OSU Extension: How much turkey do I need for a Thanksgiving feast?
Can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away? It is time to start thinking of the big Thanksgiving feast and very soon the turkey sales will start in all the local grocery stores. Just how much is too much turkey to buy? How many guests will you be having? Listed below are some turkey buying tips to help you prepare for your annual holiday purchase.
Fresh Turkeys (should be ordered in advance!)
Allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
Buy your turkey only 1 to 2 days before you plan to cook it.
Keep it stored in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it. Place it on a tray or in a pan to catch any juices that may leak.
Do not buy fresh pre-stuffed turkeys. If not handled properly, any harmful bacteria that may be in the stuffing can multiply very quickly.
Frozen Turkeys
Allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
Keep frozen until you're ready to thaw it.
Turkeys can be kept frozen in the freezer indefinitely; however, cook within 1 year for best quality.
And, don’t forget about the thawing time! It takes 24 hours for every four to five pounds of weight for a turkey to thaw in the refrigerator (a 15-pound turkey will take three days to thaw in your refrigerator). A completely thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for one or two days before cooking.
It is best to thaw turkey breast side up, in an unopened wrapper on a tray in the fridge (40 degrees F or below). Allow at least one day of thawing for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. Keep turkey in original wrapper and place on tray.
Source: USDA Food Safety Hotline
Will cranberries be on your table this Thanksgiving?
These red berries are a traditional Thanksgiving food often served in sauces, relishes, salads, breads, and various desserts. No matter how you like to prepare them, cranberries add color, taste, and health benefits to our holiday celebrations.
Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) are perennial low growing woody shrubs that produce vine-like shoots. They require very specific growing conditions of acidic sandy soils found in marshes and bogs. Today, cranberries grow commercially mainly in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington.
Cranberries naturally ripen in the fall just in time for holiday dinners. Fresh cranberries are only available in stores from October to December. However, to enjoy the unique taste and health benefits of cranberries year-round, you can freeze raw cranberries for up to nine months.
The Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association offers recipes for cranberry sauce and relish at https://www.cranberries.org/recipes/relishes-sauces-jellies.
Source: Champaign County Illinois Master Gardeners
Taking time to show gratitude during this season of Thanksgiving
Gathering around the Thanksgiving table to discuss with friends and family what we are thankful for is a time-honored tradition. However, during those conversations, do we thank the people who we work with, teach our children, prepare our food, or help us in ways we may not always realize?
Every day there are people we meet, interact with, or even work with that change our life for the better and taking time to show gratitude to these people can make all the difference. Showing gratitude, compassion, and love to those who we may interact with only for a little while is one way to change the world.
When many think of showing thankfulness, they think of financial rewards like extravagant gifts, trips, tips or paying it forward chains. However, a 2017 study from the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, showed that humans actually prefer small acts of kindness as opposed to larger or more grand gestures.
So, let’s think of some of those small acts of kindness that are either cheap or free that show gratitude to those we interact with from home to the drive-thru line.
Text Messages, notes, and letters showing gratitude: By taking the time to write a note or letter, you are showing that you are intentionally thinking about what the other person has done for you and providing a boost in personal pride.
Homemade gift or craft: Using your hands, thinking of what the person likes, and taking time to make something can be a great way to show that you are thankful for another person.
Planning a special day or activity with someone: Taking the time to plan, execute, and thinking of what someone likes is one of those small acts of kindness that shows how much you value someone. Just remember it is the thought that counts.
Source: OSU Extension Live Healthy Live Well Gratitude Challenge
OSU Extension Thanksgiving Hours
Please note OSU Extension in Fairfield County will be closed to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday on November 23 and 24. We will re-open on Monday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 a.m. Our office is located in the Fairfield County Ag Center located at 831 College Avenue Ste D, Lancaster.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: How much turkey do I need for a Thanksgiving feast?
