Your difficulties could stem from how you're positioning the probe. The point of the probe should be in the meatiest part of the thigh, as far from bone as possible. Bones conduct heat, so temperatures will be slightly higher near a bone. People have been successfully cooking turkeys since long before the advent of temperature probes. Some old tests to determine if the turkey was fully cooked include jiggling a drumstick, If it feels loose in the socket, the turkey is done. Another old test is to pierce the thigh. If the juices run clear, the turkey is done. Consult your mother or grandmother. Chances are, they'll have other methods. Barring that, use the probe set to a slightly lower temperature than is recommended. When the probe tells you that temperature has been reached, begin checking with an instant read thermometer in 2 or 3 places to ensure that temperature is consistent. Finally, let the turkey rest for at least 45 minutes after removing it from the oven. Just tent it with foil and set it in a draft-free spot. It will still be plenty hot after the rest. Resting allows the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat, so that they don't run all over your cutting board when you begin carving. In my experience, most dry turkeys are the result of carving without a sufficient resting.

My husband's trunk smelled bad for several days - I finally found the source, a "runaway carton of yogurt". It had loosed itself from the grocery bag, about 5 days before that. My dad hopped in the car one time more than 40 years ago, drove himself to the bus station, left the car there ALL DAY, came back to the car 10 hours later, drove it back to where we were staying at the time. The next MORNING, he couldn't find his house keys. THEY WERE ON TOP OF THE CAR AND HAD BEEN THERE FOR THE ENTIRE DAY AND NIGHT - he had put them on top of the car before he went to the bus station, no one took them at the parking lot or at place we were staying that night. He said, that would NEVER happen today, someone would steal your keys!!! DonnaR/CA

I still think you should check with the grower. I believe if you cook a heritage bird to 165 degrees like you would say a Butterball - you will find the meat very dry. Bar 5 is one vendor at the Mpls. Farmer's Market that sells free range poultry. Their advice is to cook a heritage bird at 425F-450F and cook until an internal thigh temperature of 140F-150F is reached. And while the USDA recommends turkeys be cooked to 160F-180F, that temperature will dry out a heritage turkey. Heritage birds are much more free of disease and bacteria, unlike commercially raised birds, and do not need extreme temperatures to make them safe for consumption. Once you remove the bird from the oven the temp will rise even further. I would still ask the grower what they suggest. I'm sure you paid a premium for your bird and want it to turn out perfect!

I have used this recipe many times with leftover roast meats...haven't done it with turkey, but I bet it would be good. Jhal Fraizi--Indian style stir fry using leftover roast meats. 3 September 2010 at 13:38 Lamb or Beef Jhal Fraizi -from, âÂÂFoolproof Indian Cooking,â by Madhur Jaffrey-with slight changes and notes of my own. 350 g (12 oz) cooked, boneless roast lamb or beef* 3 T olive oil ü t cumin seeds ü brown mustard seeds** 8 fenugreek seeds*** 100 g (1 medium) green bell pepper, cut into strips. 1-2 hot green chilies (such as serranos), cut into long, thin slivers. Ms. Jaffrey says not to remove the seeds, but if youâÂÂve a tender mouth, I would scrape the seeds & pith out to cool the dish down. 150 g (1 medium) onion, cut into half rings, similar in size to the peppers. 1 t Worcestershire sauce 1 t ground cumin 1 t ground coriander ü t ground turmeric þ t salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste. Julienne the cooked meats in ü to ý inch strips. Heat the oil over a medium high heat until quite hot, then add the cumin, mustard and fenugreek seeds. The mustard seeds will begin to pop, when they do, add the bell pepper, onion, and chilies. Stir fry until the onions & peppers are wilted, and perhaps beginning to brown a bit (but not much) and add the meat and other seasonings. Heat through. This is very good with some plain rice and a side of plain yogurt or a yogurt raita of some kind as a cooling foil to the spiciness of the dish. A simple raita can be made by mixing half a cup of plain yogurt with a couple of tablespoons of grated, squeezed (to remove excess liquid) cucumber and a teaspoon or so of minced mint or cilantro, adding a bit of salt if you like. *IâÂÂve found that the recipe works quite well with roasted pork or chicken as well. **Plain, yellow mustard seeds will work as well, if youâÂÂve got some on hand already and donâÂÂt want to search out and buy brown just for this recipe. ***It doesnâÂÂt sound like much, but fenugreek is quite potent, and the flavor is distinct. Fenugreek also keeps a long, long time, much longer than most spices. There really isnâÂÂt anything I can think of that would be similar, but if you need to do without it, something slightly sweet but pungent would workâ¦maybe some minced cilantro or mint, added at the last minute.