We did a test turkey last week. It was frozen and we defrosted it in the refrig for four days and when I cooked it lightly stuffed wrapped in foil (wrapping in foil cuts out an hour usually) at 450 for 3.5 hours I THOUGHT it showed with the temperature gauges that it was ready. When we went to cut ‘er up the interior layers were not fully done although the outer was perfect. Anyone every experience something such as this before? I am wondering if it had to do with the frozen aspect.
Our turkey tomorrow is fresh and we will be adding at least an hour, but the problem is that I am fearful about the temperature gauges showing it was done. Obviously I flubbed there, but wonder if something such as this has ever happened before. It has never happened to me before. I am very nervous now that I have wrongly placed the temperature gauges. Any tips, suggestions? Needless to say I am filled with great anxiety. Pray for me. :-). LOL. Many blessings to all on Thanksgiving.
There have been times when the deep interior shows some pink but I go ahead and serve the outside. That’s why although we say the blessing with the turkey on the table (photo op), we carve it in the kitchen. I do use a temp prob and then let the bird rest at least a half hour. No one has every gotten sick by the way on the two or three occasions (in 40 years). I prefer it slightly underdone to over done.
Temp guage will do it although I despise lancing my bird during cooking. 165- 170 deg. is safe. I bring mine to about 160 and let it temper for an hr. The temp will actually rise 6-10 deg just sitting there.
I just got back from my daughters house, for years her kids and I make the stuffing the night before....One of my granddaughters is home from college and wanted us to make it this year....missed a couple of years when they were teens..
3 loafs of dried bread--2 large onions chopped fine--5 large stalks of celery chopped fine---sage (to taste or smell) poultry seasoning (to taste or smell) we like lots of seasoning. This year we added 2 cups of finely chopped pecans (no walnuts in the house) Bread-- tear slices into the size of 50 cent pieces...mix together with hands, cover and let set overnight....I like to add a handful of raisins, but no one else likes raisins...
For us, we go by the smell as to how much poultry season and sage we add..
Any stuffing not in the bird is baked in the over with a little broth added for moistness, cover and put in oven 1/2 hour to 45 minutes before dinner, can be put in 1 hour before dinner depends on size of baking dish...there are then 2 types of stuffing. I like from the turkey, some of the family prefer the baked stuffing...( for 19-20 pound turkey) daughter stuffs turkey lightly, I put more stuffing in turkey than she does, but its her turkey not mine....
My mother use to add pork sausage to stuffing, but why have a turkey if you want pork.. HAPPY TURKEY DAY TO EVERYONE..
IMO 450 is too high for other than just putting it in. I do 450 and when I put it in the oven turn it down to 325. That high heat cooks the outside before the inside can get cooked. 450 at the beginning sort of sears the outside to keep the juices in. 325 (or 350) is the actual cooking temp.