Turkey by the Numbers

T minus six and counting.

Today's theme: Do the Math

Need to know how much turkey to buy for your feast? Or how long to defrost a frozen turkey? If so, you've come to the right place.

The quantity question is easy. When buying a whole bird, figure one pound per person, whether the turkey is fresh or frozen.

Those quantities go down if you're opting for a turkey breast instead of a whole bird: 3/4 pound per person with the bone in, 1/2 pound boneless.

These estimates should allow for as much as two servings per person and leftovers, so don't be tempted to round up too much, even if your big cousin Hank is coming this year.

As for thawing a frozen turkey, it all depends upon the bird's size and the thawing method chosen.

The best way to defrost a turky is in the safe, cool confines of your refrigerator. The slow thaw yields a thoroughly and evenly defrosted bird, but it does require more time, so planning ahead is essential. (Which, of course, is why we're covering this topic today.)

The basic rule of thumb: allow approximately 24 hours for every four to five pounds of bird weight.

Despite today's math theme, here's an easy chart with weights and thaw times. I know your math skills will get enough of a workout next week when you have to quadruple your favorite sweet potato recipe, so I'm taking it easy on you today.

See that last line? If you've got a big bird, you might very well need to start the thawing process today. No time to waste.

For the fridge method, keep the frozen turkey in the original wrapper and place it in a tray or pan to catch the runoff. Thaw the turkey with the breast side down so the juices will flow into the breast.

Once thawed, the turkey may remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, so even if you have a mid-sized bird, it might be okay to start thawing it today.

For those looking for faster thawing options, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service spells out the cold water and microwave methods.

Be mindful though. The cold water method will cut the time required to thaw your turkey (8 hours vs. 4 days for a 16 pounder), but it could also cut into your sleep.

This process requires that you change the water every 30 minutes, so unless you're planning on a late dinner on Thanksgiving, you'll be up very early filling and re-filling the sink (which really doesn't sound like fun, does it?).

Remember, too, that you still have to allow enough time to roast the turkey before guests arrive, so don't cut the thawing time too close.

After all, we all want leftovers, sure, but the whole bird might be a bit much if it's not done in time to be served.

So, any turkey thawing horror stories to share? Let your debacle be a cautionary tale (and a chuckle) for the rest of us.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition on November 20, 2009 EST | Permalink

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Thanksgiving Shopping, Round 1

T minus seven and counting.

After yesterday's off day (or catch up day, if you'd prefer), we're rolling again.

Things get underway today with a live Facebook chat at 3 p.m. ET.

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service is making one of its experts available to answer questions about how to have a food safe holiday, from defrosting the bird through storing the leftovers.

Submit questions now or interact live. (Goofy turkey hat optional.)

Aside from the chat, today's theme is Shop Early!

Sure, there are lots of things you shouldn't buy yet, but now's the time for taking that list of non-perishables you made on Monday and start checking things off.

Among the things you should consider getting now are:

• The turkey, if you're buying frozen
• Hardy vegetables like onions, winter squash, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and turnips
• Dried herbs and spices
• Packaged stuffing
• Rice or other dried grains
• Baking necessities like flour, sugars, corn syrup, canned pumpkin and fresh or frozen cranberries
• Crackers, chips or nuts
• Beverages that don't need to be refrigerated before the big day
• Oil, wood chips or charcoal if you've got plans to fry, smoke or grill the turkey
• Any necessary cooking equipment such as a roasting pan, food thermometer, pie pans, etc.
• Food storage containers for the inevitable leftovers

Getting all these now helps you avoid a good bit of the crowds at the grocery store and ensures that you're not scrambling for necessities the day before. It also means you get to be the hero when you're neigbor arrives on your doorstep Thanksgiving morning asking to borrow a cup of sugar.

And who doesn't want to be the hero?

What other tips do you have for holiday prep a week out? Chime in below.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition on November 19, 2009 EST | Permalink

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Live Chat: Holiday Food Safety

T minus nine and counting.

We're all about getting you ready for Thanksgiving here at InfoFarm. Since I know you're already working your way through yesterday's to-do list, I'm giving you just three simple tasks tied to today's theme of Keeping Food Safe

First, mark your calendars for USDA's live Facebook chat this Thursday, November 19 at 3 p.m. ET.

A holiday food safety expert from the Food Safety and Inspection Service will be tackling your questions about how to prepare your holiday meal safely.

Then, think of questions you have regarding holiday food preparation or storage and submit them via USDA Live prior to Thursday's chat:

What's the best way to defrost a turkey?
Do stuffing ingredients need to be pre-cooked?
If my big cousin Hank doesn't eat all the pumpkin pie, how long will the leftovers keep in the fridge?

Finally, make a note of these other food safety resources and post them in your kitchen. They might come in handy.

• USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. [Hours: daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET / Thanksgiving Day 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET]
• Ask Karen, an automated response system that provides answers to common food safety questions 24/7.
• Consumer Food Safety information from NAL's Food Safety Information Center.

And by the way, should any of these seem like overkill, spend a few minutes reading about food poisoning and foodborne illnesses. You'll quickly see that a little bit of care can spare you a whole lot of unpleasantness.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition on November 17, 2009 EST | Permalink

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Thanksgiving Countdown Begins

T minus ten and counting.

Yes, time is flying, and Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. With a little forethought, however, the meal planning and cooking need not make you crazy. (Of course, those of you who prefer their holidays with a mix of insanity might want to stop reading. I don't want to ruin anything for you.)

This week and into next, InfoFarm is going to give you day-by-day tips that will make your holiday preparations a breeze.

Today: Laying the Groundwork

• Plan your menu and gather recipes.
• Check your pantry to see what you have. Verify that dried herbs and spices are not expired.
  
• Make a shopping list of needed ingredients. If you actually make two lists, non-perishable and perishable items, it will help plan your trips to the store this week and next.
• Make sure you have all needed equipment, including a large enough roasting pan, a turkey baster, and a fat separator for making gravy.
• Buy a food thermometer if you don't already have one. If you do have one, make sure it is working properly.
• Start using foods that are taking up space in your refrigerator and freezer to make room for your turkey and other dishes.
• Finally, add @USDAFoodSafety to your Twitter feed or search for the #turkeytweets hashtag to keep the tips for Turkey Day flowing.

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Food and Nutrition on November 16, 2009 EST | Permalink

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On the USDA Farm Team

Most interns at USDA don't get a lot of attention outside their assigned areas, but this guy's different.

He grew up on a ranch in Texas, branding cattle and tracking market prices. He then went on to graduate from Princeton with a degree in operations research and financial engineering.

It's an impressive ag and academic pedigree, but it isn't what gets Ross Ohlendorf noticed.

What does is that he's a young, hard-throwing major league pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, one who intentionally sought out Ag Secretary (and Pittsburgh native) Tom Vilsack when Vilsack threw out the ceremonial first pitch at PNC Park in early July.

And now, a few months later, Ohlendorf is spending two months of his precious off-season interning with USDA's Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

He's also blogging about it (which means I'm not the only USDA blogger with baseball on the brain).

In his one blog post so far, Ohlendorf shared that his two favorite DC sites have been the Library of Congress and the National Archives. That makes sense, of course. He's a smart guy, finishing Princeton with a 3.75 GPA, and his father once managed IT systems for the University of Texas libraries. Given that, he probably feels at home in those hallowed halls of history and learning.

But what about NAL?

This brick tower might not deliver the architectural grandeur of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress, or the thrill of their amazing historic baseball collection, but when it comes to agriculture, NAL is the cream of the crop.

This library speaks to Ohlendorf's roots, to his love of the land, his passion for ranching and his insatiable desire to learn. It also has crack reference and information center staff that can help with whatever research he's doing for his internship or whatever marketing issues they're tackling back at his family's ranch.

Ohlendorf's a smart guy, so I'm sure he's not going to want to miss what NAL has to offer. When he hustles out to Beltsville for an NAL tour, what do you think he should see?

Posted by Mary Ann Leonard

Added to Biography and Libraries and Marketing and Trade on November 13, 2009 EST | Permalink

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