‘That is what makes it dry’: KIRO listener reveals classic Thanksgiving turkey failure fix

Ahead of Thanksgiving holiday festivities and traditions filled with family, food, and football, “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio opened a highly debated question up to the listeners: What Thanksgiving food item is the best or worst?

Several listeners shared their personal favorite Thanksgiving foods, ways to spend the holiday with family, and unique dinner experiences, like Scott, who witnessed a near-death experience from a potluck pie.

“I went to a potluck once when someone brought a pie that looked like a pecan pie, but found out the baker had substituted walnuts for the pecans in the filling of the pie. She only used pecans on the top,” Scott said. “This was to save money, as walnuts are much cheaper. It could have killed someone in the group, as they are deathly allergic to walnuts.”

“My favorite Thanksgiving dish: the cranberry relish my mom makes — with pears, fresh ginger, and lemons & oranges — including their rinds! SO delicious and tangy!!” Helen shared.

Thanksgiving with ‘Seattle’s Morning News’

After praising the Seattle’s Morning News team and charming co-host Charlie Harger, Joanne delivered her list of Thanksgiving dos and don’ts.

“Joanne said, ‘Happy Thanksgiving to my favorite morning crew.’ You know what, Joanne might be my favorite listener,” Harger said. “She agrees with me, ‘Jellied cranberry sauce is gross. My husband loves it, so do the grandkids. Not me, honestly, not a big fan of Thanksgiving. I’d rather be watching football.'”

“Any kind of goo that goes on the table in the form of a can is a no-no, come on,” co-host Manda Factor responded.

“It’s the best. What goes better on plain old white bread and turkey sandwiches the next day? Well, a nice slab of jellied cranberry out of a can,” KIRO traffic reporter Chris Sullivan responded.

Steph set the record straight about a certain salad offering and put out a public service announcement to put an end to a particular stuffing addition.

“Ambrosia salad is gross, and please stop making fancy stuffing with oysters or raisins. Stove Top out of the box is just fine. I also love jellied cranberry sauce, straight from the can,” Steph texted in to Seattle’s Morning News.

Other listeners, like Kareena in Seattle, shared that a lot of Thanksgiving food is just not for her.

“Turkey is gross, cranberry jelly is gross, stuffing is suuuper gross,” Kareena said. “But pea-CON pie is delicious, and I love family and friends gathering, so yay Thanksgiving!”

The star of the show has always been the Thanksgiving turkey, whether it be oven-roasted, deep-fried, or grilled on the barbecue; families across the country find a way to screw it up. Sam came to the rescue to give his reasoning on why the turkey may be too dry.

“One reason turkey turns out dry is that you darn people keep opening the oven to baste it. It’s not necessary if you prep it correctly,” Sam said. “Every time you open the door, you lose heat, then the oven has to warm up again. That slows down the cooking, which means the turkey stays in too long, and that is what makes it dry.”

But not everyone is sticking with turkey. Shane from Gig Harbor shared that his family is preparing a brisket instead.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “Seattle’s Morning News” with Charlie Harger and Manda Factor weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. on KIRO Newsradio. Subscribe to the podcast here.