# Emergency turkey question!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473 "2005-11-23T20:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/1 "2005-11-23T20:33:47Z")
Well, I have the turkey, and it’s bigger than I thought it was going to be. Also, it’s going to be very difficult to cook the entire thing tomorrow for a variety of reasons… So here’s my question. Is it a good idea to put the turkey into the oven at, say, 275 degrees at midnight and then check on it again at 8:00 a.m.? Then, I would imagine, I’d turn the heat up to brown and crisp it. Would cooking a turkey overnight work? Has anyone ever tried it? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/2 "2005-11-23T20:45:31Z")
Wake up at 3 in morning :rolleyes: like everyone else! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/3 "2005-11-23T20:46:45Z")
Hey, it’s Thanksgiving, bud, not Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/4 "2005-11-23T20:47:58Z")
How many pounds is the bird? Stuffed or unstuffed? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/5 "2005-11-23T20:53:23Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > How many pounds is the bird? > Stuffed or unstuffed? [Alton Brown] Never stuff your bird. Stuffing is dangerous![/Alton Brown] ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/6 "2005-11-23T20:56:36Z")
I advise getting up early. You can put the bird in at 3:00, say, and set your timer for 1 hour intervals and you can snooze on the couch while it cooks. You might want to get someone else up with you so you can spell each other. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/7 "2005-11-23T21:10:46Z")
This site gives good, thorough instructions on how to cook a turkey [http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3560.htm](http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3560.htm) They say the safest minimum temperature is 325 degrees, otherwise parts will stay cool enough for bacteria to grow. Even for a monster bird up to 24 pounds, they say 5 hours should do it. Also, some recipes are at a higher temperature and and would presumably take even less time. If your concern is about making side dishes while the oven is full, maybe you could buy or borrow a toaster oven? Also, it is good for turkey to sit a little once it is out of the oven to let the juices settle, usually time to make gravy, etc. That gives you 20-30 minutes to heat a side dish before mealtime. ---
**Author:** ![Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Backwater\_Under\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backwater_Under_Duck)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/8 "2005-11-23T21:23:07Z")
Check out [this article in The Washington Post about high-heat roasting](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/15/AR2005111500338.html). Apparently you can roast a turkey in half the time with a 450 dgree oven. This sounds right to me. I always cook my bird on a barbeque grill. They tend to cook a lot hotter than an inside oven, so it takes less time. And, I never have a dry turkey. Like the article says, the high heat keeps the meat very juicy. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/9 "2005-11-23T21:57:00Z")
I’ve heard of low temp ways to cook turkeys (along with high temp ways) Just search and I’m sure you will find. ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/10 "2005-11-23T23:59:46Z")
I am NOT getting up at 3 a.m. Unless possibly lives were involved. It would really depend on whose they were. Grandma (God rest her soul) would always get up at 3 a.m. to cook the turkey, and she’d make sure that we ALL knew about it. The problem was that by the time the turkey had roasted for oh, 9 hours, it was like chewing on the sands of the Sahara. Truthfully, I think I already know how to handle this one. Most people overcook turkeys and then… well, it’s not pretty. Actually, the problem is that it IS pretty, but the taste is not the best. Thanks for the Washington Post article! I think I’ll try the starting-at-425 and then turning the oven down idea. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/11 "2005-11-24T00:55:11Z")
If you really need to cook the turkey faster I would suggest getting one of those poultry bags. It is a plastic bag you put the turkey in and bake it. I did this for Christmas once. Both my aunt and mom didn’t believe the times on the package and the turkey was done about an hour early. The turkey was also nice and moist. [http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/ReynoldsKitchens/KitchenConnection/special/thanksgiving/ovenbag\_faq.asp](http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/ReynoldsKitchens/KitchenConnection/special/thanksgiving/ovenbag_faq.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Anise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anise/32/21721_2.png) [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/12 "2005-11-24T02:01:04Z")
WONDERFUL IDEA! I went to Kroger’s and got a turkey bag and a disposable roaster!! I think this’ll work… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/13 "2005-11-24T02:08:16Z")
Cooking and food threads work best in Cafe Society. Moved. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emergency-turkey-question/332473/14 "2005-11-24T02:47:18Z")
You could always fry your turkey. Three and a half minutes a pound is pretty rapid cooking.