Review: Jennie-O Freezer-To-Oven Turkey...
As seen in The Dallas Morning News...
No Touching This Turkey: No-thaw bird lets cooks skip the messy part. by Elizabeth Lee
Freezer-to-oven turkey breasts have been around a few years, but a whole turkey is something new.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Jennie-O Turkey Store is rolling out oven-ready birds that promise ease, no defrosting and freedom from yuck: cooks never have to touch a raw bird or a bag of giblets. The label even claims that it's foolproof, reassurance indeed for cooks who have never tangled with a turkey.
We roasted a 12-pound frozen bird for the 3 1/2-hour minimim time recommended on the label, which turned out to be a Jennie Uh-Oh. The timer had already popped, but we couldn't see it through the dark coating on the bag. The temperature had reached more than 200 degrees in the breast (180 degrees is the standard).
Amazingly enough, the meat was still juicy and edible, a testament to the saving power of those ubizuitous, added water solutions.
On the other hand, the turkey collapsed on slicing like Elwood and Jake's car at the end of The Blues Brothers.
It was not a Norman Rockwell moment.
If you go this route, start checking the temperature an hour before the recommended minimum roasting time to make sure the turkey doesn't overcook.
Gravy prepared by package instructions tasted much like canned gravies--salty and flat. Thinning it with a little water and dry sherry or white wine improves the flavor.
One of these turkeys-with-training-wheels is about $2.50 a pound (about $30 for a 12-pounder), a little more than double the cost of a traditional whole turkey.
No Touching This Turkey: No-thaw bird lets cooks skip the messy part. by Elizabeth Lee
Freezer-to-oven turkey breasts have been around a few years, but a whole turkey is something new.
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Jennie-O Turkey Store is rolling out oven-ready birds that promise ease, no defrosting and freedom from yuck: cooks never have to touch a raw bird or a bag of giblets. The label even claims that it's foolproof, reassurance indeed for cooks who have never tangled with a turkey.
We roasted a 12-pound frozen bird for the 3 1/2-hour minimim time recommended on the label, which turned out to be a Jennie Uh-Oh. The timer had already popped, but we couldn't see it through the dark coating on the bag. The temperature had reached more than 200 degrees in the breast (180 degrees is the standard).
Amazingly enough, the meat was still juicy and edible, a testament to the saving power of those ubizuitous, added water solutions.
On the other hand, the turkey collapsed on slicing like Elwood and Jake's car at the end of The Blues Brothers.
It was not a Norman Rockwell moment.
If you go this route, start checking the temperature an hour before the recommended minimum roasting time to make sure the turkey doesn't overcook.
Gravy prepared by package instructions tasted much like canned gravies--salty and flat. Thinning it with a little water and dry sherry or white wine improves the flavor.
One of these turkeys-with-training-wheels is about $2.50 a pound (about $30 for a 12-pounder), a little more than double the cost of a traditional whole turkey.
posted by Cortney at 7:17 PM
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