“It’s an 800-number. The phones are staffed by experts.”
Fans of “The West Wing” may recall the scene in which President Jed Bartlet is surprised to learn there is a hotline for turkey preparation questions. Decades later, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line has evolved into more than a phone help line.
Andrea Balitewicz, supervisor of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line, shared some of the most common questions her team gets around Thanksgiving.
One involves the debate between brining a turkey or salting it.
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“Butterball turkeys are already deep-basted with a light salt solution, so it’s not necessary,” she said. “All you need to do is unwrap it, place it on a rack in your roasting pan and roast it at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you do want to brine, reduce the salt so your gravy and turkey aren’t too salty.”
Most turkeys have a pop-up timer, but Balitewicz said not to trust it.
“A pop-up timer is definitely not accurate and it’s not deep enough in the meat,” she said. “Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature so you know it’s done for food safety. Deep in the breast and deep in the thigh should reach 170 degrees Fahrenheit.” She added that stuffing should reach 165 degrees.
And if you forgot to thaw your frozen turkey, it’s not too late to cook it.
“Refresh the water about every 30 minutes and it’ll thaw one pound for every 30 minutes,” she said.
The hotline (800-BUTTERBALL) still exists, but there are now more ways to get turkey questions answered. Home cooks can use an online chat on Butterball.com, ask “Alexa, ask Butterball...” on Amazon Alexa, email experts using Butterball’s online form, or text questions to 844-877-3456.
