Yes, even for the novice, roasting the Thanksgiving turkey is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Just follow these simple steps:

1. Thawing – Never thaw a turkey on the kitchen counter. Like other poultry, turkey is a likely source of Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning if the meat is not handled properly. Room temperatures will allow this bacteria to grow.

Leave the turkey in its original wrapping and use one of the following thawing methods:

- Place the turkey in the refrigerator on a tray. Allow 24 hours of thawing time per every 5 pounds of meat. (Yes, that means you may be putting a large turkey in your refrigerator on Sunday or Monday before Thanksgiving on Thursday.)

- Place the turkey in a large container of cold water; turkey should be completely covered with water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Allow at least 30 minutes thawing time per pound of meat. You should cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed, with this method.

2. Preparing for the Oven – Remove the turkey from the original plastic bag. There are two areas inside the turkey that may have bags in them - one is the neck area and other is between the legs. Spread the legs and remove the bag of giblets (heart, liver, gizzard.) The turkey neck may be in this area or the neck area. Turn the bird around and be sure the neck area is clear.

Rinse the turkey with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the inside of the turkey with salt for flavor, if desired. It is highly recommended for food safety purposes that the stuffing/dressing be cooked in a separate baking pan.

3. Roasting - Place the turkey, breast up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. If you do not have such a pan, a disposable aluminum foil roasting pan may be purchased (no rack is needed for this type of pan.) If you have a meat thermometer, insert it in the thick part of the thigh (upper leg), do not touch the bone.

Place the uncovered roasting pan in the oven at 325^oF. Check it after 90-minutes. If the turkey is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, shiny side outward to deflect the heat.

The turkey is done when the meat thermometer reaches 165^oF. or when the juices run clear and the drumstick and thigh move easily and separate from the body of the turkey. For reasons of personal preference, turkey may be cooked to a higher temperature up to 180^o.

Most turkeys have cooking times listed on their wrappers. However, if not, use the following cooking times as a guideline:

2 3/4 - 3 hours for a 8-12 pound turkey

3 – 3 3/4 hours for a 12-14 pound turkey

3 3/4 - 4 1/4 hours for a 14-18 pound turkey

Do plan the roasting time so as to allow 10-20 minutes of standing time before carving. The standing time helps to make the meat juicier as well as easier to carve.

There, preparing the Thanksgiving turkey, as simple as 1, 2, 3! However, there is one more item that needs attention – storing the leftovers. They need immediate attention after the meal, so don't lose track of time as you sit and reminisce.

All turkey, stuffing, and gravy leftovers should be refrigerated promptly after the meal. Store in containers no larger than 1-quart size to be sure that the temperature in the center of the container drops low enough fast enough to prevent bacterial growth.

Remember the food safety rules of thumb – Keep hot foods hot (above 140^oF.) and cold foods cold (below 40^oF.) and never leave protein foods (this also includes the pumpkin pie) at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Use the leftover turkey and stuffing within 3-4 days and the gravy within 1-2 days. Be sure to thoroughly reheat these leftovers to 165^oF. If you have more leftovers than you can use in this time period, freeze them for later.

For more information about turkey, go to the Coles County Extension home page http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/coles/. "Turkey for the Holidays" and "Pumpkins and More" are each featured sites to help you prepare the family Thanksgiving dinner.

Visions of Sugar Plums. . . for the Diabetic

You still have a week to register for "Visions of Sugar Plums. . . for the Diabetic" scheduled on Tuesday, December 1 at the LifeSpan Center in Coles County. It will be from 9:30 – 11:00 am and

pre-registration is required by Tuesday, November 24. You may register from the website listed above or call the Coles County Extension office at 217/345-7034.