Turkey - Deep Gap,NC

Everything You Wanted To Know About Turkey But Were Afraid to Ask:
www.butterball.com

Good luck....I'm 48 and I still have not "done" a turkey, but hear it's relatively easy. Less is more! Don't fall for the smoke & mirrors! LOL

I've done it all:

Brined it;
Roasted it in a brown paper bag, in a turkey roaster pan, covered in tin foil, in a turkey bag
Fried it
Smoked it
Covered it in bacon and smoked it

My favorite is simply the old fashioned way....roasting it in the oven, in a pan large enough to hold it and it's juices.

#1 Buy a pre packaged turkey seasoning rub, or google one and read the ingredients and pick one that suits your tastes.

#2 Mix it with 1/2 cup olive oil and spread and massage into every cavity there is. The turkey does not even need to be completely defrosted. Just rub it in well and in between the skin parts. Place some veggies or citrus fruits into the cavity, preferably celery, onions, mushrooms, orange, lemon, etc.

#3 Cover with 2 sheets of tin foil and set in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Drop the temp to 325 and roast as directed. Baste every 30 minutes or so with a goo basting brush, meaning you suck up the juices from the pan and squirt all over. Close the oven and repeat.

#4 Remove your turkey from the oven when the legs move well or use a meat thermometer. And important tip: let the turkey stand for at least 15 minutes while you prep other things. Remove the juices for the gravy and start carving.

Enjoy!!

I use a turkey brine from turkeyperfect.com. I have gotten them from Target and the local Kroger. The brine kit comes with the seasonings and brining bag. You will need to buy vinegar and apple cider etc. Very yummy turkeys!! Good luck.

Rub butter between the meat and the skin then COAT it in seasonings. You can also buy injectables with different flavoring. They are really good and do add alot of flavor and juice to the meat.

there are a lot of great turkey brine recipes out there. My SIL has made hers that way, and they are FABULOUS, but brine can get pretty pricey. When I make mine, I just start throwing all kinds of "thanksgiving" spices in a bowl, then I wash my turkey, pat it down, and rub the spices all over the turkey with olive oil. I stuff it too. And if you use those Reynolds Turkey Bags, they come out moist and juicy too. Good luck!!

I rub butter and tyme under the skin

Brine and Butter. I brine mine for 24 hours in water and course kosher salt and some other spices. The next day I wash it off, cover it in chicken broth, and then cover it in melted butter, about a stick of butter for a 12 lb turkey. And then I season the turkey with thyme and other spices. I stuff the bird with stuffing/dressing. Some say it dries out the turkey because of the bread stuffing, I've never gotten complaints. I've read some here on mamapedia stuff theirs with veggies and some stuff with apples, which sounds good too.