NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
November 16, 2000
Editors: At the end of this column you will find links to several illustrations on food safety during the holidays. These illustrations can be used by themselves or with this column or other articles on holiday foods.
By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service
Ben Franklin nominated the wild turkey to be our national bird. If Ben had his wish, what would we be eating for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals? It certainly wouldn't be our national symbol, stuffed and served with gravy.
The wild turkey served as the centerpiece of the famous harvest meal that the Pilgrims and Native Americans shared in 1620. After domestication in Europe, the turkey returned to the United States plumper and more tender. Roasted turkey remains a popular holiday food. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin ate an all-American meal of turkey and all the trimmings on the moon, although not on a platter served by Grandma.
Most turkeys that serve as holiday centerpieces are females, or hens. Males, or "Toms," are heavier. Hens, by the way, do not make the trademark "gobble gobble" sound; only Toms do.
Here's a tasty soup recipe your family will gobble up. Pair it with a side salad and some whole wheat bread for a light follow-up meal to the original feast. After all, the turkey isn't the only thing that ends up stuffed on Thanksgiving.
Old Fashioned Turkey SoupIngredients:
5 cups turkey broth (or use canned chicken broth)
3 stalks celery, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in small chunks
2 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 cup noodles, uncooked
2 cups turkey, cooked and cubed
Procedure:
To prepare turkey broth: combine turkey bones and scraps with water and cut-up flavoring vegetables like onion, carrots, and celery. Simmer for at least three hours. Remove bones. If not used immediately, broth may be refrigerated and used within three days or frozen. Skim fat before preparing soup.
To prepare soup: combine first five ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for one hour. Stir in noodles and turkey. Simmer until noodles are done.
Makes 8 servings.
A serving of Old Fashioned Turkey Soup contains about 180 calories and 3 grams of fat. If you feel sleepy after a large meal containing turkey, it may be somewhat due to the amount of tryptophan that turkey contains. Tryptophan is an amino acid or protein building block in plentiful supply in turkey. It is converted to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps relay chemical messages in the brain. Serotonin is a calming chemical that may make you feel relaxed. Of course, being completely stuffed after a large meal also can make you feel sluggish.
Holiday meals usually bring leftovers, or "planned overs." Remember that the safety and quality of meals made with depend on the handling of the food from the grocery store to your table.
When selecting a turkey, look for an inspection mark that shows the turkey was inspected for safety and wholesomeness. Turkeys also may be graded to show quality. Turkeys carrying a grade A mark are meaty and practically free of pinfeathers, bruises, cuts and tears on the skin.
Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in cool water. A 12 to 16 pound turkey will take two to three days to thaw. If thawing in cool water, change the water at least every 30 minutes. If you choose to stuff the bird, stuff it loosely right before cooking. Turkeys should never be stuffed the night before cooking.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and cook the bird to at least 180 degrees as measured by a meat thermometer. Don't necessarily trust the pop-up thermometers, as some research has shown that they may pop up before the bird has reached a safe internal temperature. For example, an unstuffed 12 to 16 pound turkey will generally take 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours to reach 180 degrees, while a stuffed turkey of the same weight will take about an hour longer.
Remove the stuffing from the bird immediately after cooking. Remember the two-hour rule. Serve the bird within two hours, remove the meat from the bones and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers immediately. Use stuffing and gravy within one or two days and leftover turkey within three or four days.
Leftovers are a holiday bonus, because they make follow-up meals a snap. If you have after-dinner "gobblers" looking for snacks, direct them to the refrigerator where they should take what they want and immediately refrigerate the rest. It's safest to reheat leftovers to 165 degrees and gravy to a boil before serving.
Be creative with your leftover turkey. Why not turkey stir-fry, turkey burritos, turkey wrap sandwiches (in lefse of course), or turkey lasagna? Or, if you and your family have had your fill of turkey, package meal-size portions in freezer paper or heavy-duty foil, label, date and use within four to six months for best quality. For more information about food and nutrition issues, visit this Website: http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsuindex.htm
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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629
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