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Thanksgiving is here and that generally means two things: family and food. If you are the one who has to cook this year, you might be nervous about serving up that large bird. Whether you've cooked a turkey many times or this is your first time cooking one, you still might be unaware of some of these common mistakes. Here are some tips to cook your Thanksgiving turkey perfectly: 1. Don't wait too long to buy your frozen turkey If you are buying a frozen turkey from the grocery store, you'll want to buy it about 1-2 weeks before you plan to serve it. Store it in the freezer. If you're buying a fresh turkey, go ahead and reserve your turkey so you can pick it up a few days before you need it. 2. A frozen turkey takes four days to thaw properly Chances are you forgot that a turkey takes a long time to thaw in the refrigerator. A 16-pound average size turkey will actually take four days to thaw. If you are now panicking and need to thaw your turkey faster, you can do so safely in a cold water bath. This could still take all day, so get that turkey out now! 3. You may not realize that some turkeys come pre-brined (or you don't know what brining even is) Check the label of your frozen turkey. If it says something along the lines of "contains up to 8% of a solution of Water, Salt, Spices, and Natural Flavor" that means the brining has already been done. Brining means to soak in salty water, so if the ingredients contain a solution of salt, no need to brine the turkey again. 4. Don't roast a cold turkey You should always let your turkey come to room temperature before you roast it. Take it out of the fridge or a cold water bath for about an hour before putting in the oven. You will then cook a moist turkey. 5. Make sure to dry the turkey well to crisp the skin Dry it with paper towels on the inside and outside to make some really crispy skin. Yum! Do you eat the skin or avoid it? Read on to the next page for even more tips! 6. If you don't brine your turkey, don't forget to season it Salt the inside and the outside of the turkey to make sure it tastes perfect. 7. Use a roasting rack Make sure to put a roasting rack inside your roasting pan. It is best for safety reasons and without a rack, the meat at the bottom of the pan will become overcooked and dry. You can also use a roasting rack for roast chickens, so this is an investment you can use again. 8. Just don't cook stuffing in the turkey Cooking stuffing in a turkey is a long-standing tradition, but it means you have to cook the turkey longer so you don't get sick from undercooked stuffing. Then the turkey may end up being dry. With this year's turkey salmonella concerns, it is just better to cook stuffing separately. 9. Don't roast the turkey at one even temperature For the best turkey ever, start with the oven pre-heated to 475 degrees Fahrenheit for the first 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the temperature down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the turkey has been properly cooked. Don't worry if some parts of the skin are getting too dark in the first 30 minutes. Read on to the next page for more ways to cook your turkey perfectly this Thanksgiving! 10. You don't have to baste Traditions say you need to baste the turkey. But, every time you open the door to baste, the oven loses heat and your turkey could dry out. It just really isn't necessary for a perfect Thanksgiving turkey. 11. Use a real meat thermometer Sometimes turkeys come with pop-up thermometers. They are generally inaccurate, so use a real meat thermometer. Make sure you cook it to 165 degrees Fahrenheit to make sure you don't get anyone sick. Make sure you check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh. Check the temperature after about 2.5-3 hours of cooking and then every 15 minutes until it reaches optimal temperature. 12. Let your turkey rest for about 15 minutes before carving Let the juices settle inside the turkey. Then it will be nice and juicy and won't leave a mess on your cutting board. 13. Don't carve the whole turkey if you aren't going to eat it all on Thanksgiving day If you are having a small dinner party, just slice part of the turkey. Store the rest uncut in an airtight container in the fridge and slice pieces off as you want to eat them. Then the turkey won't dry out so quickly. It will be as delicious as it is fresh at Thanksgiving dinner. Have you made any of these turkey mistakes? Have you heard of the hilarious Turkey challenge this year? If you found this article informative, please SHARE with your friends and family who cook turkeys on Thanksgiving!

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