Turkey Tech Support

They are experts in turkey. They focus on it all year long, but during November and December, when America consumes the most of the full fowl, they are there to share their expertise with you, for free.

If you are cooking this Thanksgiving Day, just remember one simple telephone number: 1-800-BUTTERBALL.

Weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., callers are standing by annually at the Butterball® Turkey Talk-Line. All residents of the United States (and Canada) are welcome to dial in, and there is bilingual assistance, too!

According to the company’s website, the hotline opened 29 years ago. The experts at Butterball have been assisting chefs in the kitchen ever since.

“These days, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line employs more than 50 professionally trained, college-educated home economists and nutritionists who respond to more than more than 100,000 questions each holiday season,” said the site. “They’ve answered calls regarding how to cook for a whole firehouse, how to impress the in-laws and how to serve international students their first American Thanksgiving dinner.”

Other common questions the experts field include what kind of pans to use when roasting, what to do if your bird is aflame and how to be sure your fowl will be ready for halftime.

Here are just a few of the Top Frequently Asked Questions the team faces each year:

•  How long do turkeys take to defrost?

Butterball recommends turkeys be defrosted either in the refrigerator for a matter of days (two to seven depending on weight) or in a cold water bath for a matter of hours (4 to 15 depending on weight). For a full guide, see the Butterball Chart online or watch a How to Thaw video for helpful tips.

•  How long do turkeys take to roast?

Turkey roasting times vary by weight and depend on the turkey being stuffed or not. A stuffed turkey will take more time to cook. Butterball recommends using an oven at 325 degrees in a flat rack with a shallow, open roasting pan. Cooking times can vary from birds of seven to 10 pounds at 2.5 to 3.5 hours up to a 24- to 30-pounder taking 4.5 to 6.25 hours.

See the full chart online.

• How do you properly stuff a turkey?

No problem there, the Butterball team has a “Stuffing a Turkey” video for that, too.

• How do I know the turkey is done?

Butterball recommends checking turkey with a meat thermometer. The temperature at the thigh should reach 185 degrees, 170 in the breast and 165 in the stuffing (if stuffed). More tips for knowing how the turkey is done can be found on the site.