Remember a large turkey can take a couple of days to thaw.
Wash hands with hot water and soap before and after handling turkey, or any other raw meat.
There is no need to wash your turkey. Washing a turkey or any other poultry can splash harmful bacteria already on the bird around the kitchen leading to cross contamination of other foods. Thorough cooking will kill the bacteria present.
Ideally, cook your stuffing separately, but if you feel you must stuff the bird, make sure you take the stuffing weight into account when calculating your cooking time.
Whole turkeys should be cooked to 180 C.
Carefully clean all cutting boards and utensils used to prepare raw poultry as these may be contaminated.
Follow the cooking instructions carefully, ensure meat is thoroughly cooked (no longer pink) and any juices run clear.
Let the turkey stand for 20 minutes before carving to allow juices to set. The turkey will carve more easily
Turkey Roasting Timetable
Unstuffed
4- 8 lbs 1.5 -3.25 hours
8-12 lbs 2.75-3 hours
12-14 lbs 3- 3.75 hours
14 -18 lbs 3.75- 4.25 hours
18 -20 lbs 4.25- 4.5 hours
20-24 lbs 4.25-5 hours
Stuffed
6- 8 lbs 2.5 -3.5 hours
8-12 lbs 3-3.5 hours
12-14 lbs 3.5 – 4 hours
14-18 lbs 4- 4.25 hours
18 – 20 lbs 4.25- 4.75 hours
20-24 lbs 4.75- 5.25 hours