Do you put the stuffing in your turkey?

Originally Posted by Yosemite

This kind of makes me wonder how our parents, grand-parents, etc. survived.

I honestly think people these days are far too concerned about bacteria.

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Linda, I think the turkeys our grandparents and parents bought didn't have the bacterial risks the big argro-busisness farm turkeys have. They were raised with the ability to roam and feed and weren't fed feed with antibiotics or injected with them. They were natural turkeys compared to these franken-birds that are sold today. Unless you are buying from a local organic farm, I wouldn't put stuffing inside myself.

On the lighter side, I had to explain to my darling DH today, that a tur-duck is not another breed of fowl, but just a turkey and duck rolled together in a roast like shape.

Originally Posted by jean-ji

I think the turkeys our grandparents and parents bought didn't have the bacterial risks the big argro-busisness farm turkeys have. They were raised with the ability to roam and feed and weren't fed feed with antibiotics or injected with them. They were natural turkeys compared to these franken-birds that are sold today.

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This reminds me, has anyone watched the turkey farmer episode of Dirty Jobs? The part where the guy was saying they usually remove several dead birds a day, and when asked what killed them he answered that he didn't know.

As much as we can (which isn't all of it) and then we take it out

I stuff the bird but also have some on the side too. It has to be that way since the bird holds only so much and I make a lot!!

My mom always stuffed the bird and so does my MIL.

Well all I know is I've been eating stuffing for years out of the bird and I must say I've never once been sick. It would seem really bizarre to me to cook and eat an unstuffed turkey, but to each their own.

Originally Posted by jean-ji

On the lighter side, I had to explain to my darling DH today, that a tur-duck is not another breed of fowl, but just a turkey and duck rolled together in a roast like shape.

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You can make your DH laugh really hard tell him about the Turducken. This is how its really done, partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. I have heard is quite tasty but I have never had one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken

Go read about it they even talk about a turgooponducheasnishuaichuffguihagaga, a standard turducken, which is then stuffed with a cornish game hen, pheasant, quail, goose , capon, beef, pork, lamb, and frog.

As for the poll question I do the stuffing on the side because I am afraid of the whole bactieria thing. I do though stuff the inside of the bird with onion, apple, carrot, celery, garlic and the leftover herbs(sage, rosemary, thyme and oregino). We don't eat that stuff though its just for flavor.

Originally Posted by KarmasMom

You can make your DH laugh really hard tell him about the Turducken. This is how its really done, partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. I have heard is quite tasty but I have never had one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken

As for the poll question I do the stuffing on the side because I am afraid of the whole bactieria thing. I do though stuff the inside of the bird with onion, apple, carrot, celery, garlic and the leftover herbs(sage, rosemary, thyme and oregino). We don't eat that stuff though its just for flavor.

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I've never heard of that! It sounds interesting and tasty for meat lovers.

My Dad used to make the stuffing in the turkey but now he and my step-mom do it on the side. But... he does like to boil the things inside of the turkey and eat them. Ew!

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Stuffing is the perfect environment for bacteria growth. It is moist and slow to heat up and cool down.

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That is true, but I still prefer the taste of it cooked inside the bird.

I was reading last night about a technique to pre-heat the stuffing in the microwave to about 130-140 degrees before putting it into the bird. While the stuffing will cool down a bit when it first starts to cook, it gets back up to temperature about an hour quicker than if filling it at room temperature. This is from America's Test Kitchen. I love those guys!

Originally Posted by KarmasMom

You can make your DH laugh really hard tell him about the Turducken. This is how its really done, partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. I have heard is quite tasty but I have never had one.

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Do you know that Merrick makes a Turducken flavor canned cat food? I bought it for Stumpy and he was fairly neutral about the flavor. But the name made me laugh!

Side...I can't imagine myself reaching inside a turkey and pulling out stuffing

I had problems enough sticking the thermometer in the boob and i kept hitting bones and ribs.

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

Always inside the bird! And Marge's tip about cheesecloth is the way to go. It makes it so easy to get all of the stuffing out of the bird, not leave any bits in corners. If there's too much stuffing for the bird, the rest gets done in a dish, and what cooks in the bird is sooooooo much more flavourful and moist.

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that's what I do

Originally Posted by Momofmany

Do you know that Merrick makes a Turducken flavor canned cat food? I bought it for Stumpy and he was fairly neutral about the flavor. But the name made me laugh!

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That is the only one Magnum can / will eat

No!!! That's a bacteria breeding ground if you cook the stuffing with the turkey!!

http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/fod/Foo...a%20Turkey.pdf

No, I make mine on the side.

However, when I do roast a bird I cut up lemons, onion, garlic, and celery and stuff it inside just to get that flavor through out the meat.

I look at it as it is called stuffing for a reason

You just have to make sure everything is cooked right through

Originally Posted by rachelh1018

No!!! That's a bacteria breeding ground if you cook the stuffing with the turkey!!

http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/fod/Foo...a%20Turkey.pdf

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40 years and going strong and I have NEVER ONCE gotten sick from eating the stuffing from inside the bird. Hello - it's STUFFING! You have to STUFF IT!

Our family does it on the side Most of us like the stuffing to be just a tinsy bit crunchy- (not too mushy) so it comes out better in the oven seperately. My mom makes homemade cornbread stuffing every year Yesterdays was soo yummy!

I cook it inside the turkey, because that's the only way DH likes it. And I don't care for stuffing at all, so I do it for him.

i have always cooked the stuffing in a seprate oven tray, my mum had always done it like this so why mess with something if it works lol

Originally Posted by Pami

We have always cooked our dressing on the side, too.

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Yep us too! Stuffing in the inside seems icky