Turkey question. We raised our own turkeys this year, have butchered them already (skinned them). Now I am wondering what do I do to bake them and keep them juicy. Has anyone tried those baking bags on a turkey without skin? Any quick info would help. I really don't want to waste the whole bird if won't turn out right. Thanks ahead of time!

-- (stephanie.wilkerson@experian.com), November 21, 2001

Answers

I've heard laying strips of bacon across the bird as it bakes helps.

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), November 21, 2001.

The three or four years we did homegrown turkeys, they didn't need a thing done to them to make them delicious! They were moist, tender and gave up quarts of the best tasting juice for gravy.

I never skinned them, though.

Nowadays, I'm reduced to Butterball turkeys, which I brine a la Alton Brown, on The Food Network's program "Good Eats". Done that way it's as good as a store turkey gets. The recipe's on the Net, if you want to try it.

http://www.foodtv.com/holidays/thanksgivingturkeywalk/0,6849,,00.html

-- Julia (charmer24@juno.com), November 21, 2001.

When we did our 6 month old bronze jake (32 pounds, and no skin), I simply put foil over the bird for all but the last 30-45 minutes. I poked it with a meat thermometer, and when I removed it, a fountain of juice poured out. Never had any problems with dry turkey without skin. Our home grown are more juicy than store bought. We had to siphon most of the juice out of the pan ( 3" ) to keep it from over flowing.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), November 21, 2001.

We skin our turkeys also. In 25 yrs. of homegrown, skinned turkey and chicken, we never had a dry one. (That I can remember!) We do cover with foil for all but the last 45 min. or so....as Wendy said. I also baste occasionally throughout cooking time with garlic butter. It seems that homegrown poultry has more internal fat, most of which we leave in the bird. Maybe that helps keep it moist!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), November 21, 2001.

take some cheese cloth,, soak it in butter, or soy sauce,,or whatever,, and drape it over the bird,, then add more butter on top,, (saw this on Martha Stewart,, I get bored not being able to do much with this ankle)

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 21, 2001.

I raised a turkey last year, the above advice about using foil is good. I thought my hen would be too lean, and indeed, there was not much fat. I put her breasts in a pan lined in foil with enough to make a tent. After several hours I had to remove some of the juice. Great stuff for gravy. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving

-- Tina Shrout (Tinayshrout@prodigy.net), November 22, 2001.