[blhmabbott]

Glad to hear it....now you'll have to refrain yourself from snitching some during the day. Course, what nobody knows won't hurt you heheeh.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Heather

 

[Reauxman]

We always fry out turkeys. Guess it's a Louisiana thing.
Roo

 

[westbrook]

Thomas49,

actually I did! now I just gotta find and get it scanned in.

 

[Nan(TX)]

I got a such a kick out of reading this last year. We are going to have the old store bought turkey around 16 lbs. So who is going to have the biggest turkey this year?

 

[DrippingSprings]

I would dearly love to have a turkey that big. I ahve never seen one that big lol. Is it a specific strain etc? We have thanksgiving at my grandmothers and it isnt unusual to have three turkey to feed everyone. I just know theyd be tickled pink to see one gigantic bird on the table lol. They would accuse me of ostrich meat probably


Lets see that pic!!!

 

[deberosa]

I quartered my turkey also - he had to be at least 50 lbs. Here is his "before" picture (I hope this works - first time with new site!):

 

[deberosa]

It worked! Here is my big boy again with the hen that will live to see the New Year - she is just too much of a sweet heart for me to do the deed.

 

[peanutgreen]

The first year we raised turkeys, we ended up with two 35 pounders and a 50 pounder (dressed weight). The two smaller ones fit in the oven (barely), but the big one had to be split down the middle. We fried one half and baked the other. It tasted great, but I have to admit feeling a little guilty about killing them. They were so cute lumbering around the yard. We always joked around that one day we were going to go outside and find them laying on the ground with broken legs.

 

[perennial]

How beautiful that white turkey was....... Now while i'm eating my store bought turkey, i'll be thinking of him..........

I ordered a 21 pounder .

Someday, i'll live on a homestead and be able to have turkeys.

I cook mine at 350 for the first hour and then 325. I have a very
dark pan i use for it in the oven. Turkey sits on a rack in the pan, if it fits.
I pour some chicken broth in the bottom
of pan, finely chopped onion, couple cloves of garlic and italien seasoning. I pour olive oil over the top of my turkey and sprinkle with italien seasoning and salt and pepper.

After about an hour to 1 1/2 hours at 350, the onions, etc. on the bottom of
the pan start to carmelize, at this point, i add more chicken broth and turn down to 325. Then every hour, as the stuff in the bottom is starting to
carmelize, i add more chicken broth until my big can is almost out. Then, i melt butter - 1/2 stick at a time and pour that over the whole thing a couple of times.

When turkey is done, I simple pour some more chicken broth in with the drippings and then thicken for gravy. This gravy will be so good, you could almost eat it like soup. It has a very deep dark color and the carmelizing gives it a flavor out of this world.

I'm jelous of all your farm turkeys!

 

[sylvar]

I have a friend who has 60# turkey this year. She called Kroger's and asked to use their oven to cook it. They said no problem! Maybe you could try that?

 

[Maura]

I was gonna raise turkeys next year, but now you guys have me scared!
I'm sticking with heritage breeds, so I'm guessing I will not get giant turkeys.

I always like to bake the turkey breast just long enough to brown the skin, then turn it upside down. The brown fat along the back then self bastes the turkey. Keeping a cover on it also helps to keep the moisture in. I'd worry that a turkey that big would dry out before it cooked all the way through. Actually, I cheat with a really big turkey by cutting off the legs. The leg/hip joint always seems to be the last part to get done, but by removing the legs (and laying them on top of a dish of stuffing) the bird cooks thoroughly without drying out. It doesn't look as picturesque, but I just cut it up before bringing to the table.

 

[debitaber]

I did one that was 38 pounds. and it cooked most of the night, and all morning, and it was finially done about 3 pm. but I would cut it into. it is much easier. unles you are going to feed an army. I did mine in the oven, and it took three men to pull it out,. wow, what a big turkey it was. I did a 34pounder 2 years ago. now I will do a 25 pounder this year. but I think I will cut all of my great big ones into from now on. much easier to handle.

 

[bethlaf]

we just have alittle bird this year, 14 lbs, but we are pit roasting it , so it will be kind of different, i figure no different than pitting a pig...

 

[Surveyorwill]

Well we were able to raise our own again this year, I slaughtered him Sunday afternoon. A Broad Breasted Bronze, that dressed out at 37 pounds, we can’t wait till Thursday

 

[debitaber]

I have raised those , and I think they arebetter tasting than the great whites, and much healthier. I know you aregoing to love your turkey. have a great day.

 

[Allan Mistler]

Mr. Dot,
We always cook our turkey the night before because we eat in middle of the afternoon on Thanksgiving. We drape the entire turkey in bacon and attach the bacon to the bird with toothpicks to hold the pieces in place. Then put in the oven about 6:00pm or so, covered with foil, with the oven set at 250 degrees and forget about it until the next morning. When you wake up, the turkey should be done, or at least mostly done, and this is when we take the foil off so the bird can brown. Continue cooking at 250 until about noon, at which time you can remove the bird to make room for the pies, etc. If you won't be eating until the evening of Thanksgiving, you can always warm the bird back up in the oven. The bacon pieces keep the turkey extremely moist...we've never had to baste it. And it gives it a slightly smoked flavor. This works for a stuffed bird, or an unstuffed bird..we've done it both ways. Enjoy!
Heather

And enjoy we did!!! :worship: Heather, we've been raising our own turkeys now for about 15 years and have always had the pleasure of cooking up the Thanksgiving bird (25-45 lbs) but it has never - ever compared to the tender, juicy, fall apart in your mouth texture of this years bird when cooked as you described. DW and I remembered our mother's doing this, but forgot why... we'll never forget again!!! Thank you so much for your cooking instructions!
- Allan -