Let's talk turkey..

moreluck

golden ticket member
LET'S TALK TURKEY.......

Too Big to Breed:

The most prized portion of the turkey is the white meat of the breast. Because Americans like white meat so much, turkeys are bred to produce large breasts. Our domesticated turkeys have such large chests that the male, "tom turkey" is not able to fertilize the eggs of the female, "hen turkeys" in the natural mating position. Today, turkey eggs are fertilized by artificial insemination for the hatchery.

What's a Wattle Anyway?

The head and neck of turkeys have no feathers; rather it is covered with red, fleshy skin. A soft floppy growth on the front of the head, which dangles downward over the beak, is called the snood or dewbill. The turkey also has a pouchlike area at the front of his throat which is called a wattle. The head, neck, snood and wattle are all reddish colored until the male turkey begins to do his "strut" or mating dance at which time the entire area turns brilliantly bright red.

White Meat or Dark?

Did you ever wonder why the breast and wings of chickens and turkeys have white meat while the legs and thighs are dark? The explanation is a physiological one involving the function of muscles, which gives some insight into humans as well as animals. The dark coloration is not due to the amount of blood in muscles but rather to a specific muscle type and it's ability to store oxygen.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Wild turkeys have excellent vision during the day but don't see as well at night. They are also very mobile. Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and they can fly up to 55 mph.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
THANKSGIVING......

The original Thanksgiving feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11. Unlike our modern holiday, it was three days long. The event was based on English harvest festivals, which traditionally occurred around the 29th of September. After that first harvest was completed by the Plymouth colonists, Gov. William Bradford proclaimed a day of thanksgiving and prayer, shared by all the colonists and neighboring Indians. In 1623 a day of fasting and prayer during a period of drought was changed to one of thanksgiving because the rain came during the prayers. Gradually the custom prevailed in New England of annually celebrating thanksgiving after the harvest. During the American Revolution a yearly day of national thanksgiving was suggested by the Continental Congress. In 1817 New York State adopted Thanksgiving Day as an annual custom, and by the middle of the 19th century many other states had done the same. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln appointed a day of thanksgiving as the last Thursday in November, which he may have correlated it with the November 21, 1621, anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod. Since then, each president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941).
 

negrosangre

Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing the card.

Ah! Thanksgiving week! Getting to use some vacation before I forfeit it.........to work from home and avoid some people by claiming to be "on vacation", while catching up and trying to stay ahead of the work. A wonderful thing.
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
I have often wondered why the traditional Thanksgiving dinner focuses on a turkey; the original colonists primary source of meat would have been venison, not turkey. I almost always serve a dish of venison along with our turkey on Thanksgiving.
 
D

Dis-organized Labor

Guest
Turkeys can have heart attacks: turkeys in fields near the Air Force test areas over which the sound barrier was broken were known to drop dead from the shock of passing jets
 
D

Dis-organized Labor

Guest
Christopher Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected to India, and believed the bird he discovered (the turkey) was a type of peacock. He therefore called it 'tuka,' which is 'peacock' in Tamil, an Indian language.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
[SIZE=+2]Turkey Trivia[/SIZE]
Q. How long does it take to raise a turkey?
A. The hen usually takes 14 weeks and the tom up to 22 weeks to grow to market weight.

Q. How long does it take a turkey egg to hatch?
A. The incubation period is 28 days for a turkey.

Q. What is a baby turkey called?
A. A baby turkey is called a poult.

Q. When does the poult arrive at the farm?
A. In most cases poults are placed on the farm within 24 hours.

Q. What do turkeys eat?
A. Much is known about the nutrition and turkeys are fed a balances diet of corn and soybean meal mixed with a supplement of vitamins and minerals. Fresh water is always available.

Q. What are some typical diseases affecting turkeys?
A. Turkeys catch colds much like humans and this condition is call avian influenza. Turkeys also get enteric diseases which cause diarrhea. Most diseases can be treated with medication, which is discontinues when the disease is eliminated.

Q. Why is the commercial turkey white?
A. The wild turkey, the bronze turkey and other breeds have colored feathers. The knowledge of genetics has led scientist to breed the color out of the turkey feather. when a colored feather is plucked a small amount of fluid pigment may run from the quill and leak under the skin. this skin of a dressed bronze turkey often looks spotty and unattractive. The development of a white feather eliminated the pigment from the feather, so when it is plucked it leaved a clear skin. This clear looking skin has more consumer appeal, so the white feather is clearly a consumer preference.

Q. Do all turkeys gobble?
A. Only toms gobble; hens make a clicking noise.

Q. When was Thanksgiving make a national holiday?
A. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

Q. Can turkeys fly?
A. Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances of up to 55 mph and can run at 25 mph.

Q. What are the nutrient properties of turkey meat?
A. Turkey meat has the smallest amount of fat and saturated fats of any meat commercially available, which means it is also low in calories. It has the highest percentage of protein calories of these meats -- eighty-one percent of the calories in a serving of roast turkey breast is derived from protein. Turkey is an excellent source of iron, riboflavin, zinc, and vitamins B6 and B12
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Facts for Families: Roasting the Thanksgiving turkey -- as easy as 1, 2, 3!

By Bev Combs, University of Illinois Extension Educator

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:

n 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.)

n 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 degrees. 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 degrees. 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 degrees.

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

2¾-3 hours for an 8- to 12-pound turkey

3-3¾ hours for a 12- to 14-pound turkey

3¾-4¼ hours for a 14- to 18-pound turkey.

Plan the roasting time to allow 10 to 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 degrees) and cold foods cold (below 40 degrees) and never leave protein foods (this also includes the pumpkin pie) at room temperature for more than two hours.

Use the leftover turkey and stuffing within three to four days and the gravy within one to two days. Be sure to thoroughly reheat these leftovers to 165 degrees. 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.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
I have often wondered why the traditional Thanksgiving dinner focuses on a turkey; the original colonists primary source of meat would have been venison, not turkey. I almost always serve a dish of venison along with our turkey on Thanksgiving.

I watched a program on T-giving yesterday on the History Channel and I'm guessing over the next week or so it will be on again so you might find it worthwhile. History.com has a page entitled "Mayflower Myths" that is equally interesting too.

Tgiving as we know it today is more a creation of a 19th century woman than anything of historical fact. We do love our mythology!

Hey Jones, Don't forget Turducken!

[video=youtube;k-Co1Ecv_8g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Co1Ecv_8g[/video]
 

PT Stewie

"Big Fella"
Benjamin Franklin lobbied for the Wild Turkey to be the American symbol instead of the Noble Eagle. Just think Donovan McNabb could have been the QB for the Philly Turkeys. :footballplayer:
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
THINGS THAT SOUND DIRTY AT THANKSGIVING........

"Just reach in and grab the giblets."

"Whew...that's one terrific spread!"

"I'm in the mood for thighs!"

"Tying the legs together will keep the inside moist."

"Talk about a HUGE breast!"

"And he forces his way into the end zone!"

"She's 5000 pounds fully inflated and it takes 15 men to hold her down."

"It's cool whip time!"

"If I don't unbutton my pants, I am going to burst!"

"It must be broken 'cause when I push on the tip, nothing squirts out."
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
"If I don't unbutton my pants, I am going to burst!"

More,

You mean like this?

fat.jpg


:happy-very:
 
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