What Question Is Asked the Most on The Butterball Turkey Hotline?

We've all had questions about cooking a Thanksgiving turkey. For most of us, the cooking has usually been done by a more qualified member of the family -- but what happens when you have to prepare a turkey for the first time?

It's the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line to the rescue! The help line was started in 1981. This toll-free phone line was established to help those who had questions about cooking or preparing their turkeys. It is open every November and December (people have questions about their Christmas turkey as well!). There are over 50 cooking experts standing by waiting to answer your questions. Just on Thanksgiving Day, around 10,000 cooks are phoning in needing assistance with their "bird".

What is the #1 Question Asked on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line?

It seems people wait too long to start thawing out their frozen turkey. The most asked question is "My turkey is still frozen! What do I do?"

The answer from Butterball is to submerge your frozen turkey breast-side down in cold water. Change that water every 30 minutes. This could take awhile. Butterball says to plan on it taking about 30 minutes per pound to defrost your turkey this way.

Growing up, I remember my Grandmother sitting in the kitchen with a blow dryer aimed at our Thanksgiving turkey in an attempt to defrost it faster!

What are some of the stranger questions that have been asked?

Going along with the same thought for defrosting as my Grandmother, one of the weirdest question comes from people wanting to know what they can use to defrost their turkey. Along with hair dryers, other devices include the bathtub, the dishwasher, or even a heating blanket. Once again, Butterball recommends the cold water method above.

The Canadian version of Reader's Digest put together a list of 25 Hilarious Questions that have been phoned in to Butterball. They included:

• A man wanting to know how to thaw out a frozen turkey from 1969 that he found in his father's freezer
• A woman wanting to know how to give her turkey a bikini line
• A man wanting to know if the oil from the chainsaw he used to cut the turkey in half would affect the bird.
• A woman who was having a problem because her turkey wouldn't stop sudsing up after she tried rinsing it with dish soap.
• A woman who stored her frozen turkey in a snowbank in the yard, only to find it missing the next day
• A man wanting to know how long it would take to defrost his turkey in the family's hot tub.

You can see the complete list from Reader's Digest here.

Originally in 1981 the only way to get it touch with the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line was by picking up the phone and calling 1-800-BUTTERBALL. Now you have other options, including going online to their website, Texting in your question at 844-877-3456, or even using your Alexa-enabled devices...Just say, “Alexa, ask Butterball…” and have your question answered on the spot.

Best of Luck to you if you are preparing at Thanksgiving bird for your family this year!