There's a lot of polarizing views out there in the U.S. right now, but nearly all of America plans to cook a turkey for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Hormel, the parent company of Jennie-O Turkey Store, recently shared which U.S. states start planning and cooking their Thanksgiving meals earliest and how turkey preparation for the big day differs by region.
According to a survey of 5,000 consumers across the U.S., most consumers take up to two weeks to cook and plan for Thanksgiving. Food preparation adds another three days, with an additional five hours of cooking on the holiday.
That is, unless you reside in Delaware, Virginia or North Carolina. Survey respondents in these three states have the longest prep time for Thanksgiving. Delaware consumers averaged 17 days to plan their guest list and 19 days to build their menus, while Virginia consumers average 16 days picking guests and 17 days on the menu.
Thanksgiving is my family’s favorite holiday and we take our menu prep very seriously. In fact, we may throw off the average. I can guarantee that Thanksgiving will come up when I see my New England-based family this weekend.
Baking vs brining vs smoking
Turkey preparation throughout the U.S. differs less than you’d think, the survey found.
Two-thirds (66%) of respondents prefer their turkey baked. It also appears brining is officially out, with nearly two-thirds (63%) indicating they do not plan to bring their turkey year.
Smoking the turkey is another popular option, with. Oklahoma consumers were most likely to plan on smoking their turkey for Thanksgiving.
My family tends to consistently brine and bake our turkey (or turkeys), but that’s not true of everyone. Thirty percent of respondents change it up every holiday season, with 40% tending to also have ham on the Thanksgiving table.
Leftovers and sides
Leftovers play a major role in planning for Thanksgiving. Nearly all (96%) of the respondents enjoy leftovers, however there is some division on what to do with the remains of the holiday meal:
- 44% make turkey sandwiches
- 41% use turkey in other meals
- 32% recreate the Thanksgiving meal
Turkey may be the star of Thanksgiving, but sides are the unsung heroes. The most popular sides: stuffing (77%), rolls/biscuits (66%), classic mashed potatoes (60%) and cranberry sauce (55%). My personal favorite are the mashed potatoes, but Thanksgiving is also one of the few times a year I get my Mother’s homemade rolls.
Mac and cheese is popular with the southern states – Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina.
Time to get ready?
For those of you who read this who are now starving or simply ready to start planning Thanksgiving, Jennie-O experts will operate a turkey hotline starting November 1. There’s a 1-800-TURKEYS hotline, a live chat on the Jennie-O website or people can text “turkey” to 73876.
