How to Buy a Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to celebrate your blessings with family and friends. Before you start preparing that Thanksgiving dinner, you will need to choose the Wal-Mart or the meat market, follow these easy guidelines to find the best Thanksgiving turkey for your celebration.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make a guest list so you know how many people you will be serving. Allow one pound of turkey for each person. So if you plan on having 12 Thanksgiving guests, you need a 12 pound turkey.

2. Do not buy fresh, pre-stuffed turkeys. The USDA does not recommend stuffing turkeys because of health risks.

3. Don’t buy your Thanksgiving turkey too early. Purchase the turkey one or two days before Thanksgiving and store it in the refrigerator, inside a large pan to prevent contamination. If you buy a turkey weeks in advance, stick it in the freezer and then follow USDA-safety regulations to defrost it.