A tom turkey is a male turkey. A hen is a female. A hen turkey can weigh up to 16 lbs. while the tom can get as big as 50 lbs. The challenge of cooking a tom turkey, therefore, is in the size of the bird. Though toms are not necessarily less tender than hens, large birds in general can be a little tougher than small ones. You need to take precautions to retain moisture. Large birds also require more time and resources to cook.
Step 1
Wrap a frozen turkey tightly in a clean tall kitchen garbage bag and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. For a large turkey, allow four to six days for thawing.
Step 2
Place several chunks of onions, celery, apples and carrots inside the cavity of the turkey. They will add both flavor and moisture to the turkey.
Step 3
Add 1/2 cup of water or broth to the bottom of the roasting pan.
Step 4
Put the turkey in the roasting pan breast-side up. Tent it loosely with aluminum foil. The seal between the roasting pan and the aluminum foil should not be airtight.
Step 5
Roast the turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. An 18-lb. turkey will take about 4 1/4 hours. A 24-lb. turkey will take as much as five hours.
Step 6
Remove the aluminum foil about one hour before you expect the turkey to be done. Brush the surface of the turkey with vegetable oil and return it to the oven to finish roasting.
Step 7
Remove the turkey from the oven when a cooking thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast and again in the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 8
Remove the turkey from the roasting pan using a turkey lifter. Put it on the carving board to rest.
Step 9
Allow the turkey to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Tent it again with the aluminum foil to keep it from drying out while it is resting.
Tips and Warnings
- Choose your turkey based on the resources of your kitchen. Make sure the turkey will fit in your refrigerator to thaw. Make sure it will fit in your roasting pan, and make sure it will fit in your oven with ample air space on all sides. A large tom turkey takes up oven space and also takes a long time to cook. If you don't have the time or space on the day of the meal, you can roast the turkey the day before. Carve the meat and refrigerate it in a sealed container immediately. The next day, reheat the meat in a covered casserole in a 325-degree oven. To make sure it doesn't dry out, cover it in gravy before reheating.
- Bake the stuffing separately. The larger the turkey the harder it will be to cook the stuffing to a safe temperature if you bake it inside the bird. The extra time in the oven also dries out the turkey unnecessarily.
Things You'll Need
- Tom turkey, frozen
- 1 clean, tall kitchen garbage bag
- Knife
- 2 ribs celery
- 1/2 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 apple
- 1/2 cup water or broth
- Aluminum foil
- Vegetable oil
- Pastry brush
- Instant-read cooking thermometer
- Turkey lifter
- Carving board
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