CNY Secrets For a Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

When we asked you recently for tips on ensuring a perfect Thanksgiving bird, you divulged some great family secrets. Here are Central New Yorkers' Top 10 Tips For Having a Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey:

10. TRASH CAN-STYLE

Linda Marie said: "Trash can turkey is amazing. I may actually cook mine trash can-style this year." It's essentially a whole bird on a stake in the ground, surrounded by a bed of charcoal laying in the trash can lid, with the trash can upside-down on top of it, and here's a simple recipe for it at TrashCanTurkey.com.

9. UPSIDE DOWN

Sherri Dudman Bauer: "One year without realizing it I put the turkey in “upside” down and my son started to make a big thing out of it until he tasted it. I’ve read in the past few years it is now a way you can do it."

8. BROWN BAG IT

Ann Zuchowski Dobbins: "We bake ours in a brown paper bag, the skin comes out crispy and the turkey is juicy. I never learned this technique until marrying my hubby 18yrs ago!"

7. TOOTHPICKS

Lauren Trahan: "Putting vegetable broth and Turkey broth in the pan underneath and toothpicks poking out of the turkey so the foil doesn't rest directly on it."

6. THE TRIANGLE

Marilyn Hall Baissa: "Brined, start at 500 degrees with herbs inside, turkey triangle on top. Delicious." (The triangle refers to the loose tin foil blanket on top as the bird cooks.)

5. GETTING UNDER THE SKIN

Marie N Dennis Wright: "Put the compote under the skin."

4. CREATE A COMFY BED

Marie Susan: "If you bake your turkey on top of celery, carrots and onions it prevents the turkey from sticking to the pan."

3. D.I.Y.

Jim Jerome: "Full camo so you can go get the dang thing in the woods."

2. ANTI-D.I.Y.

Janis McKenna, Sandy Maiola, Pete Fletcher, Brenda Castelli, Sarah N Len Kennedy, , Joanna Montrose, Deborah Martin, Jennifer Wheeldon, Susan Perkins, Homer Dexter, Ellie Turlington, and others all voted to let SOMEONE ELSE do the cooking.

1. THE "OTHER" BIRD

Allison Eastman and Sunshine Covey prefer chicken to turkey. This article explores reasons why chicken is better than turkey, and maintains we only "eat turkey on Thanksgiving because it’s traditional, but people do not enjoy eating turkey."

The final word on the subject goes to James Richardson. When we asked him for a tip, he said "Why should I tell anyone? It's a secret...lol."

If you have any other key turkey tips, please pass 'em along via email or our Facebook page.