You’d be amazed at how much energy is consumed preparing the annual Thanksgiving feast! Millions of turkeys being roasted, sides being cooked, pies being baked… it all adds up to a lot of energy being used. And that could play havoc with your energy bill, but not if you can make your Thanksgiving an energy efficient one.
Cooking Your Turkey the Energy Efficient Way
- Don’t thaw your turkey in the refrigerator! This results in your fridge consuming extra energy (roughly 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds), which means extra costs. Instead, choose the option of a fresh bird, or thawing your frozen one in cold water instead (30 minute per pound).
- How much turkey do you really need? Depending on how many people are coming, you may not need an entire turkey on Thanksgiving Day. If that’s the case, cook your bird in phases, like breast on Thanksgiving, legs and thighs later on. Or go for a smaller bird. These options reduce cooking time, which reduces the amount of energy used.
- How are you cooking your turkey? If you have a gas grill, consider using it as an option. It’s a very clean burning and energy efficient option.
Energy Saving Cooking Tips
- Turn down the thermostat. With all the heat coming out of the kitchen and all the visitors, your home’s going to be warm enough!
- Choose to serve side dishes that you can cook together with your turkey in the oven simultaneously to cut down on the amount of time the oven is in use.
- Match your pots with the right-sized burners to avoid heat loss.
- Don’t bother pre-heating the oven; it’s not required for the longer cooking time needed for your turkey.
- Opt for ceramic or glass pans; the food still cooks quickly but you can reduce your oven heat by up to 25 degrees.
- If your oven is equipped with a convection feature, use it! Convection ovens cook more quickly and energy efficiently.
These tips can help you keep your energy costs under control, so that your Thanksgiving dinner is heavy only on your stomach and not on your wallet! Happy Thanksgiving!