Culinary advice about stuffing a turkey?

I've heard that actually putting the stuffing inside a turkey is very unhealthy due to bacteria that is present. But the comment was made to me in passing and I don't know any more about it. I mentioned it to my mom today and I think I offended her (I'm 7 months pregnant and she woke me up so I think it came out something like, ';Ew, you're not supposed to stuff a turkey, it can make you sick!'; Not very tactful, I know...)





Anyway, can someone who does a lot of cooking, perhaps someone who's been to culinary arts school answer this for me? Is there any problem related to stuffing a turkey? Thorough answers would be appreciated, I really want to know and understand.Culinary advice about stuffing a turkey?
It is not a good idea to stuff any sort of fowl. Turkey is the worst thing to stuff because it takes so long to cook and the temperature inside the bird does not get hot enough to kill bacteria. Then when you set the bird out to cool and it is served the stuffing continues to sit around and breed more bacteria. You have the capacity to make everyone very sick.





Better to put some heads of garlic, herbs and onion and a rib of celery inside the turkey for flavor and toss them when it's cooked.Culinary advice about stuffing a turkey?
Basically the problem comes in when people put too much stuffing in the turkey. Stuffing has eggs in it oftentimes, and undercooked eggs can carry Salmonella bacteria, which can get you really sick (not something you want to mess with while pregnant).





Don't pack the turkey tight with stuffing, and only stuff the turkey if the method you are using will actually cook the stuffing too (grilling won't get the job done...try the oven instead).





I've linked a holiday resources on turkeys and stuffing for you
cook the turkey as normal without the stuffing inside (cook that in a seperate pan) and when the turkey is done, take the stuffing and put in or just keep it as a side item. ...





http://www.giantfood.com/wellness/turkey鈥?/a>





scroll down and check out what they say about stuffing
Oh So Important!





ALWAYS, rinse your turkey inside and out with cold or tepid (not warm or hot -- you'll start cooking it!) water. Rinse rinse rinse until there's no more ';pink in the sink.'; Then, pat dry the turkey on the outside and in the cavities. I'm obsessive, so I make sure the cavity is as dry as I can get it. Don't be alarmed as you are drying the cavity you get red-stuff on your paper towels. There's always *some* bits left in there (EWWWW!) :) but when the turkey's done, you won't even notice.





After the turkey bath (hey! Turkish Bath!) stuff your bird. But never, ever, ever CRAM the stuffing in. Yes, you want it full and a little patting and pushing is OK. But if you cram it so the stuffing is a little bowling ball in there, it may never reach the desired temperature to kill all/any bacteria.





Once in the pan, I pat dry the skin of the turkey one more time. Then, I either spray it (entirely) with PAM or rub it with plain Crisco. I find this helps seal in the juices and keep the bird moist. Alot of people I know only do this one initial ';basting'; with terrific results. However, I still like to baste the bird for a beautiful crispy tasty skin.





This is just me, but I also like to put a couple of cups of chicken broth in the pan with the turkey. Some of it evaporates with cooking - however I find I have plenty of tasty juices for making gravy.





Also, let the turkey stand for 20 minutes (not in the oven) after it's been completely cooked. I guess it ';settles'; the bird and makes it easy to carve and God knows what else. I read somewhere YEARS ago why to do this; but I have since forgotten!





Oh! I almost forgot! Remember to remove the neck and bag of giblets before rinsing and stuffing! When I my aunt hosted her first Thanksgiving, she forgot to do that!





Have a wonderful holiday! Good luck!





All the best!
The major problem with stuffing any poultry is putting warm dressing into a cold bird...this allows bacteria to form.





Make your favorite dressing and allow it to cool completely. Stuff your prepared turkey (thoroughly washed, dried and seasoned) loosely with dressing, truss and roast immediately.





2 1/2 hours into roasting, using a meat thermometer, check the stuffed cavity's temperature through the side of the breast...you are looking for a temperature of 180 F.





When reached, your turkey is prefectly safe to enjoy!








Happy Thanksgiving.
It's not a problem, as long as you remove the stuffing once it is cooked. You are not supposed to leave it in the cavity of the turkey.
I have eaten stuffed turkeys every year since I can remember, and never had a bad one. But then, my family was famous for over-cooking meat, so perhaps that helped. There is nothing that can be trusted completely if it is not completely cooked.





Pre-heat your turkey. Start with like 425 F to get it really going for about half an hour, then reduce the heat to 325 F and baste frequently, and cook it until it really is done. You should be able to separate the leg from the body with hardly any force at all; it should just come away. Stick a fork anywhere in it and you get juices running out and no rubbery feeling. It will take at least half again as long as you expect it to.





I have heard, however, that it is unhealthy to leave the stuffing in the turkey when you put it in the refrigerator after everyone has had enough. But then, I've never had one with any stuffing left by that time, so I wouldn't know.
NO. It is just your dirty hands. You also never clean out the turkey. BUT DONT PUT SOAP.
I always stuff mine with my own sage and onion receipe just remember to allow the extra cooking time for the bird. Did this even when pregnant with both mine. I also stuff chicken.
Traditional Roast Turkey with Pork, Sage and Onion Stuffing





Cooking a turkey for the first time at Christmas, when in-laws and other guests are probably milling around, can be quite a traumatic experience. I think the secret of success is to give the turkey a good blast of heat to begin with, and once you've got it going (ie, the heat has penetrated right through) you can then turn the oven down and let the turkey cook through more gently. It is also a good precaution to calculate your starting time so that the bird should complete cooking at least 30 minutes before you plan to sit down to eat. That way it has a chance to 'relax' so that the flesh can re-absorb the juices that have bubbled to the surface; it also allows sufficient time to give the turkey another 10 minutes or so cooking time if it needs it. If you like your stuffing firm, so that it cuts in slices, add a beaten egg to bind it. If, like me, you prefer it crumbly, leave the egg out.


Before you start, please bear in mind that it is important to take the turkey out of the fridge last thing on Christmas Eve to allow it to come to room temperature so that it heats up immediately you put it in the oven. The same applies to the stuffing (you can make this on Christmas Eve, ahead of time), and you also need to remove the 6 oz (175 g) of butter to soften ready for the morning.





To make the stuffing, combine the breadcrumbs with the onion and sage in a large mixing bowl, then stir in a little boiling water and mix thoroughly. Next work the sausagemeat or minced pork and egg, if using, into this mixture and season with salt and pepper. Leave the stuffing covered in a cool place 鈥?but not in the fridge, as it shouldn't be too cold when you come to stuff the turkey.





Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425掳F (220掳C). Begin, on the morning of cooking, by stuffing the turkey. Loosen the skin with your hands and pack the stuffing into the neck end, pushing it up between the flesh and the skin towards the breast (though not too tightly because it will expand during the cooking). Press it in gently to make a nice rounded end, then tuck the neck flap under the bird's back and secure with a small skewer. Don't expect to get all the stuffing in this end 鈥?put the rest into the body cavity.





Now arrange two large sheets of foil across your baking tin 鈥?one of them widthways, the other lengthways (no need to butter them). Lay the turkey on its back in the centre, then rub it generously all over with the butter, making sure the thighbones are particularly well covered. Next season the bird all over with salt and pepper, and lay the bacon over the breast with the rashers overlapping each other.





The idea now is to wrap the turkey in the foil. The parcel must be firmly sealed but roomy enough inside to provide an air space around most of the upper part of the turkey. So bring one piece of foil up and fold both ends over to make a pleat along the length of the breastbone 鈥?but well above the breast. Then bring the other piece up at both ends, and crimp and fold to make a neat parcel.





Place the roasting tin on a low shelf in the oven and cook at the initial high temperature for 40 minutes. After that, lower the heat to gas mark 3, 325掳F (170掳C) and cook for a further 3 hours for a 12 lb bird (around 5.5 kg), or 3陆 hours for a 14 lb bird (around 6.3 kg). Then tear the foil away from the top and sides of the bird and remove the bacon slices to allow the skin to brown and crisp. The bacon rashers can be placed on a heat-proof plate and put back in the oven to finish cooking till all the fat has melted and there are just very crisp bits left. (I like to serve these crunchy bits with the turkey as well as bacon rolls.) Turn the heat up to gas mark 6, 400掳F (200掳C) and cook the turkey for a further 30 minutes. The turkey will need frequent basting during this time, so the whole operation will probably take nearer 40-45 minutes.





To test if the bird is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the leg with a thin skewer: the juices running out of it should be golden and clear. And the same applies to any part of the bird tested 鈥?there should be no trace of pinkness in the juices. You can also give the leg a little tug, to make sure there is some give in it.





Then remove it from the roasting tin (using a carving fork and fish slice) and transfer it to a warm carving dish. If you can engage someone's help while lifting it, it's a good idea to tip the turkey to let the excess juice run out. Leave the turkey in a warmish place for 30-60 minutes to 'relax' before carving: provided it's not in a draught it will stay hot for that length of time, and it will give you a chance to turn the heat up in the oven to crisp the roast potatoes.





Meanwhile, to make the gravy, tip all the fat and juices out of the foil into the roasting tin. Spoon off all the fat from the juice in a corner of the tin, then work the flour into the remaining juices over a low heat. Now, using a balloon whisk, whisk in the Turkey Giblet Stock bit by bit, until you have a smooth gravy. Let it bubble and reduce a bit to concentrate the flavour, and taste and season with salt and pepper. (And when you have carved the turkey, pour any escaped juices into the gravy.)
oooooooooo, I just love stuffing turkeys, mmmmmmmm. I've caught more off $2 hookers.
the only definite no no about stuffing turkeys is never ever stuff a Turkey that has been frozen. if you have any real concern about stuffing the turkey only stuff the neck end this guarantees that the stuffing gets thoroughly cooked and any bacteria is killed of. I myself have stuffed both neck and body cavities for the last thirty years with no ill effects but i always ensure that the bird is very thoroughly cooked this may lead to a slightly dry turkey but ensures a happy Christmas