What is the little red thing in turkey?

Pop-up Timer FAQ

Inside a standard pop-up turkey timer, there's a red plastic indicator stick housed in a plastic casing. The soft metal in the tip is solid at room temperature but warms as the turkey cooks and eventually melts at around 165 degrees F (73 degrees C).

Do I leave the red pin in the turkey?

The turkey I purchased had something that looked like a plastic "button" in the breast. What is it, should I remove it before cooking the turkey? The "button" you referred to is a pop-up temperature indicator, commonly called a Pop-Up Timer. No, the Pop-Up Timer should not be removed before cooking.

Can you trust the pop up timer in a turkey?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. These pop-up timers are actually inaccurate. There's a reason that turkey has a reputation for being dry, and it's because of these timers. If they ever pop at all, it can be too late.

What happens if turkey popper doesn't pop?

"If your popper didn't pop, it doesn't mean that the turkey's not done. That's where a lot of people kind of over-cook their birds — they're worried about that popper," he said. Mohan recommends first searing the bird, at 500 degrees. Then, he says, use a meat thermometer, which you can find at most grocery stores.

Can you tell if a turkey is done without a thermometer?

To find out if your turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce it with a fork in the mid-thigh muscle, explains Nicole Johnson, the co-director of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. "When the juices run clear, and no longer reddish or pink in color, it's a good indication that your turkey is done."

What's that red thing on a turkey?

Do I leave the pop up thermometer in the turkey?

This should be inserted into the turkey at the beginning of the cooking time and remain inserted in the bird while cooking. The temperature indicator will rise slowly as the turkey cooks. An oven-proof thermometer is ideal for the whole turkey and the turkey breast.

Do Butterball turkeys have the popper?

If you need any more proof that pop-up timers are bad, just know that Butterball turkey doesn't use them, Consumer Reports doesn't recommend them and food writers despise them.

Should you poke holes in a turkey?

Poke vent holes to allow the fat drippings to drain into the pan and prevent soggy skin. Roasting the turkey initially on foil prevents the breast skin from sticking to the rack.

How can you tell when a turkey is done?

What triggers the pop up thermometer in a turkey?

Here's how it works. It has the stick that pops up, a spring and soft metal that's solid at room temperature but metals and turns into a liquid at about 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When the metal melts, the spring pops up the stick so you know the turkey is done.

Where do you put the pop up in a turkey?

Push the pop up timer into the thickest part of the breast and pop the turkey into the oven. The pop up timer will 'pop up' when the meat reaches a temperature of 163 degrees Fahrenheit/ 73 degrees centigrade which is the internal temperature you want for it to be cooked.

Are Butterballs good turkeys?

Butterball turkeys are of the highest quality product and will be sure to impress your guests. Here's why Butterball is the right choice, especially for the holiday season: Butterball turkeys are always tender and juicy because we take the extra step of individually pre-brining them based on size.

Should I remove the hock lock from turkey?

"A hock lock secures the hind legs—or hock—of a chicken or turkey. It can be made of heat-resistant nylon or metal, and it's perfectly safe to leave it in the bird while it roasts.

What happens if you don't let the turkey rest?

3. The turkey needs to rest before carving. About 45 minutes or so gives it time to reabsorb the juices; otherwise they'll dribble out when you slice, and the meat will be dry.

Should I touch the turkey pan?

Selecting a Turkey Roasting Pan

The pan should just hold the turkey with no part of the bird extending beyond the pan, or the meat juices will drip into the oven. On the other hand, if the pan is too large for the turkey, the juices in the pan will burn.

Should I Brush turkey with butter or oil?

Once you've carefully dried off the skin, the next step you can take to guarantee perfectly crispy turkey skin is to rub it with a fat, like butter or oil. Oil will yield a crispier skin than butter because butter is at least 20 percent water, while oil contains no water.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350?

Turkey weighing 12-14 lbs should be cooked at 350 degrees in the oven. It will cook your meat faster and make for crispy skin. It will also make the meat taste meatier. For smaller birds, cooking them at 325 degrees cooking temperature in the oven is best.

Should I cover my turkey with aluminum foil?

We've found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time. Some people swear that roasting a turkey breast-side down and flipping it halfway through achieves the same results as a foil covered breast.

What is injected into a Butterball turkey?

In fact, there is no actual butter in or on a Butterball turkey. The fresh turkeys are injected with a basting solution made of salt water and “common household spices,” one brand representative told me. Butterball will not share the ingredients of its secret basting formula.

Are you supposed to take the plastic thing out of the turkey?

The "plastic thing" on the turkey legs is the hock lock. It secures the hind legs, or hock, of a chicken or turkey. It can be made of heat-resistant nylon or metal, and it's perfectly safe to leave it in the bird while it roasts.

Should I remove the plastic holder from the turkey?

Speaking of plastic, turkeys usually come with a plastic or metal crimp, called a hock lock, holding the legs together at the back. You can leave it on or take it off; the legs may cook more evenly without it.

Why don't Butterball turkeys have a pop up thermometer?

Butterball turkeys don't come with a pop up timer as the company finds them unreliable when it comes to determining doneness.

Is turkey done at 165 or 180?

Hold the thermometer still until the numbers stop increasing. If it is not ready, return it to the oven. According to the Department of Agriculture, a turkey must reach 165 degrees F to be safe, but you can take it out of the oven as low as 160 degrees F because the temperature will rise at it rests.

How often do you have to baste a turkey?

How Often to Baste a Turkey. Most recipes will tell you to baste your turkey every thirty minutes. But our rule of thumb is actually every forty minutes, and here's why. You don't want to open the oven too many times, or else the whole bird will take much long to cook, and that's a huge inconvenience.