Thanksgiving USA (2025)

[SoCalZone10]

Washing birds before cooking is no longer recommended. It increases the chances of food poisoning due to cross contamination. The potential bacteria the water would have contact with will be killed in the oven anyway.
Do a quick google, the advice in the UK, Europe and America is the same.

I understand, my husband’s friends from UK often told me, but I usually do my salad before I prep my turkey, and I wash the turkey in a pot and then dump the juice in the sink, no splashing, no possible cross contamination with anything.
I’m a careful cook and I’ve done this way for over 35 years. Nobody has gotten sick eating at my house yet.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

I understand, my husband’s friends from UK often told me, but I usually do my salad before I prep my turkey, and I wash the turkey in a pot and then dump the juice in the sink, no splashing, no possible cross contamination with anything.
I’m a careful cook and I’ve done this way for over 35 years. Nobody has gotten sick eating at my house yet.

If it makes you feel better then why not.

 

[badjak]

I may have tld this before, but not sure.
I got invited to a thanksgiving due here in Zambia by an American girl.
I think there were 12 of us and there was so much food! Lots of leftovers.
She said that that would hardly have been enough for 5 back home.

We did drink a little bit more than she was used to though

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Ah but a feast without plenty of leftovers isn’t a feast!

 

[SoCalZone10]

Actually I cook a lot for Thanksgiving but I have a break for 4 days.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Actually I cook a lot for Thanksgiving but I have a break for 4 days.

Same. Well almost. It’s usually 3 days after Mind you that’s probably because it’s how long it takes me to recover from a cookathon

 

[karadekoolaid]

When we do a turkey, which is usually at Xmas, not Thanksgiving, we smother it with butter and oregano, cover with slices of streaky bacon, and inject it with a mixture of orange juice, white wine, and rum.
If that doesn't kill off the "bacteria", the little blighters will be so drunk, they'll be fighting each other.

 

[badjak]

Never been a big fan of turkey, but it is actually quite good on the weber braai after brining

 

[Morning Glory]

Washing birds before cooking is no longer recommended. It increases the chances of food poisoning due to cross contamination. The potential bacteria the water would have contact with will be killed in the oven anyway.
Do a quick google, the advice in the UK, Europe and America is the same.

Agreed.

Mod.comment: For safety reasons we do not recommend or endorse rinsing or washing raw poultry.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Mod.comment: For safety reasons we do not recommend or endorse rinsing raw poultry.

Bit confused, my post is saying it’s best NOT to rinse poultry. Perhaps you meant that comment for someone else?

 

[SoCalZone10]

I understand, I’m not recommending it for anyone.

 

[Morning Glory]

Bit confused, my post is saying it’s best NOT to rinse poultry. Perhaps you meant that comment for someone else?

Simply replied to last message on the subject. It agrees with your point. I was simply making it an official forum position. Edited the post to add that I agreed with you.

 

[SandwichShortOfAPicnic]

Simply replied to last message on the subject. It agrees with your point. I was simply making it an official forum position. Edited pist to add that I agreed with you.

No worries.

 

[Gone Hiking]

We're hosting Thanksgiving on Friday to accommodate everyone's schedules, but have begun the prep work to host fourteen.

Mrs. GH roasting some turkey scraps we bought to make gravy, here.

I've already picked the carcass to pressure can turkey noodle soup later on. (The dogs were given the less choice pickings)

The stuffing is already prepped and ready to go in the oven as well.

 

[medtran49]

Craig decided to smoke a whole turkey. It went into brine Tuesday for about 24 hours, then came out yesterday to go onto a rack to dry out in refrigerator until about an hour ago. He's got the Big Green Egg going to come up to temperature with natural charcoal and cherry wood chunks. I'm getting ready to make some enhanced chicken stock with turkey bits and mirepoix, and start on the sides.