What is Thanksgiving without the Turkey?  With that said, I want to provide a couple tips and resources for your little bird on it's special day!

• Decide what type of turkey you want?  Do you want a kosher turkey, a mail order turkey, a pasteurized turkey or what?  The list goes on and on and so do the prices!  I found a great "What type of Turkey is the Best" Guide from Cooks Illustrated that may direct you in this very important decision.

• Now, the other important question, "Do you Brine the turkey or not?" Brining is the process of soaking the turkey in a salt (sometimes sugar) and a liquid (often water) before cooking it to keep the juices flowing giving it a well seasoned taste and a good firmness.  The Basics of Brining gives an in-depth overview regarding this process and how to do it! 

• How much Turkey should you buy?  A good rule of thumb is one pound per person!

• Freshness is so important!  Buy your turkey one to two days before you are ready to consume it and, of course, keep it refrigerated.

• The USDA provides a lot of good information regarding thawing times, cooking times and reheating temperatures too, depending on the size of your turkey.

Hope this helps in your quest for the best tasting turkey around town!  Have fun!