Holiday Gas Prices & Thawing It Out

Holiday Gas Prices & Thawing It Out

Holiday Gas Prices & Thawing It Out. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

That trip to grandma's house will be a bit cheaper this holiday season as gasoline prices here in the northwest have dipped below $2 a gallon. One of the reasons is a massive surplus in oil. One analyst says the $1.99 a gallon price is the least it's been since 2004. Not that we haven's had cheaper gas prices but just not at Thanksgiving. A year ago we were paying $2.81 a gallon so this year is a bit of a treat.

Is your turkey thawing? Thanksgiving is just two days away and if you haven't started to thaw that bird yet...well...

HANES: You should allow approximately 24 hours for every five pounds so if you have a 12 pound turkey..

That would mean a thaw time of three days according to Tina Hanes with the Ag Department. It's best to thaw the bird in a refrigerator above freezing but below 40 degrees to keep bacteria from growing. But with only two days left, what's a chef to do?

HANES: Leave the turkey in its original wrapping, put it in a sink of cold water and let it sit for 30 minutes and then you change the water every 30 minutes to keep the thawing going.

That would get your 12 pound turkey thawed in about 6 hours instead. Remember to use meat thermometer as well when cooking to be sure the internal temperature gets to the optimal 180 degrees in the thigh or 165 degrees in the breast or stuffing. And let me know when I should be over!

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.

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