Photograph Credit: Flickr (Powen Shiah)
Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? I love this time of year with a break in the schedule to give thanks for our many blessings.
Though the commercial industry would rather gloss over Thanksgiving as a kickoff to the Christmas season, our family takes time to give thanks and enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday.
For the next three days, I will be focusing on the Thanksgiving turkey. Today, I will share, in event planning, three of four options I have used, with success, for making our Thanksgiving turkeys.
Tomorrow the miscellaneous post will be the fourth option, and the one I am leaning towards using this year. On Thursday’s food post, I will take a break from our food cycle series to share a special recipe with you.
With hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, Paul and I will be baking a turkey next Thursday. Having baked many turkeys in the past, I am considering the following options before making my choice this year. Here are three of four options I have used in the past and may end up using for next Thursday’s feast:
Deep Fry Option
One year, my husband deep fried a turkey for the Thanksgiving lunch at his office. Though the turkey was good with the meat moist, I found it less tender compared to an oven-baked turkey; however, the crunchy outside was delicious. Since we do not have a deep fryer that would hold a turkey and I will not purchase one just for next Thursday, I am not choosing this option.
Baste Option
When making my first few turkeys, I used this basting method. The results of basting are a very moist, tender, and tasty turkey. The downside is that the turkey must be basted every half hour while baking in the oven. It is very good, but takes consistent attention throughout the 2-3 hours for the end result. If the drippings are not absorbed into the turkey, the outside of the turkey will get dry.
This method was fun to do when our family was small (just Paul and I). We enjoyed making the feast together and inviting our friends and family to our table. Now that my family has grown, I prefer using time wisely to count my blessings and hang out with my family. Therefore, I will not be using this method this year for our turkey.
Brine Option
This option is by far my favorite because my husband, Paul, oversees the brining option. 🙂 He begins on Tuesday night by mixing up the brine mixture (sliced oranges, brown sugar, kosher salt, water, and spices) in a large tote. Then he soaks the frozen turkey in the brine until Thursday morning.
He babysits the mixture according to his recipe which involves adding more of the same ingredients and stirring it. We then prepare the turkey (remove the turkey guts and place in the roasting pan) and bake in the oven. The brine seals in the moisture which results in a very tender turkey. At this time, this option is my second choice.
If you want to know what my top choice currently is for next Thursday’s meal, then come back tomorrow for my answer.(Hint: It is not my crock pot.) As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, I wish you patience as you organize your meal plan, schedule, and time with your family. The better organized you are, the better you will enjoy your day. Continue using time wisely, and happy planning!
Question: What are you baking for Thanksgiving this year? Please add your answer to the comments.