey than just throwing it in the oven.

"We've always just thawed it out for a few days and then just followed the directions on the oven bag," said Brooke Hart, 22, a junior from Preston, Idaho, majoring in Finance. "I never really knew there was multiple ways to cook turkey."

To help people avoid illnesses caused by improperly cooked turkey, the USDA puts out a fact sheet each year that tells what should and should not be done to ensure that the turkey is properly cooked.

One of the most important things that will ensure the safety of the turkey is how the turkey is defrosted, according to the USDA. The USDA recommends that turkeys should thaw one day in the fridge for every four to five pounds of meat.

"We always defrost turkey in the fridge because if it's put out to de-thaw, there's a chance that it will get warm and bacteria will grow on it," Marshall said.

The temperature at which the turkey is cooked is also important to make sure the bird is thoroughly cooked, according to the USDA.

Turkey should be cooked approximately 30 minutes for each pound of meat with the oven temperature no lower than 325 F and the internal temperature of the thigh should reach at least 180 F to ensure that the turkey is completely cooked.

Most turkeys come with a heat sensitive red button that pops out when it is completely cooked, Marshall said.

The USDA also says that cooking turkey un-stuffed is safer than cooking it stuffed, and if people do stuff it, to stuff it loosely to ensure uniform results.

Among the ways to cook a turkey are roasting, the most popular among Americans, cooking in brown paper bags, grilling the turkey, in a covered charcoal or gas grill, smoking the turkey, deep fat frying, cooking the turkey un-stuffed from the frozen state, micro-waving, and pressure cooking the turkey, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

"My family started frying our turkey about five years ago and it's the best ways to eat turkey," said John Nixon, 22, a junior from College Station, Texas, majoring in finance. "Once you eat fried turkey, you'll never go back."

Many people like to coat the outside of the turkey with different spices in order to add flavor to the meat.

"I like to crush garlic and rub the entire bird with garlic and salt, it just makes the meat taste so much better," said Bonnie Marshall form Provo. "We also stuff the bird with a Sage dressing to add to the flavor."

Those interested in learning more about turkey cooking safety can visit the USDA's Web site at http://www.usda.gov.



Copyright Brigham Young University 22 Nov 2002