Post by eyeofthestorm on Nov 28, 2021 7:20:55 GMT -6
I canNOT calculate when a turkey will be finished roasting. This has been an ongoing problem for most of my life. There have been years when we sat down to eat the turkey because it was done (way early) and hot and no one really wanted to wait to eat it cold (or have it dry out being re-heated)... but the sides weren't done.
This year, I acknowledged my shortcomings. I told DH my plan and explained that my plan really meant very little since I could never figure out when the turkey would be done.
So - I made most sides ahead. They would each need about 30 minutes in the oven. I did put the stuffing/dressing inside the turkey. I hadn't done that in over ten years, but my mother ALWAYS did, and now all the sites have directions for it, so it must be considered safe again (if you test for temperature, which I did). 😏 The turkey pan is pretty big, but I figured out how I would be able to squeeze in one pan for a side and do the rest in the toaster oven (it's a big-ish toaster oven).
According to the websites, my stuffed, 24-pound turkey would take between 5 and 5-1/2 hours to roast at 325. I put it in the oven at 11 AM. So, I'm thinking, 4, 4:30...
It was done at 3:30. It was just dumb luck I caught it. I had just basted it, and something made me look in there 5 minutes later. Surprise, the pop-up thermometer had popped up. I use my proble thermometer to check the thigh and the stuffing. Both were exactly where the food safety experts said that should be.
The good news is that in the half hour to roast the sides, I was able to let the turkey stand (15 minutes), and then I carved it. So, in the end, everything made it to the table mostly hot. And, for the most part, the meat was not dry at all.
So - how do YOU know when your turkey will be done? After all these years, I feel like it's still a big mystery.
This year, I acknowledged my shortcomings. I told DH my plan and explained that my plan really meant very little since I could never figure out when the turkey would be done.
So - I made most sides ahead. They would each need about 30 minutes in the oven. I did put the stuffing/dressing inside the turkey. I hadn't done that in over ten years, but my mother ALWAYS did, and now all the sites have directions for it, so it must be considered safe again (if you test for temperature, which I did). 😏 The turkey pan is pretty big, but I figured out how I would be able to squeeze in one pan for a side and do the rest in the toaster oven (it's a big-ish toaster oven).
According to the websites, my stuffed, 24-pound turkey would take between 5 and 5-1/2 hours to roast at 325. I put it in the oven at 11 AM. So, I'm thinking, 4, 4:30...
It was done at 3:30. It was just dumb luck I caught it. I had just basted it, and something made me look in there 5 minutes later. Surprise, the pop-up thermometer had popped up. I use my proble thermometer to check the thigh and the stuffing. Both were exactly where the food safety experts said that should be.
The good news is that in the half hour to roast the sides, I was able to let the turkey stand (15 minutes), and then I carved it. So, in the end, everything made it to the table mostly hot. And, for the most part, the meat was not dry at all.
So - how do YOU know when your turkey will be done? After all these years, I feel like it's still a big mystery.