Turkey Hotline to the Rescue This Holiday Season

Never made a turkey? How long does it take to defrost? How long does it take to cook? How do you know it's done? How do you prepare your side dishes and your pie? Your turkey is on FIRE! Don't worry! You can call the Turkey Help Line! That's right, there is help out there. There are actually several hotlines answered by cooking experts ready to take your call this holiday season. Here is a guide of who to call in case of a turkey emergency.

Throughout November and December you can call the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. They are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST. E-mail: talkline@butterball.com or Call: 1-800-BUTTERBALL. This line was launched in 1981 and is open to residents of the United States and Canada and they can assist even assist you in Spanish. The experts at Butterball have solved many situations, such as what pan to use and what to do when the turkey catches fire. You can even text the word "TURKEY" to 36888 and they will send you cooking alerts directly to you mobile device.

Foster Farms is available to take your questions on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST. Call: 1-800-255-7227. They can help you roast, rotisserie, grill and smoke your turkey. Also look at the website to find a lot of information and tips.

HoneySuckle White Turkey offers many tips for budget holiday meals, kid friendly meals, how to plan your menu and more on their website. Also, while there, take a look at their turkey basics page. Honeysuckle offers a pre-recorded information line at 1-800-810-6325, which is accessible 24 hours a day. The hotline addresses how to select, prepare and cook your turkey. Shady brook Farms offers similar pre-recorded information at 1-888-723-4468 and info on their website.

Reynolds also offers a helpline at 1-800-745-4000. You can also access their website and watch their Cooking Series videos on the "3 Ways to Cook a Perfect Turkey".

The USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline is also available at 1-888-674-6854 and will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST. Their hotline began in 1985 and helps prevent food borne illness. They can assist you with questions on food storage, handling and preparation. In 2002, they began to offer this service in Spanish.

With all the help out there, there is no way you can ruin your Holiday meal. Happy Holidays!