Have a Turkey Question? Turkey Disaster? Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL

My turkey caught fire — what should I do?

How long will it take my frozen turkey to thaw?

I want to impress the in-laws — got ideas?

How would the commandant of the Benicia Arsenal have cooked this bird in 1870?

Professional home economists at the Butterball® Turkey Talk-Line have been answering questions like these for 29 years — for free, and even on Thanksgiving Day. (And your question doesn't have to be about a Butterball® turkey ... any gobbler will do.)

The number to call is 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372). If it's not an emergency, you may also email your questions here. Answers to the most frequently asked questions are available here.

This year the talk-line will be open on the following schedule (PST):

Through Wednesday, Nov. 21: 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Thanksgiving Day: 4 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Nov. 23-Dec. 23: 6 a.m.-4 p.m.

Christmas Eve: 5 a.m.-2 p.m.

Christmas Day: closed.

According to the company website, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line employs more than 50 professionally trained, college-educated home economists and nutritionists, who respond to more than 100,000 questions each November and December. They’ve answered calls regarding how to cook for a whole firehouse, when to start roasting the turkey so it’s ready by halftime, and how to serve international students their first American Thanksgiving dinner.

To read more about how the talk-line works and some of the odder questions the staff has fielded — "Can I thaw my turkey in my electric blanket?" "My Chihuahua is stuck in the turkey carcass, help!" — see this 2010 article on Plainfield (IL) Patch.

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