On the final Thursday of November, Americans across the country are preparing to cook and bake many different kinds of foods for their Thanksgiving feast. There is pumpkin pie, stuffing, gravy, casseroles, mashed potatoes, the list goes on. But the most popular menu item for Thanksgiving is Turkey. It can be very stressful to make a turkey on top of all the other foods, as well as going to the supermarket to buy ingredients, prep work, and how long to cook it. Anxieties are high, and everyone is rushing to get their food done before friends and family come to carve in. Enter the “Butterball Hotline” — a 24/7 call line to get assistance on anything regarding your turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line is a useful service for any home cook needing help making their turkey during Thanksgiving. There are experts on the hotline, ready to answer any possible question about turkey, like how to cook it, for how long, what you can put inside, and anything else in between.
In 1981, the Turkey Talk line was officially created. That year, the six operators received a total of 11,000 calls. In 1995, Butterball.com added the service so that there could be 24/7 access. Later, Butterball joined social media, so the hotline became more user-friendly there, too. In 2016, there was an option to text the hotline, giving people quicker contact with the operators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Turkey Talk-line launched a TikTok account to join in with some trends, as well as share recipes and advice through the app. Still today, the talk-line has over 50 experts on the line, taking about 100,000 questions throughout November and December.
Over the years operators have had to deal with many calls throughout the Turkey-making season. Some questions are basic, like, “How long should I cook it?” or “Where do I cut the turkey?” But over the years, operators have gotten some strange questions, to say the least. Here is a list of some of the weirdest questions from an article by Sarah Burris back in 2015:
“I’m a truck driver. Can I cook the turkey on the engine block of my semi while I’m driving? If I drive faster, will it cook faster?”
“The turkey in my freezer is 23 years old. Is it safe to eat?”
“How do I roast my turkey so it gets golden brown tan lines — in the shape of a turkey bikini?”
So if you ever need assistance this holiday season with your turkey, this is one way to get your information from an expert on the fly. Whether you’re knowledgeable about your turkey or have zero experience, the Turkey Talk line is here to help you. Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL, or text 844-877-3456 to get in contact with an expert. And please, don’t eat a 23-year-old turkey: that just sounds like a recipe for food poisoning.
