Toll-free telephone services and Web sites offer answers to cooking and food-safety questions:
U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: Toll-free 1-888-674-6854. Food safety specialists answer calls about meat and poultry preparation and cooking questions, year-round, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Recorded information is available 24 hours a day at the same number. Also available in Spanish.
On the Web: www.fsis.usda.gov Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: Toll-free 1-800-288-8372. Home economists and nutritionists answer holiday cooks' questions, in both English and Spanish, for callers in the United States and Canada. Callers can request a free pamphlet with tips and recipes.
Through Dec. 23, weekdays, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m..
Dec. 24 to Dec. 25, Christmas Eve-Christmas Day, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dec. 26, day after Christmas, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
On the Web: www.butterball.com Foster Farms Turkey Helpline: Toll-free 1-800-255-7227. Turkey-cooking helpline is available 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.
On the Web: www.fosterfarms.com Perdue consumer help line: Toll-free 1-800-473-7383. Consumer-relations representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry products weekdays year-round except Christmas Day 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free booklet offer with tips on safe handling of poultry.
On the Web: www.perdue.com Shady Brook Farms Turkey Line: Toll-free 1-888-723-4468. An automated service offering information on buying and cooking turkeys.
On the Web: www.shadybrookfarms.com Empire Kosher poultry customer hotline: Toll-free 1-800-367-4734. Help is offered by consumer-affairs representatives year-round Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Program offers recipes, tips on defrosting and cooking poultry. Closed on Jewish and secular holidays.
On the Web: www.empirekosher.com Ocean Spray consumer help line: Toll-free 1-800-662-3263. Year-round, weekdays not Christmas Day, New Year's Day and other major holidays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Consumer department staff field questions on cranberries, offer recipes, cooking tips.
On the Web: www.oceanspray.com Reynolds Turkey Tips Line: Toll-free 1-800-745-4000. A year-round 24-hour automated hot line; through Dec. 31 offers advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options, free brochure and recipes.
