17 Turkey Mistakes Everyone Makes
Please put down the turkey baster.
You wait too long to buy a turkey.
If you're buying a frozen, conventional turkey (like Butterball) from the supermarket, buy it 1-2 weeks in advance and store it in your freezer.
If you're buying a fresh turkey (conventional OR free-range organic) from the supermarket, you can't pick it up too far ahead of time, because it'll go bad. But you can and should call the supermarket to reserve your fresh turkey at least two weeks in advance.
If you're ordering a super fancy turkey, such as a Heritage turkey, order online at least a month in advance. The turkey will be delivered to you the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
You forget that a frozen turkey takes FOUR DAYS to thaw.
The best way to thaw your turkey is in the refrigerator, where a turkey thaws at a rate of 4 pounds per day. So a 16-pound turkey will take four days to thaw.
If it's already too late and you need to thaw your turkey ASAP, here's how.
You don't realize that many turkeys are pre-brined.
That frozen Butterball "Contains up to 8% of a solution of Water, Salt, Spices, and Natural Flavor." That means Butterball did the brining already in order to extend the shelf life of the turkey. The same is true for kosher turkeys, so always check the ingredient list, and if there's already salt injected into your turkey, don't brine it.