5 incredible turkey tips for the best Thanksgiving ever!

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Thanksgiving won't be complete without a turkey dish as part of the traditional holiday meal. It just won't seem right if the family table is devoid of that enticing and scrumptious flesh of our favorite wildfowl this time of the year.

And, since we only celebrate Thanksgiving once a year, we ought to do it right when it comes to preparing the turkey for the whole family to enjoy and share. Now, here are some of the best Thanksgiving turkey tips you need to consider.

Brining the Turkey

Joe Palma, executive chef at Bourbon Steak, said that brining the turkey or soaking it in a solution of salt, water and often a few additional seasonings makes all the difference. It is important because it pre-seasons the protein, Wtop wrote.

"It also allows cell walls to suck up more moisture than they would normally hold," he said. Which helps to ensure your turkey won't dry out during the cooking process.

Roasting the Turkey

For those who chose to roast their turkeys, Brant Tesky, executive chef of Acadiana, fills the cavity of the bird with some aromatics. He recommends onions, celery, carrots, garlic, herbs, and peppercorns. He also avoids stuffing inside the cavity of the turkey.

"The problem is, if you put all that stuffing in the bird, that's the last thing to cook. So the breast meat will dry out because it's going to get overcooked while you're still kind of waiting for the stuffing in the middle to really cook through," he said.

Thaw Smartly

The thawing time corresponds to the weight of the bird, according to Cleveland.com. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends for refrigerator thawing times: 5-6 days for turkeys 20-24 pounds; 4-5 days for 16-20 pounds; 3-4 days for 12-16 pounds; 1-3 days for 4-12 pounds.

Doing a cold-water thawing right, on the other hand, can take a half-day while microwaving can take more than an hour on defrost. Make sure the turkey is defrosted completely before deep-frying.

Storage Rules

After you've cooked and served the meal, it is best to divide the products into small portions and keep them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months, according to TheState.com.

The leftover meat should be eaten within 3 to 4 days, while the gravy, within 1 to 2 days. Frozen leftovers must be consumed no longer than six months.

To wash or not to wash?

Amy Simonne, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences food safety expert, said that it is not recommended to wash the turkey because it causes more contamination in your kitchen. The food handling of these products should be minimized.