Expert warns you must never wash your turkey before roasting it

Cooking a turkey can be quite an undertaking, but there's one thing that you should avoid doing.

Donald Trump may have pardoned Waddle and Gobble, and re-pardoned the two from last year, but for the rest of the turkeys in the US Thanksgiving is looming ominously.

But even once they're plucked and prepped for the table, a turkey is a very large bird and no small undertaking when it comes to cooking.

They're so big that if you don't do it properly, you might end up with the outside being turkey-flavoured sawdust while the innermost part has only just finished cooking.

This can be avoided with regular and consistent basting to keep the outside nice and juicy, but an expert has shared one thing that you should avoid when preparing a turkey.

And no, we don't mean frying it in a massive drum of boiling oil which you've placed over a gas burner, causing a conflagration like Satan's morning breath when the oil overflows and catches on the flame. Though, you probably shouldn't do that either.

No, we're talking about the practice of washing your turkey before cooking.

Why you shouldn't wash your turkey before cooking it

Some people think that giving the bird a rinse in the sink helps to 'wash' off bacteria before cooking, but the practice can actually do more harm than good.

And as long as your turkey is fresh and cooked to the correct temperature, then any bacteria will be seen off by the heat anyway.

But rinsing it may risk splashing turkey water all over your work surfaces, along with any bacteria in it.

This is particularly important to bear in mind if you're preparing raw or cold food as well, such as cheese, dips, salads, or crudités.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states: "Washing raw turkey can spread germs to other food."

It adds: "Federal agencies have recommended not washing turkey or chicken since 2005."

How to brine your turkey

Waddle and Gobble don't need to worry about this after being pardoned (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

One water-related thing that you can do with turkey is to brine it ahead of cooking.

This involves making a five percent brine, so 5g of salt for 100g (or milliliters) of water.

You can then add things like lemon slices, peppercorns, bayleaves, or fresh garlic into the brine to help impart more flavor.

Then, prick your turkey with a knife to create holes, submerge it in the brine, and leave it for at least 24 hours, though 36 or even 48 hours is better for such a large bird.

Brining seasons and tenderizes the meat, and it helps to stop it from drying out.

If you're worried about it being too damp before cooking, simply pat it down with some kitchen paper until dry.