with Thanksgiving Day Help On-Line

MODESTO, Calif., Nov. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Brines, dry rubs, roasting, smoking, grilling and deep-frying... so many ways to prepare your holiday turkey! The California Poultry Federation wants you to share your special whole turkey preparation of a California Grown Thanksgiving turkey. It's easy ... just post a photo of your cooked, regal bird on our Facebook page and describe why this was your favorite method of preparation in 2012. It could be a family tradition or something fresh, a reason to impress guests or a new-found flavor... it's your story, so share it! You can win a cash prize and a California Grown turkey for your next celebration! 

For California consumers who want a little help with preparation hints and ideas for the perfect Thanksgiving California Grown turkey, CPF offers a convenient one-stop location on its website www.cpif.org. CPF is the state's only trade association representing all segments of the poultry industry, including turkey production and marketing companies. CPF member websites offering tips include:

• Foster Farms - www.fosterfarms.com
• Zacky Farms - www.zacky.com
• Pitman Farms - Mary's Free Range Turkeys www.marysturkeys.com
• Willie Bird Turkeys - www.williebird.com

Also listed are the traditional toll-free hotlines for consumer questions and cooking tips:

• Foster Farms The Foster Farms Helpline is available Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. PST.  Consumers can call 1-800-255-7227 with turkey questions.
• Zacky Farms The Zacky Farms helpline is available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., PST. Consumers can call 1-800-888-0235.
• USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline For food safety tips and more, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. The hotline is available year round Monday through Friday. Additionally, it will be open on Thanksgiving Day from 8:00 a. m. to 2:00 p. m., Eastern Time.

"The CPF website offers us the ability to provide turkey preparation information to consumers 24-hours-a-day," noted CPF President Bill Mattos. "With time being such a short commodity these days, we hope this site helps consumers access the information they need quickly and efficiently."

Consumers looking for a fresh bird need to keep an eye out for the "fresh" label, advises Mattos, to make sure they are getting a truly fresh bird.

"The vast majority of our turkey sales are of fresh product," explained Mattos. "California consumers have shown a preference for fresh and our advice is that consumers look for the fresh label to make sure they are getting a bird that has been kept at 26 degrees Fahrenheit or above. If the label doesn't say fresh, it's probably frozen."

Mattos cautions consumers that demand will be high this Thanksgiving and they should place their orders early. "You should order your fresh turkey seven to 10 days before Thanksgiving in order to make sure you will get the bird you want," says Mattos. "Then you can start preparing the perfect turkey to submit to our online photo contest."

The Share your Turkey! Photo Contest ends November 30, 2012. Along with the Facebook photo post and description, an official entry must be submitted to the CPF. Go to www.cpif.org and click on Holiday Cooking is Here under Quick Links for contest entry details and rules.

California turkey producers expect to sell approximately 15 million birds this year, with an estimated 40-45% of those sales coming during the holiday season, points out Mattos. Annual per-capita turkey consumption in California is 19 pounds, compared to 16.5 pounds per-capita in the United States. Nationwide, nearly 250 million turkeys are expected to be sold this year. California ranks among the top 7 turkey-producing states.

SOURCE California Poultry Federation