Roasting Tips

• Place oven rack in lowest position; preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
• To enhance browning, brush with cooking oil.
• Insert a meat thermometer into the center of an inside thigh muscle so the bulb doesn't touch bone.

A meat thermometer can be checked for accuracy by submerging at least 2 inches of the stem in boiling water. It should read 212 degrees F. If the thermometer registers above or below 212 degrees F., add or subtract the same number of degrees from the temperature specified in the recipe and cook to that temperature.

Instant-read thermometers, also known as rapid-response thermometers, measure a wide range of temperatures, typically from 0 to 220 degrees F. These thermometers are not designed to stay in food during cooking. Instant-read thermometers can also be checked for accuracy with the boiling water test.

• Cover the turkey loosely with foil, leaving space between the bird and the foil.
• Press the foil over the drumsticks and neck.
• Roast in a 325-degree oven using the timings below as a guide.
• When bird has been in the oven for two-thirds of the time listed on page 3, cut skin or string between drumsticks.
• Remove foil the last 30 to 45 minutes.