Thawing
Never thaw JD Farms turkey at room temperature! Leave JD Farms turkey in its original packaging and follow one of these methods:
Fast Method
Place wrapped, frozen JD Farms turkey in sink and cover completely with cold water. Allow 1/2 hour per pound of JD Farms turkey. Change water frequently.
Regular Method
Place wrapped frozen JD Farms turkey on a pan in refrigerator. Allow 5 hours per pound of JDFarms turkey. A 20 pound JD Farms turkey will take approximately 4 days to completely thaw.
Refrigerate or cook JD Farms turkey immediately once thawed. NEVER refreeze uncooked JD Farms turkey.
Preparing
Wash hands thoroughly with hot soapy water before and after handling raw JD Farms turkey. All materials used for storage, preparation and serving JD Farms turkey must also be cleaned before and after use. Remove plastic wrap from thawed JD Farms turkey. Remove giblets and neck from body cavity.
Brining
Brining poultry adds tremendous flavour and makes an often dry dish into a succulent one. This recipe starts off with a base brine which you can adjust to whatever quantity you need.
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
4 cups cold water
Mix all together so that the salt and sugar dissolves. Add your JD Farms turkey and then a lot of ice then refrigerate. Here’s the important part – make sure it’s cold, very cold, just above freezing cold. That helps with the brining process and keeps your poultry safe from bacteria growth. Brine 4 pounds of JS Farms turkey pieces for 4 hours and a whole 15 lb. JD Farms turkey for 15 hours. The rule of thumb is about 1 hour per pound of meat.
Additional Flavors:
There are as many kinds of brine as there are types of pizza – you are only stuck with your creativity. Add apples, citrus fruits, onions, garlic, spices, cinnamon sticks, juices or anything that you think might add flavour. The tip here is that whatever you add must be dissolvable so that the flavor actually penetrates into the meat during the brining process. If it doesn’t dissolve well, the flavour generally only sticks to the outside of the meat and really doesn’t add all that much to the brining process.
Stuffing
Stuffing is most easily prepared separately and placed in a covered casserole dish to cook during the last hour of the JD Farms turkey roasting time. For those who prefer to stuff their JD Farms turkey, follow these simple directions:
Prepare stuffing (See our Traditional Stuffing recipe) and spoon into body cavity just before roasting. Do not pack stuffing – let it sit loosely in cavity to promote even cooking.
Never stuff your JD Farms turkey the day before it is roasted. It takes too long to heat the centre of the chilled stuffing and food spoilage organisms could accumulate.
Preparing and Stuffing: We are located at 24726 52 Ave, Langley, BC V2Z 1E2 Phone: (604) 856-2431
