Pre-order a whole turkey for delivery at our farm in November.
Pre-order your turkey by clicking here.
To prep – Discard plastic bag. Remove neck and giblets from body cavities, rinse turkey and wipe dry.
Cook neck and giblets for broth, to add to dressing and for giblet gravy.
To roast – Place turkey with the breast up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan with approximately 1/2″
water on the bottom. Brush with melted butter, if desired. Rub body cavity lightly with salt if roasting
unstuffed. It is recommended that a meat thermometer be used. Place thermometer in the thickest part of
the breast or thigh; the bulb should not touch any bone. Cook at 450 degrees F uncovered for 45 minutes.
Cover and reduce the temperature to 325° F until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F, using the
chart below as a guide for length of roasting time. A “tent” of foil placed loosely over turkey may be used
and will eliminate need for basting, although turkey may be basted if desired. Remove foil last half-hour
for browning. If V-rack is used, place turkey breast down. Fat from back tends to permeate the breast
meat to keep it from drying. NOTE: Our free-range turkeys do cook faster, especially when using a
roaster, do check for doneness with a meat thermometer beginning one hour before the anticipated finish
time.
Roasting Time Chart
Whole Turkey (unstuffed) –
Weight Roaster/Cooking Bag Foil Covered
12-16 lbs. 2-3 hours 3-4 hours
17-22 lbs. 3-4 hours 4-5 hours
23-27 lbs. 4-5 hours 5-6 hours
Breast & Roast (unstuffed) –
5-7 lbs. 2-3 hours 3-4 hours
8-10 lbs. 3-4 hours 4-5 hours
11-12 lbs. 4-5 hours 5-6 hours
Turkey is done when:
(a) meat thermometer registers 170° to 175° F in the breast meat or 180° F in the thigh
(b) juices are clear when probed with a knife or fork.
It is recommended to cook the turkey to a tan rather than brown color to keep the meat moister.