Since 1981, aspiring home cooks have turned to the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line every November for helpful pointers and advice to save their bacon — or should we say, turkey! According to Butterball’s website, the company’s 50+ experts answer more than 100,000 questions every year, ranging from thawing the bird to proper preparation to tips for different cooking styles for Thanksgiving dinner.
Of course, with so many calls to field (and so many newbie cooks in the kitchen), there’s bound to be some… well… interesting inquiries. This round-up from Reader’s Digest had us chuckling — and some of us looking the other way in embarrassment. Hey, we’ve all been there… right?
Here are some of our favorite Butterball turkey hotline fails pulled from the list:
It’s a Wrap
A proud gentleman called to tell the staff how he wrapped his turkey in a towel and stomped on it several times, breaking the bones so it would fit in his pan.
Carving the Turkey
Another gentleman called to tell the operator he cut his turkey in half with a chainsaw and wanted to know if the oil from the chain would adversely affect the turkey.
Frozen Turkey
A lady from Colorado called about “how to thaw” her frozen Butterball. She proudly shared the fact that her turkey was stored in a snow bank outside! It had snowed the night before and it then dawned on her that she didn’t have a clue which snow bank her turkey was in. At that point, the conversation was really over because she was now on a mission to go find her turkey.
Wash Those Suds Right Out of My … Turkey?
A first-time Thanksgiving chef called Marge Klindera, a 20+ year Talk-Line veteran, in tears Thanksgiving morning last year. She was so proud to have thawed the turkey successfully and continued to rinse the turkey – with dish soap! The tears started flowing when the turkey wouldn’t stop sudsing. If only she called before she would have found out you don’t have to rinse the turkey – just pat it dry with paper towels.
State Bird
When a Talk-Line staffer asked a caller what state her turkey was in (meaning how thawed was it) the caller responded with, “Florida.”
Check out the full slideshow of Butterball turkey hotline fails here.
Lucky for you, if you’re in charge of the bird this year, there’s still time to brush up on your cooking skills with one of our culinary teachers! Or, try your hand at dessert or pastries with one of our baking instructors. Cooking isn’t your thing? That’s alright — we’re sure the family will appreciate some beautifully folded napkin art, too.
Suzy S.