This Thanksgiving will have special meaning after the disturbing terrorist attacks in the United States. As we gather with family and friends, we will be even more thankful for the people near and dear in our lives, for they offer support and comfort in times of worry and concern.
History tells us that the first Thanksgiving Day in Canada, after Confederation, was observed on April 15, 1872, to celebrate the recovery of the prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) from a serious illness.
No record is found of a Thanksgiving Day between 1872 and 1879. But from 1879 to 1898, it was observed on a Thursday in November. During the 20th century the dates were variously fixed on Mondays in October and November until the practice in 1936 of making the second Monday in October Thanksgiving Day. That was set as the permanent date by proclamation in 1957.
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A statement proclaiming the reason for Thanksgiving Day changed over the years. For many years in the 1800s it was “blessing of an abundant harvest.”
Sometimes it was for a special event such as in 1902 when it was “a day of general thanksgiving and rejoicing for the king’s coronation.”
Since 1931 it has been “for general thanksgiving to Almighty God for the blessings with which the people of Canada have been favoured.”
Source: Department of Canadian Heritage
The turkey stuffing
Roast turkey with stuffing is a Thanksgiving dinner tradition for many families. The kind of stuffing used is also a tradition. My mother cut the bread in cubes with a knife, while my husband’s mother tore the bread into little pieces with her fingers.
The recipes were similar, with chopped onions and poultry seasoning, but the texture is different.
If you would like to try a new recipe or haven’t made stuffing before, here are some hints and recipes to try.
- One slice of bread yields 1/2 cup (125 mL) coarse bread crumbs.
- Allow 1/2-3/4 cup (125-175 mL) of stuffing per one pound of turkey.
- Avoid packing the stuffing since it expands while cooking.
- Stuff the turkey just before roasting. Do not stuff the day before. Moistened stuffing does not keep well. If desired, ingredients may be prepared the day before, and combined just before the turkey is to be stuffed.
- Do not stuff a turkey before freezing.
- Remove leftover stuffing from the bird immediately after roasting and keep covered in the refrigerator. Use within three days. Reheat just enough stuffing for one meal.
- Cooked stuffing can be frozen up to four weeks. Heat without thawing, or thaw in the refrigerator and use at once.
Here is an easy way to remove stuffing from the cavity. Prepare the turkey for the oven. Insert a generous amount of cheesecloth into the cavity, leaving excess at the opening. Stuff the bird as usual and roast. After roasting, simply pull the cheesecloth out of the turkey in one quick action with no waste or mess.
To stuff or not to stuff?
Stuffing the breast area of the turkey, in addition to the cavity, will help keep the meat moist and will provide extra flavour. Unstuffed turkey takes less time to cook. When roasting an unstuffed turkey, simply season the cavity with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning if desired and add two quartered onions.
In oven: Stuffing can be cooked separately in a covered casserole dish or aluminum foil package during the last 30-60 minutes of roasting time. A spoonful or two of pan drippings or turkey or chicken broth may be drizzled over stuffing, before baking, for additional flavour.
In slow cooker:
8 cups bread cubes or 2 L
prepared stuffing mix
1/2 cup chopped onion 125 mL
1/2 cup chopped celery 125 mL
1/4 cup butter or 50 mL
margarine
1/2 -2 cups turkey 125-500 mL
or chicken broth
(depending on the
dryness of the bread)
1 teaspoon salt 5 mL
11/2 teaspoons poultry 7 mL
seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 mL
Note: If using seasoned bread cubes, adjust other seasonings as desired.
Broth: Simmer turkey bones and/or pieces of meat in water for one hour or until tender or use canned consommé or chicken bouillon cubes to make the broth.
Chop onions and celery. These may be cut up the day before, placed in covered container and refrigerated until ready to use.
Prepare bread cubes and place in large mixing bowl. Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion and celery. Pour over bread cubes, add seasonings and toss together.
Moisten bread cubes with broth, combining lightly but well. Pack mixture lightly into slow cooker since the dressing will expand as it cooks. Then cover and set on high for one hour.
Turn setting to low and cook for another half hour or until done. Stir lightly as needed but remember heat will decrease each time the lid is removed. If a more moist dressing is desired, add broth as needed.
Stove top stuffing
1/2 cup butter or 125 mL
margarine
1-2 teaspoons poultry 5-10 mL
seasoning
1/2 medium onion,
chopped
1-11/2 cups chicken 250-375 mL
broth
7 cups dry bread 1.75 L
crumbs
In Dutch oven pot, melt butter or margarine and cook the chopped onions until soft. Add poultry seasoning and the chicken broth. Bring to boil and add the bread crumbs. Stir well, turn heat to medium until all bread is moist. Then turn to low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Source: Making Memories, compiled by the Sovereign Women’s Institute, 1999. This recipe was submitted to the cookbook by Susan Munchinsky. She said she likes to use homemade broth, canned chicken broth or consommé. She finds the chicken-in-a-mug too salty.
If using moist bread crumbs, use less chicken broth and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Other stuffing recipes
For variety, try using a new stuffing in the neck cavity of the turkey and your traditional family favourite in the body cavity.
Old-fashioned poultry stuffing
8 cups soft bread 2 L
crumbs
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 mL
1 teaspoon salt 5 mL
2 teaspoons poultry 10 mL
seasoning or sage
1/4 cup melted butter 50 mL
or margarine
3/4 cup chopped onion 175 mL
2 tablespoons 25 mL
chopped celery leaves
Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stuff into body and neck cavities of turkey. Increase or reduce recipe as required. Yields enough to stuff a 3.6 kilogram turkey.
Rice and raisin stuffing
Also good with wild fowl.
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter 125 mL
2 cups cooked rice 500 mL
2 cups dry bread 500 mL
crumbs
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup raisins 125 mL
1 teaspoon sage or 5 mL
poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt 2 mL
1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 mL
1/2-1 cup turkey 125-250 mL
or chicken broth
Sauté onion in butter until onion is transparent, about five minutes. Combine rice, sautéed onion, bread crumbs, carrot, raisins, sage or poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add enough broth to moisten ingredients. Stuff the turkey.
To bake stuffing in covered casserole in oven, add an extra 1/4-1/2 cup (50-125 mL) of broth and bake during the last 40 minutes of roasting time.
Roasting tips
- An oven temperature of 325 F (160 C) is best for roasting turkey. Higher temperatures may toughen protein and cause shrinkage. Temperatures lower than 300 F (150 C) are not safe.
- Avoid interrupting the roasting time. Cook turkey at 325 F (160 C) until thoroughly done. Do not partially cook at one time to complete at a later date.
- A few slices of lightly buttered bread, placed under the turkey, will prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- For a flavour difference, place strips of bacon across the breast and around the drumsticks. Secure with toothpicks.
Sources: Unless stated otherwise, recipes and tips are from various Turkey Growers Marketing Board publications.
Lids for gallon jars
Dear TEAM: Have you any addresses of companies where I could get new lids for gallon containers? – P. P., Rabbit Lake, Sask.
Dear P.P.: One company that supplies them is Richards Packaging, 895 King Edward St., Winnipeg, R3H OP8, 204-783-9949. It does supply for home use, with a minimum order of $10 plus postage.
